Health-related buzzwords such as “heart healthy”, “organic” and “all natural” can lead consumers to rate unhealthy foods as healthy, according to a study of college students at the University of Houston (UH).
“My background is in sales, so I’m used to dealing with disappointment,” observes the founder of quinoa-based snacking brand eatKeenwa. But for every door that’s been shut in Blake Niemann’s face in the past 18 months, another one has opened. And his...
From drinkable grains to Non-GMO verified, Sterling-Rice Group has identified 10 natural and organic food trends that are starting to influence the mainstream grocery market. Are you up to speed?
The founders of Canadian bakery products manufacturer One Degree Organic Foods think the current packaged food landscape has distanced consumers far too much from Mother Nature. They’re looking to narrow the gap between food producers and the end consumer...
Consuming whole-grain-rich foods for six weeks may slash levels of inflammatory biomarkers in overweight children, according to findings published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.
Governments, NGOs and consumers are driving change in the bakery sector, but how can industry keep up? What’s the next direction for healthy bakery? And will this future need to be regulated?
The fiber and whole grain intakes of many Americans are still falling well short of the recommendations, but food such as ready to eat cereals, yeast bread/rolls, and oatmeal are making significant contributions in the right direction, says a new study...
A supplier of drum dried organic ancient grain powders has launched a standalone quinoa powder with applications ranging from supplements to RTD and RTM beverages, baked products and even soups. FutureCeuticals hopes quinoa's broad food industry...
The FoodNavigator-USA business leaders round table debate
What are the hottest trends in food and beverage? And are the big bucks really in blue-sky innovation, or have the most successful firms played with an existing concept and just done a better job at executing, marketing and selling it?
What might give the food and beverage industry's regulatory affairs teams sleepless nights in 2014? From more evaporated cane juice lawsuits to proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts panel, stay up to date with this FoodNavigator-USA gallery…
From maple water to ‘brogurt’, posh jerky, seaweed chips, purple corn, gourmet popcorn and non-GMO labels; what were the hottest trends of 2013, and what’s on the menu for 2014?
As the FDA prepares to conduct consumer research into whole grain labeling statements before it issues finalized guidance for industry, the debate over precisely what should constitute a ‘whole grain’, as well as how the amount of whole grain should be...
The percentage of new US food product launches featuring ancient grains or seeds has almost tripled since 2008, according to Datamonitor. But the bulk of activity is focused around just two ingredients: Chia and quinoa.
While quinoa and chia have stolen much of the limelight, one of the most interesting ‘ancient grains’ to watch is freekeh - wheat that has been harvested early while it is still green and then roasted and cracked - according to one leading supplier of...
Long the victim of an outdated image problem—canned beef and barley soup anyone?—barley has the nutritional profile, cost and versatility that should catapult into the realm of super grains like quinoa and kamut. And yet, barley often ends up buried on...
Wheat may be a staple in many diets worldwide, but there’s a whole host of super grains—some well-known and others still under the radar—each with their own unique set of benefits. From spelt to farro, teff, kamut, chia (actually a seed!) and quinoa,...
You may not know all of them by name (and other names you may be tired of hearing), but the US market for ancient grains—from quinoa to amaranth, millet, teff, sorghum and buckwheat—continues to show promise as the criticisms of wheat from various camps,...
The need for dietary interventions to help diabetes sufferers is clear. But communicating how individual ingredients and foods might meet that need is fraught with regulatory peril, observers say.
Special edition: Tackling diabetes. Formulating for healthy blood sugar
Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, and poor diet and lack of exercise may be largely to blame, what can food and beverage manufacturers do to tackle this epidemic?
If the first generation of gluten-free products was short on flavor and nutrients; the next generation - ‘gluten-free 2.0’ - is all about taste, health and convenience, and is infiltrating every food category and channel, delegates at the Food & Nutrition...
Removing negative ingredients like trans fats from bakery is still important for consumers but they are also looking for positive nutrition, says the research director of Packaged Facts.
Bakers have a vast choice of grains and seeds that can nutritionally improve gluten-free products, including fibers, ancient grains and seeds, according to scientists.
Although consumers vary widely in their sensory preferences when it comes to whole wheat bread, certain characteristics in whole wheat flour—such as decreased bitterness and increased sweetness—improve liking among most consumers, according to multi-year...
Incorporating whole grains into bakery formulations dramatically impacts functionality and so it is easier if bakers start from scratch, says the director of R&D at Archer Daniels Midland.
IBIE 2013 has a fantastic educational program lined up from tips for gluten-free and whole grain use, to insight on food safety regulations and labeling laws. BakeryandSnacks takes a look at ‘what not to miss’…
The FDA says it will permit qualified health claims on the relationship between eating whole grains and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, but is the wording it has proposed so qualified that no food manufacturer will want to use it?
A bill proposing sweeping changes to food labeling laws covering everything from ‘natural’ claims to whole grain statements has been welcomed by consumer groups, but stands little chance of success, legal experts have told FoodNavigator-USA.
In 2006, the FDA issued draft guidance designed to ensure food manufacturers were all singing from the same hymn sheet when making whole grain labeling statements. Seven years later, we are still waiting for the finalized guidance, and comments to the...
Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, foods and supplements targeting pre-diabetics and type 2 diabetics would appear to have enormous potential. So why isn’t the ‘healthy blood glucose’ market exploding?
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released tough new rules on ‘competitive’ foods sold in school vending machines, cafes and snack bars as part of its commitment to improve child nutrition under The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
Gourmet nut butters, pea protein, purple corn, yogurt for men and more chewy drinks? Sterling-Rice Group identifies the top 10 natural and organic food trends that are starting to influence the mainstream grocery market.
Quinoa’s relatively high price compared to staple grains may restrict consumption to health-conscious consumers in high-income countries for now – but it could play an important role in food security in the long term, according to the FAO.
Back in 2008/9, Boulder Brands CEO Steve Hughes had a lot of sleepless nights. The struggling Smart Balance spreads business - which represented 90% of group revenues - was running “in fourth gear” - and the economy was in the doldrums.
While polls suggest most Americans are in favor of labeling genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the percentage that spontaneously mention GMOs when asked an unaided question about what additional information they would like to see on food labels is...
Nutrition bars enter - and exit - the snacks aisle at the speed of light these days. So how has Clif Bar managed to sustain the kind of growth rivals can only dream of, year after year? Elaine Watson caught up with CEO Kevin Cleary to find out.
Groupe Danone has acquired a 92% stake in US-based organic baby food company Happy Family, saying that it intends to step up development of the company and its brands.
Remember the gluey texture of the oatmeal your mom served you as a kid? Turns out, this is a good thing, according to new research comparing the satiating effects of oatmeal versus ready-to-eat cereals.
On paper at least, boxed breakfast cereal ticks all the right boxes. It’s quick, great value for money, and nutritious - the perfect recession-proof food.
Millet is nutritionally superior to wheat and other gluten-free grains, yet a lack in novel processing technologies at a commercial level is holding industry use back, a new review finds.
Only one in ten US consumers gets the recommended amount of fiber, but fibrous whole grain ready-to-eat (RTE) cereals can boost daily intake by around 14%, a new study finds.
Improving circulation is a hot new trend in heart health, while cardio-healthy foods and drinks for children represent an "explosive untapped functional foods opportunity", according to Elizabeth A. Sloan, PhD and Catherine Adams Hutt, PhD,...
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
US sales of foods and beverages marketed on a cardiovascular health platform grew by 22% in the period 2007-2012 to top $3.1bn in 2012, according to Euromonitor International.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
While LDL cholesterol is one biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk everybody can name, the next generation of heart healthy foods will address a broader range of risk factors from galectin-3, C-Reactive protein (CRP), and oxidized LDL (OxLDL) levels...
Big Interview: Terry Howell, director of business development, Suntava
Purple is hot (well, so says Dr Oz). From purple carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and cauliflower to blackberries, grapes, blueberries and cabbage, a deep purple hue is usually a good sign that fruits and veg contain a healthy dose of beneficial phytonutrients.
From non-entity to 15 retailers in 2.5 years is a rapid rise, and doing so by blending health, convenience and affordability to produce prepared foods that also taste ‘amazing’ is only the beginning, says the Founder and CEO of Lyfe Kitchen Grocery.
