The vast majority (87%) of hemp grown in the US is expected to be used for CBD processing in 2019, according to a new report from cannabis researcher Brightfield Group, which estimates that 285,000 acres of industrial hemp were planted in the US in 2019,...
Over one-third of consumers are looking for functional benefits from food and beverages, and are turning to specific nutrient-dense, superfood ingredients to achieve their specific wellness goals, according to AI-powered food trend and analysis company...
Starting in January, the Grocery Manufacturers Association will become the Consumer Brands Association and in doing so will continue its dramatic transformation that began when Geoff Freeman took the helm as president and CEO in August 2018 after several...
Hemp and CBD continued to reign as one of the top food and beverage trends at Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore last week, just as they did at the event’s counterpart Expo West last March – but also just like at West they were far from the only...
The US House of Representatives is expected to vote today on a bill that would clear the way for full banking services for companies dealing in hemp/CBD products.
After several years of strong growth driven by its core kefir business, Lifeway Foods’ revenues have plateaued at around the $120m market in recent years, while sales in the latest quarter were down 14% YoY. However, a new line of plant-based functional...
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has introduced language into a congressional spending report that would require the FDA to issue formal enforcement discretion on the sale of hemp-derived CBD products within 120 days, clearing a path for the lawful...
The US coffee market has been heating up with innovation and consumer interest, with ready-to-drink (RTD) products taking off and driving most of the category growth, according to Nielsen research.
While there is something of a Gold Rush mentality driving parts of the CBD market right now, “there will be a lot of winners in this space, if brands can create a credible product and tell the appropriate story,” predicts one new player in the space.
Socati Corp., a processor of broad spectrum hemp extracts, has launched two CBD products for the CPG industry containing a minimum of 80% CBD and 4% of the minor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) with non-detectable levels of THC.
Interest in CBD is “off the charts,” but those mulling the regulatory path forward for the hottest functional ingredient of the moment might be well advised to consider how other cannabinoids will fit into the regulatory framework going forward, says...
Natural Hemp Company CEO Chris Clifford believes the next big category to hit the food and beverage market will be CBD-infused sparkling water. And the company is positioning its first CPG brand, Day One CBD Sparkling Water, as an everyday beverage that...
The rollout of New Age Beverages’ CBD-infused beverages has been delayed owing to the regulatory uncertainty over CBD, which makes navigating the territory “as murky as the Strait of Hormuz,” CEO Brent Willis told analysts yesterday.
FDA said today it will have an update on a new regulatory structure for CBD by early fall. The announcement came via a press release on another warning issued to a CBD marketer making illegal disease claims.
CBD snack and beverage brand Weller has raised $3m in a funding round led by venture capital firm Brand Foundry Partners, which the company will put towards scaling up production and increasing marketing efforts to meet high consumer demand.
The US market for foods and beverages featuring hemp-derived CBD – from relaxation drinks to gummies – could be worth $2.5bn by 2023, or 10.5% of an estimated $23.7bn market for CBD products (spanning everything from pharmaceuticals to petfood), predicts...
CBD-infused beverage brand Sweet Reason has raised $2.5M in a seed round led by New York venture capital firm Lerer Hippeau, with participation from RiverPark Ventures, Max Ventures, Subversive Capital, and angel investors.
California-based Green Gorilla has acquired two farms (through its subsidiary Gorilla FarmCo), totaling 1,510 acres of organic farmland, to expand its vertically integrated 'seed to shelf' line of CBD products.
CBD and other cannabinoids produced via fermentation can deliver the purity and reliability that the market is looking for at a lower price, claims Amyris, which is aiming to introduce its first products next year following a partnership with a newly...
Natural products online marketplace Thrive Market has temporarily halted sales of hemp-derived CBD products after its merchant processor demanded it cease selling them amid uncertainty over their legal status, but says it is in conversations with a new...
The CBD market is exploding with the ingredient popping up in everything from bars to beverages to confections and everything in between – driving up sales to more than $200 million in 2018 by conservative estimates and an expected $3.8 billion by 2025,...
CBD has not yet been fully legalized in the US, but Ben & Jerry’s is already for preparing for when it may be. The company released a statement committing to incorporating CBD into future ice cream innovations as soon as it is federally legalized....
Layn Corp – best known for its stevia, monk fruit, and botanical ingredients - is making a significant bet on hemp-derived CBD, announcing plans to invest around $60m to build a US facility capable of processing a minimum of 5,000 tons of hemp biomass...
When it comes to legally marketing conventional food and dietary supplements with CBD and other cannabis-derived compounds, FDA and industry appear stuck in a catch-22.
While not everyone was on the same page about the legal path forward for hemp-derived CBD during Friday’s marathon FDA hearing, multiple speakers made clear that the current situation is untenable, with one predicting a wave of lawsuits, and others demanding...
“If we do not succeed in working together to reassure the card brands that they can safely support our industry, then we predict a significant decrease in CBD sales within the next few months,” the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) has warned.
A study published recently has found a level of liver toxicity for CBD, putting up a big caveat to the notion within the hemp/CBD world that its products have nothing in the way of safety concerns.
Beverages under the Zola and Caliva brands featuring hemp-derived CBD will start to hit the US market around August or September, says Zola founder Chris Cuvelier, who recently took the helm at a new beverage division at Caliva after the San Jose-based...
We’re no longer in the ‘Wild West’ when it comes to hemp-derived CBD, but buyers can still get burned if they don’t do their homework, says Colorado-based BBB Labs, which has launched a quality assurance seal for its hemp extracts to reassure partners...
Symrise and The Green Organic Dutchman (TGOD) are expanding their beverage innovation capabilities with an investment in Califormulations, a US beverage innovation company that works with a number of beverage companies and brands in the US market.
While several firms are exploring using genetically engineered yeast to biosynthesize cannabinoids using a fermentation process (rather than extracting them from cannabis plants), German company Farmako claims a new approach utilizing bacteria gives it...
The FDA recently reiterated that it’s unlawful to introduce foods or supplements containing added CBD into interstate commerce, but also said enforcement action would focus on brands making "egregious" claims, providing some comfort to firms...
While some natural products brands are only interested in CBD from hemp or marijuana plants, the market for cannabinoids produced via microbial fermentation is potentially huge, as the pesticide-free process delivers higher yields and consistent purity...
Regulatory hurdles notwithstanding, investors and judges at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! event in San Francisco last week were fairly bullish about hemp-derived CBD (cannabidiol), and predicted that while the market has moved ahead of the science, this will...
Weller, a Boulder-based snack and beverage company, is not tip-toeing around using the word 'CBD' on its packaging as it launches a line of sparkling waters featuring 25mg cannabidiol (from full spectrum hemp extract).
Fermentation: A pathway to 'superior cannabinoids at significantly reduced cost'?
CBD (cannabidiol) produced via fermentation could hit the market early next year following a partnership between synthetic biology expert Amyris, and LAVVAN, Inc., a newly-formed company committed to “providing the market with superior cannabinoids at...
Growpacker Inc., a contract manufacturer of THC- and CBD-infused edibles and beverages based in Canada with a presence in the US market, has launched a brand incubator and accelerator program designed to fast-track CBD and THC brands sold in California.
'What we're wrestling with is whether CBD is an ingredient play, or something huge brands can be built around'
The fact that CBD is not a legal ingredient in foods and supplements - at least not yet - did not deter scores of exhibitors at Expo West, who added it to everything from soda to protein bars (absent any claims), with some opting for isolates, but most...
US sales of beverages infused with hemp-derived CBD are predicted to reach $600m in 2019, and approach $1bn in 2020, with water accounting for two thirds of the market, predict analysts at Cowen, which believes that “US CBD can conservatively generate...
Canadian cannabis specialist Tilray is to buy Manitoba Harvest – the world’s largest hemp food manufacturer - from Compass Group and other shareholders in a deal that could be worth up to C$419m (US$317m).*
While some retailers are more cautious than others about using the term 'CBD,' many leading food and drugstore chains are actively exploring building dedicated segments in store devoted to hemp/CBD following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill,...
What is piquing the interest of food & beverage investors as we approach Expo West? Not surprisingly, CBD is high on the list, along with brands disrupting the kids’ food category, according to New York based venture fund AccelFoods.
Oregon-based Socati has raised $33m in a funding round (following $9m in seed funding) to scale its proprietary separation and extraction technology that ensures a 0.0% level of THC in its full (also referred to as 'broad') spectrum hemp extract.
CBD (cannabidiol) isolates are off the menu for food, beverage and supplement companies until the FDA lays out some kind of regulatory pathway. But are ‘broad spectrum’ hemp extracts legal in all 50 states following the passage of the Farm Bill? And if...
Launching online and in Erewhon and Lazy Acres stores in Los Angeles this month, Lumen hemp elixir is a HPP (high pressure processed) superfood shot with a 60-day shelf life featuring cold pressed hemp juice and on-trend ingredients such as ashwagandha...
New Age Beverages has unveiled CBD-infused beverages under the Marley brand, which it believes will give it first-mover advantage in the segment with a globally-recognized brand consumers already associate with relaxation. But it won’t be making any claims...
The FDA recently reiterated that adding CBD to foods or supplements is illegal, regardless of the new hemp provisions in the Farm Bill, as it was first investigated as a drug. However, it is now “taking new steps to evaluate” whether to issue regulations...
While some commentators predict hemp-derived CBD (cannabidiol) could burn brightly and then fizzle out if consumers lose interest and plaintiff’s attorneys challenge product claims, the fact remains that consumers are buying it, and coming back to buy...
