Only three out of five licensed childcare centers in low-income areas participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), revealing an opportunity to provide healthy food for children and highlighting the discrepancy in resources and awareness...
Research that shows toddlers who receive meals and snacks from their childcare are healthier and more food secure than those who bring meals from home underscores the importance of and need to expand federal support for the Child and Adult Care Feeding...
Research shows school meals are the healthiest source of nutrition for most students in the US, but the US Department of Agriculture thinks they can be healthier, which is why it is proposing stricter standards that would reduce added sugars, fat and...
Most schools nationwide are struggling to source sufficient options that meet current government-imposed nutrition standards and which students will eat – a problem that could worsen if the US Department of Agriculture imposes stricter, long-term nutrition...
Anti-hunger advocates are lauding Congress for setting aside $40m in the 2023 omnibus spending bill to improve children’s access to healthy food in summer when many schools and their cafeterias are closed, placing young people who rely on free and reduced-price...
The baby food landscape has changed drastically in recent years with an emphasis on fresh products and a flurry of DTC brands coming to market. So which trends present the biggest growth opportunities for brands and manufacturers?
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is indirectly pressuring children’s food manufacturers to elevate the healthfulness of their products sold at retail by incentivizing schools to improve the quality of the food they serve and prioritizing the reinstatement...
When it comes to plant-based milks for kids, the options are few and far between, say Alex and Lauren Abelin, founders of Kiki Milk, which is made with organic oats, hemp seeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, coconut, and other “whole food ingredients.”
Two years after launching at the height of the pandemic, Mavericks Cookies has established a strong foothold in the under-served better-for-you kids snacking category with new distribution at 1,250 Target stores and a streamlined portfolio focused exclusively...
Children’s health advocates and the School Nutrition Association lauded President Joe Biden signing this weekend a bipartisan bill to increase funding for school meals and ease requirements for institutions struggling with ongoing supply chain challenges,...
SpoonfulONE, a line of nutritional products that introduces babies to 16 food allergens at the beginning of their feeding journey, has expanded distribution to nearly 5,000 Walgreens stores nationwide helping make early allergen introduction a common...
Formulating beverages that parents can feel good about - and kids will actually drink - is notoriously challenging. However, the founders of Starryside reckon they may have cracked the code with Star Water, a zero-calorie flavored water with added vitamins...
Recently strengthened self-regulatory efforts to curb marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children still do not go far enough to “meaningfully protect” children, argue public health advocates after new analysis reveals “loopholes” in the Children’s...
Despite efforts in recent years to disrupt the roughly $5b fruit snack market with better-for-you options made with more, whole or only fruit, the category remains dominated by legacy products high in added sugars and fillers and low in nutritional value...
In unveiling stricter ‘transitional’ school nutrition standards for the upcoming academic year, the Department of Agriculture appears to have drawn a line in the sand for what could become a contentious debate between schools, industry and other stakeholders...
Taking the helm as CEO of prepared foodservice company Revolution Foods late last year, Dominic Engels will lead the company's next chapter of growth, which includes expanding its footprint into new channels and continuing to create healthy and "culturally-relevant"...
As a women-founded baby and children’s food company led by a predominately female executive team focused on empowering women and families through its food as pharma approach, Yumi has always prized the presence of women across all segments of its business,...
Figuring out what kids are craving while pushing them to try new types of food is a challenge for many families and households, notes Chartwell K12, which put together its list of top kid-approved food trends based on its specialized insights creating...
An emerging market for lactation support products aiming to help more women hit the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months is much-needed, but also could trigger unintended consequences depending...
Baby and toddler food and beverage manufacturers looking for innovation inspiration will find a treasure map for new product ideas in the recommendations for children under two years included, for the first time, in the current Dietary Guidelines for...
Packaged baby and toddler food manufacturers may have a better chance of winning over new mothers – many of whom prefer feeding their children fresh, natural homemade food – if they fortify their products and clearly communicate the benefits of added...
Parents are constantly looking for snacks that meet both the nutritional needs, and oftentimes, the picky palates of their child. Brands that can effectively meet both these fundamental demands are best positioned to win in the competitive landscape of...
Fresh baby food seemed to set the category on fire with a flurry of new entrants over the past five years, but has the burgeoning segment lost some steam as retailers pull back and consumers become more price-conscious?
Parents and caregivers crave information about how best to feed their children, and while they have a lot of resources available via the Internet, health care providers, peer groups and brand marketing – they aren’t always sure what to trust or where...
FDA reinforces and clarifies advice that pregnant and nursing women and young children should eat fish lower in mercury to support brain, heart and immune health and development, according to updated guidance released by the agency late last week.
Fresh Bellies has pivoted away from its original line of HPP fresh baby food and refocused its resources and efforts on the kids snacking category, a decision CEO and founder Saskia Sorrosa says has put the brand on the map in a big way.
Researchers are calling on the beverage industry to close loopholes that allow limited advertising of sweetened beverages to children after discovering sales of children’s beverages with added sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners continue to outpace those...
Recognizing that what and how parents choose to feed their newborns and toddlers goes beyond just nutrition, Gerber undertook an ambitious investigation into the universal pressures that caregivers face with an eye towards better supporting them as they...
Beginning at conception and continuing through first bites to afterschool snacks and beyond, nutrition plays a pivotal role in children’s brain development, emotional lives, and long-term health – but all too often they aren’t getting all the nutrients...
Picky eating that extends into school years can take a toll on children and parents alike, but what influences a child's dislike of certain foods in the first place, and what can parents do to help tackle this behavior?
Square Baby, a direct-to-consumer baby food company offering veggie-forward meal solutions, is making the leap from a regional brand serving the West Coast to a full-blown national operation, a milestone that couldn't have been achieved without a...
While many parents say that their family has eaten more healthily since the start of the pandemic, one in five parents reports relying more heavily on fast food as a quick fix family meal option, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott...
For a company with an over 90-year history, Ocean Spray is still in its early days of tapping into the kids beverage category with its Growing Goodness line, a functional line of kids juice products with no added sugar.
Specialty ingredients supplier Balchem has developed several product concepts for the kids snacking market addressing specific nutrition areas of increasing importance to parents and families of young children.
Grocery retailers and packaged food and beverage brands should brace for another significant shift in consumer shopping habits this month as many families with students returning to in-person school after a year or more of distance or hybrid learning...
Calories from ultra-processed foods comprise more than two-thirds (67%) of children's and adolescents' diets, up from 61.4% in 1999, according to researchers from Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University.
The nascent allergen introduction category is gaining credibility, visibility and reach with retailer Target creating in select stores a dedicated section of products that help caregivers conveniently and safely follow clinical guidelines to introduce...
New York-based direct to consumer brand Little Spoon – which delivers chilled fresh food for babies, toddlers and young children to homes across the continental US - has raised $44m in a Series B round led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation...
Childhood nutrition giant Gerber is teaming with the Rodale Institute and Michigan State University to test whether more sustainably grown food is not only better for the earth, but also for children, as part of an ambitious, multi-prong commitment to...
As children transition away from breast milk, infant formula and other milk as their primary source of nutrition to a diet more reflective of their family’s, they are increasingly vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies, according to research recently...
Children’s health advocates are calling on fast-food restaurants to further restrict marketing of unhealthy food to children on television, across social media and in their establishments after finding the industry’s annual ad spend increased 9% between...
Ready, Set, Food! has raised $3.5m in new funding to build brand awareness for its three-stage allergen introduction system, which begins by introducing babies (starting at 4 months of age) to peanut, egg, and milk.
Nutritional Growth Solutions (NGS) and its Healthy Height brand is entering the kids snack bar category with a bar line that balances research-based, “growth-boosting” nutrients with a kid-approved flavor profile.
Baby and toddler food brand Raised Real – which has built a loyal following with its direct-to-consumer subscription business – is making its first move into bricks & mortar retail via a deal with Target, which is stocking six SKUs in its freezer...
Impossible Foods is heading into K-12 schools across the US this month via pilot programs in California, Washington, and Oklahoma ahead of a wider K-12 market entry in the fall, after securing a Child Nutrition Label for its burgers from the USDA's...
Raisin snack brand Sun-Maid - which has just acquired baby food brand Plum Organics - has recruited six kids from across the US to be part of its first "Board of Imagination", a new feedback and decision-making group.
Public health advocates are calling on FDA to require all children’s beverages to clearly label on the front of pack the amount of added sugar, non-nutritive sweeteners and juice in each product after research published today in Pediatric Obesity revealed...
When it comes to feeding children, caregivers have a wealth of nutritional information at their fingertips that they say they understand, and yet most children fall short of the recommended intakes of fruit, vegetables and whole grains and consume too...
Rising consumer concern about the long-term detrimental impact on children’s health and palate development from baby food overly-sweetened or predominately packed with fruit is opening the door for a new cohort of entrepreneurs promoting vegetable- and...
Nutritional Growth Solutions, Ltd. (NGS), parent company of Healthy Height kids protein shake mixes, has acquired nutritional shake brand KidzShake and has announced plans to enter the US medical market.
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