While the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND) says members are more than capable of distinguishing facts from spin when listening to an education session from a corporate sponsor at its annual conference, many RDs worry that cozying up to brands...
Food policy must meet the needs of the rapidly growing global population, as well as urban elites in developed nations with “organic window boxes” promoting an ‘Old McDonald fantasy’, claimed one high-profile speaker at the Academy of Nutrition &...
Former USDA executive Robert Post, PhD, joins FoodMinds
The Let’s Move! Campaign established a unique environment for collaboration and partnership to bring a lot of food companies together, says Robert Post, former USDA executive and new CSO for FoodMinds.
Big interview: Ben F. Pierce Gore, Pratt & Associates
When you think of plaintiff's lawyers, two images probably come to mind: Consumer crusaders like Erin Brockovich or grubby ambulance-chasers in John Grisham novels. But where in this spectrum should we insert the top attorneys representing plaintiffs...
It’s tempting to think of spices and dehydrated vegetables as commodities - in comparison to say stevia, or omega-3s - where price is all that matters. But they are anything but, says the man in charge of the spices and vegetable ingredients (SVI) division...
Big intervew: David Israel, Founder and CEO, POP! Gourmet Popcorn
In year one of launching its first retail products, POP! Gourmet Popcorn notched up sales of almost $1m. In year two, it’s looking at $3-4m. Next year, it's aiming for $10m, says founder David Israel, who’s on a mission to turn the bland stuff we...
Breaking into the cut-throat world of consumer packaged goods takes blood, sweat, tears... and enough cash to sustain some momentum after the initial excitement of seeing your product hit the shelf wears off.Here's FoodNavigator-USA's pick of...
Tea is an adult beverage, right? Wrong, says the entrepreneur behind Little Me Tea, who’s on a mission to replace the sugary juice box in your child’s lunchbox with an organic, caffeine-free tea sweetened with fruit and veg juice.
The beverage aisle is easily one of the most dynamic parts of the store, with new energy drinks, teas, waters and fruit drinks entering - and exiting - almost daily. But when it comes to flavored milks, why is there just chocolate, strawberry and vanilla?
60-second interview: Mark Clausen, VP sales, Quaker Maid Meats
BBQ season might be winding down, but Quaker Maid Meats - the firm behind the top-selling Steak-Umm brand - is on a mission to inject fresh excitement into some mature categories, its new VP of sales Mark Clausen tells Elaine Watson.
Food industry experts labeled as nonsense the notion that avoiding carbohydrates is a magic bullet that could head off many cognitive impairment conditions at the pass.
Although federal efforts have led to “modest improvements” in food quality and marketing practices in recent years, “commercial interests have consistently overridden the health concerns of children”, according to one former government health expert.
Big interview: Sarah Wallace, co-founder, the good bean
After spending years marketing products from Luna Bars and PopChips to thinkThin bars, The Good Bean co-founder Sarah Wallace knew a thing or two about building healthy snacking brands before she decided to put her money where her mouth is and go it alone...
Big interview: Josh Tetrick, founder and CEO, Hampton Creek Foods
Egg replacers have been around for years, acknowledges the entrepreneur who has persuaded everyone from Bill Gates to the co-founder of PayPal to part with some serious cash to fund his plant-based egg alternatives. “But wait till you try ours.”
60-second interview: Dr Janet Collins, president, IFT
What’s it like to stand at the helm of the world’s largest organization of food science professionals at a time when consumers are more likely to ask (and trust) each other than an ‘expert’ or 'official' source to get answers on everything from...
Check out who’s moving onwards and upwards as we head into the fall with the latest FoodNavigator-USA round-up of movers and shakers in the food industry.
You don’t launch a new brand in the gum category by calling the buyer at Walmart and asking nicely for some shelf-space at the checkout between Juicy Fruit and Trident, observes the founder of aspartame-free PÜR Gum.
Big interview, Yves Potvin, founder and CEO, Garden Protein (Gardein)
Despite all the recent hype about plant-based protein, the frozen meat alternatives category was stuck in a bit of a rut until pretty recently, says the man behind the fastest growing brand in the market.
The media frenzy surrounding AquaBounty’s GE salmon and the accompanying ‘Frankenfish’ headlines obscure the fact that it is "just a fast-growing fish”, according to one animal biotechnology specialist.
What precedent might it set if firms are forced to label foods made using new technologies, even if the end product does not differ in any meaningful way from foods developed by ‘traditional’ methods?
If you plot them both on a graph, the rise in diagnosed cases of autism correlates closely with the rise in sales of organic foods. So do organic foods cause autism? Of course not.
Open innovation used to be just for the likes of P&G and Unilever, but today, it's being embraced by a lot of mid-sized companies in the $100m-$1bn revenue range as well, according to Andy Zynga, CEO of open innovation expert and corporate matchmaking...
Those who feel uneasy about the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics’ (AND’s) ties with corporate sponsors such as Pepsi and McDonald’s argue that getting into bed with such purveyors of ‘junk food’ - however transparently or responsibly you go about...
The good news: Around 15% of global palm oil produced in the past year was certified by the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The bad news: Only half of it earned a premium, which doesn’t sound like a great recipe for inspiring more producers...
One of the founding fathers of agricultural biotechnology, best-known for his pioneering research on virus-resistant plants, Dr Roger Beachy caught up with FoodNavigator-USA to give us his perspective on the current debate over the role of GM crops in...
Big interview: Kevin Klock, CEO Talking Rain (Sparkling ICE)
Want to know what success looks like? Check out Sparkling ICE. In early 2010 it was generating $10m a year. This year, it’s on course to generate $350-400m and CEO Kevin Klock tells FoodNavigator-USA it could be a $1bn brand by 2018.
Big interview, Gregory Jaffe, Director of Biotechnology, CSPI
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has made a name for itself by tackling the food industry’s big guns on everything from artery-furring entrees to misleading label claims. But where does it stand on genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
What do you think about when you buy a frozen pizza? What’s on deal? The taste? How long you’ll need to spend in the gym tomorrow if you wolf down a whole one in front of the TV tonight?
Nestlé is pumping $53m into a new R&D facility in Solon in northern Ohio, that will be dedicated to frozen and chilled foods and serve Nestle's businesses worldwide.
Who is best qualified to provide nutritional counseling? A registered dietitian? A medical doctor? A nutritionist? A nutrition scientist? A sports scientist? You or me?
Big interview: Ted Nixon, chairman and CEO, DDWilliamson
Founded in 1865 - the year Lincoln was assassinated - DDW has been in the food colors business for an astonishing 148 years. But there’s no room for complacency, CEO Ted Nixon tells Elaine Watson during a visit to the firm’s HQ in Louisville, KY.
Blanket opposition to genetically modified crops is “a morally unacceptable position to take on the basis of unsubstantiated suspicions and fears”, according to the boss of Toronto-based firm Maple Leaf Foods.
Bill Gates tackled global hunger in a live web debate on Friday (June 7), the eve of the Big IF London Hyde Park rally, part of the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign against starvation.
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.
Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry
The identity of the 15 experts who will frame the 2015 dietary guidelines for Americans has been announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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.
From Nike’s Bill Bowerman being inspired by a waffle iron, to studying the behavior of herding cows for the redevelopment of Times Square, cross-pollination of ideas from different fields can generate big rewards.
Big interview: Cathy Enright, EVP, food & agriculture, Biotechnology Industry Organization
When it comes to winning hearts and minds about the merits of genetically engineered ingredients (and whether to alert consumers to their presence on food labels), it’s fair to say that the biotech industry has not done a great job.
Big interview: Andrew Dahl, CEO Health Enhancement Products Inc
Right now, a gallon of gas costs $4 or less. Produce it from algae, and you can expect to pay $18 or more, says the boss of one firm convinced that cutting edge nutraceuticals - not biofuels - is where algae’s true potential lies, in the near term at...
Founded in the same year that Edison created the first functioning light bulb, Thompson Brands is one of America’s oldest chocolate companies. But it hasn’t stayed in business this long by resting on its laurels, CEO Gene Dunkin tells Elaine Watson.
Being circumspect when you talk to suppliers is one thing. But being so afraid of giving away your innovation pipeline that you leave them in the dark about your goals is plain counterproductive, according to R&D bosses at Starbucks, Molson Coors...
On day two of the 2013 Food Technology & Innovation Forum in Chicago, R&D bosses from the world's biggest food and beverage companies learned how Unilever gains consumer insights online, what Nestlé thinks about biotech crops and how McDonald's...
