Packaged food, especially ultra-processed, is a popular scapegoat for the ongoing struggle with diet-related chronic disease in America, where 70% of adults are overweight or obese, 50% have diabetes or prediabetes and 50% have heart disease – but what...
As consumers become more interested in sustainable food production and packaging, they are becoming increasingly sophisticated and skeptical in their assessment of green claims – pushing for more specificity, traceability, transparency and veracity, according...
While alternative protein sales and units declined notably in recent years, players cite improved food science, commercial scale, production and navigation of retailer expectations during the Natural Products Expo West event last month.
Consumers increasingly are weary of “drinking empty calories,” and are instead looking for less sugar and more functional benefits from their beverages – be it enhanced hydration, gut-health support, mood and mental health management or permissible indulgence...
As shoppers continue facing high grocery prices on shelves, they look to government policies as the most responsible for these increases, while believing retailers should communicate price increases more clearly, according to recent data from The Feedback...
Meaningful innovation in the consumer packaged goods industry has ground nearly to a halt post-pandemic for all but an “elite 20%” of companies, according to the Boston Consulting Group’s latest Build for the Future Survey, which analyzes insights from...
The market for functional hydrocolloids used in foods is stabilizing after a “challenging couple of years,” in which supply chain disruptions during the pandemic triggered selective price hikes and a subsequent drop as food manufacturers scaled back purchases,...
Cows are often the posterchild for the negative environmental impacts of farming or ranching, but what if they could be a force for good in the fight against climate change?
Bovine collagen infused Pretty Tasty Tea may be new to the functional beverage space, after launching in February, but the team behind the beauty-from-within brand includes industry veterans with deep expertise in distribution strategy and retail management...
Sales of clean label products are outperforming total store sales, according to new research from the Acosta Group which also found consumer interest in products free of “bad” ingredients or “chemicals” is rising alongside high-profile state legislation...
Consumers increasingly want more from their beverages when it comes to health, but they also want less in terms of calories, ingredients, processing and environmental impact – a delicate balance that startup Lattini strikes without compromising taste...
Not all gut microbiomes react to dietary fiber in the same way, according to a recent study that explored the complex relationship between the two in the context of colitis sensitivity.
Specialty ingredient player Balchem has joined with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) to found the Virginia Tech Mineral Metabolism Research Center, dedicated to studying the impact of mineral nutrition in human health.
With the recent launch of an AI-powered Smart Assistant, leading business-to-business e-commerce platform Alibaba.com wants to help level the playing field and increase the odds of success for small and medium enterprises and solopreneurs by simplifying...
As Las Vegas prepares for the estimated $215bn economic growth from the additional 215,00 visitors for the Super Bowl, CPG companies and retailers have a significant opportunity to feature value-added offerings for viewers across the country, according...
Upstream and downstream activities that indirectly impact a company’s Scope 3 emissions may be difficult to measure, but a collaborative investment between stakeholders will help improve environmental impacts long-term, Brian Nash, vice president of corporate...
Eco labels, from Fairtrade America to Marine Stewardship Council to Non-GMO Project, can help tip the scales when consumers are deliberating between products at shelf and even encourage them to try a new or unfamiliar brand, according to leading sustainability...
Regenerative agriculture may be a relatively new or unknown concept to most US consumers, but new research by ADM suggests that as shoppers’ awareness of the practice grows so too does their trust in retailers and brands that implement its tenets and...
Traditional grocery stores lost sales across categories to value-focused retailers in 2023 as most consumers sought deals to offset higher prices even as inflation steadily slowed over the year and many acclimated to prices and felt better about their...
Daily Harvest's debut of its GLP-1 Companion Food Collection as part of its quick-to-prep January Jumpstart plan includes “meals made with only real foods that are calorie-conscious while delivering ample vitamins and minerals,” Carolina Schneider,...
Chickpeas could take a more prominent role in PepsiCo’s snack portfolio given rising consumer interest in the legume, its environmental sustainability attributes and its versatility stemming from its mild flavor and diverse texture applications, according...
At a time when many retailers are cutting back on the assortment and number of plant-based proteins they stock, fungi-based newcomer Meati continues to gain retail shelf space with the launch of four of its whole-cut MushroomRoot cutlets and steaks in...
Whether advertising something as “best” is protected as puffery or requires substantiation depends on the context and whether the claims are presented “monadically” or are comparative or quantifiable, according to an advertising watchdog that reviewed...
Tea’s inherent functional benefits, positive sustainability messaging and diverse usage occasions, formats and flavor profiles should make it a shoe-in for US consumers searching for healthier options that don’t compromise taste or convenience, and yet...
The New Year will bring a renewed focus on clean-label and better-for-you products, including a desire or the “best of both worlds” as consumers gravitate towards indulgent products making functional health claims, as well as products that are better...
A recent white paper published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) on the sustainable production of nutritious foods through processing technology highlights how various processing techniques can improve food and nutrition security. Yet the challenge...
As an early adopter of the “triple bottom line” framework, the premium confection company Endangered Species Chocolate has been “doing well by doing good” for 30 years by responsibly sourcing ingredients, supporting fair trade, prioritizing sustainability...
Dollar General is reducing its inventory and product variety by a “meaningful number of SKUs” as part of a “back to basics” initiative to boost margins, ease ongoing supply chain constraints, improve employee engagement with consumers and reduce the risk...
Campbell Soup Co. is embracing a direct store and integrated project delivery model to “unlock the full potential” of its iconic snack brands, including Goldfish, Lance and Late July, at a time when some Americans’ enthusiasm for snacking may be slowing....
Just over a year after joining FDA as the agency’s top scientist, Namandjé Bumpus will rise to second in command as principal deputy commissioner early next year – replacing Janet Woodcock who, after nearly 40 years as a leader within the agency, recently...
FDA, USDA and EPA want to make it easier for producers, manufacturers, retailers and food service providers to give to those in need nutritious food that would be wasted by offering financial incentives and tax credits to encourage donations, developing...
Snacking in the US continues to climb, according to data from Circana, despite predictions that a surge in the frequency and sales of snacks during the pandemic was unsustainable and would revert to pre-COVID levels as consumers returned to in-person...
Front of package nutrition labeling intended to help consumers select healthier foods and beverages by potentially calling out the amount of added sugar and other nutrients of interest could unintentionally expose children to higher levels of non-nutritive...
Increased scrutiny of environmental sustainability claims by regulators and competitors has many brands turning to third-party certifications to reassure consumers about claims’ veracity and to protect against litigation – but recent movements in the...
While allulose may technically be a ‘rare’ sugar, marketing it simply as sugar could mislead consumers to believe it is or is the same as common table sugar, the National Advertising Division of BBB National Programs determined in a recent decision.
Warning letters sent last week by the Federal Trade Commission to two food industry trade groups and a dozen online health influencers questioning the adequacy of paid partnership disclosures may not be a harbinger of impending enforcement that some believe,...
As the concept of “food as medicine” gains traction, doctors, dietitians and insurers already active in the space are keen to distinguish the difference between “better-for-you” products and those proven to effect a health change and therefore worthy...
FDA’s massive reorganization to create a proposed unified Human Foods Program under one leader who will report directly to the agency’s commissioner may not be finalized until next June, but the program’s first Deputy Commissioner James ‘Jim’ Jones isn’t...
This week, join FoodNavigator-USA and stakeholders across the supply chain, including Eat Just, The Hartman Group, Oishii, NotCo, Instacart, NIQ, Consumer Brands Association, FMI – The Food Industry Association, Cargill and more for our three-day Futureproofing...
Kellanova, the snack-centric spinoff from Kellogg, saw volumes and sales in North America drop in its third-quarter as it lapped high sales from a year ago, faced rising elasticities and suffered the consequences of dragging its feet to bring back in-store...
Consumers’ relationship with food continues to evolve through diets that target more specific needs while simultaneously shifting how they define healthy, according to results from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food and Health survey.
Consumers are adapting their attitudes about food to a changing climate and aiming for more sustainable eating habits, research in Tetra Pak’s 2023 Index suggests. The research also indicated that consumers are gravitating towards healthier products,...
Women’s diverse nutritional needs have long been overlooked or pigeonholed to focus primarily on appearance, but a new class of products made by women, for women across life stages are on the rise as is research to support the development of sex-specific...
According to tastemakers at the nutrition and ingredient giant ADM, consumers are ready to “unapologetically” embrace luxurious, indulgent flavors and whimsical, vivid colors in their foods and beverages after years of holding back due to limited options...
A notable uptick in food insecurity in the US in 2022 from the previous year is a “wake-up call” for federal and local governments to better fund and fully use federal nutrition assistance programs, all of which are at risk of being cut or restricted,...
While Burlap & Barrel’s farm to kitchen model for its single origin spices may appear simple compared to traditional spice supply chains that are peppered with middlemen zig-zagging across regions and cultures, the process of establishing a direct...
Last week’s launch of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University marks an inflection point for food-based health care interventions, which have steadily grown from small community-driven and...
Good food is the foundation for good health, but according to the US Department of Agriculture 10% of Americans, or approximately 33.8 million people, don’t have reliable access to healthy nutrition – a sobering statistic that online grocery technology...
Between FDA and USDA greenlighting the sale of cultivated chicken in the US, the ground-breaking of a large-scale precision fermentation facilities and advances in molecular farming, 2023 has been a banner year for novel protein production. But the path...
