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...
Once relegated to the bottom shelf in the back corner of a store or hidden among the sparkling water or cocktail mixers, non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits are breaking free from the stereotypes of who drinks them and when, and in doing so are setting...
As grocery shoppers shift back to brick-and-mortar stores after relying heavily on ecommerce during the pandemic, food and beverage brands also are shifting their advertising from social media to in-store with many turning to retail media networks to...
To feed a global population of 10bn people by 2050 we need to produce more food in the next 40 years than we have in the past 8,000 years, but as illustrated by the Green Revolution simply increasing available calories isn’t the answer – they need to...
Sitting between Greek yogurt and soft cheese, labne (sometimes spelled labneh) has the potential to be the next big dip in the US – potentially rivaling long-time creamy favorites Ranch and French Onion but with a better-for-you positioning – but first,...
From the COVID-19 pandemic to extreme weather events and war in Ukraine, ‘cascading crises’ are impacting countries across the world. Responsible agri-food practices can help mitigate the impact of these disruptions, suggests Kaveh Zahedi, director of...
The 2023 holiday season is around the corner and this year promises more good cheer – or at last more spending – than last year, but the higher inflation that will buoy sales is a double edged sword that simultaneously threatens volume and must be considered...
The re-emergence of AeroFarms Inc. from Chapter 11 and BrightFarms partnership with Element Farms, both announced this week, could help reassure those who are skeptical of the economic viability of controlled environmental agriculture, but the ongoing...
The plant-based protein industry continues to suffer losses with two well-funded companies closing their doors, while the cultured meat segment steadily checks milestones and tackles hurdles as it prepares for broader distribution and consumer adoption....
Global nutrition giant Archer-Daniels-Midland is adopting an “ambidextrous” approach that relies on improved productivity and innovation to drive short- and long-term growth across its business and offset ongoing softness in its nutrition segment, according...
With the acquisition of iconic snack cake maker Hostess Brands announced this morning, JM Smucker joins a growing list of packaged food companies padding their portfolios through acquisitions after several rounds of price hikes across categories begin...
Kraft Heinz’s soon-to-be new CEO refuses to give into competitor and retailer pressure to “rent volume” by boosting promotions for short term gains – preferring instead to invest in pricing optimization, marketing, innovation and renovation to protect...
The grocery industry is at an inflection point as retailers and manufacturers grapple with dramatic changes in how food is produced and sold and an increasingly diverse consumer base that is no longer willing to settle for the one-size-fits-all, supply-driven...
Executives from General Mills and calling for patience – not promotions – to help reverse volume declines that for months have plagued the food and beverage industry across categories, but which so far have been sufficiently offset by price increases.
New research shows adults at risk of heart disease who were prescribed produce ate more fruits and vegetables and after six months had lower blood pressure, body mass index and blood sugar levels – buttressing calls by public health advocates and The...
For many Americans living a fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyle, the meditative benefits of slowly sipping a hot mug of tea may be out of reach, but the health benefits and feeling of refreshment that come from a beverage brewed with adaptogenic, nootropic...
Campbell Soup Co. will not indulge in a race to the bottom to secure additional volume share by leaning on “dysfunctional promotions” in 2024 despite what it anticipates will be a sluggish start to the fiscal year as the company laps “transitory” factors...
Energy drink newcomer Machu Pichu’s dual marketing message of finding balance and connecting to nature and community sets it apart in a category that heavily promotes extremes and individual gains, as does its organic flavor technology and natural caffeine...
Personalised nutrition experts at the Qina consultancy have revealed a top tends report, unveiling a ChatGPT take-over, a merging of food and pharma, an entrance of big tech firms, and new abilities created by at-home blood draws.
At a time when many players in the controlled environment agriculture industry are laying off employees, filing for bankruptcy and in some cases closing their doors, vertical farm Oishii continues to grow – expanding production, distribution, its portfolio...
Despite a desire to eat healthier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 90% of Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables due in large part to negative perceptions of flavor, convenience and cost – all of which startup Pairwise...
Meal kit pioneer Blue Apron expects to return to profitability by the second quarter of next year after a post-pandemic decline in demand caused its revenue and margins to tumble – pushing it to adopt an “asset-light” model in which it handed off manufacturing...
While regulators, legislators and industry stakeholders debate whether whole, 2% and flavored milks should be offered alongside plain, low-fat and fat-free options as a required component of school meals, a growing number of students are raising concerns...
Unilever PLC executives suggested during the firm’s July 25 first-half earnings call with analysts that inflation has peaked, but that its effects will continue to be felt, especially in its food-related business categories.
New research suggests bio-based ingredient company BioVeritas’ upcycled, clean label bread and tortilla mold inhibitor could be a “fundamental game-changer” on par with how Impossible Burger shifted the paradigm for plant-based burgers, argues the company’s...
Most food and beverage startups’ go-to-market strategy includes a combination of direct-to-consumer and grocery, but when mushroom-based snack brand Popadelics recently launched it took a less conventional route – placing a greater emphasis on luxury...
Whole Foods Market’s newest store opened this week in the historic Walter Reed Parks in Washington, DC, as an anchor for the redeveloping neighborhood and a new opportunity for area startups hoping to break into the competitive food and beverage industry....
Under a new CEO and with peak-pandemic receding farther into the background, the Consumer Brands Association is “going back to the future” to focus on core values that, while still priorities in recent years, took a backseat during the chaos of COVID...
Sustainability messages can have a “dramatic amplifier effect” on brands’ reach and appeal when paired with traditional category claims such as “tastes great,” but to fully leverage their power marketers should focus on how sustainability claims benefit...
Nearly 2,000 companies and 270 trade groups, including those representing grocers, convenience stores and other retailers that sell packaged food and beverages, are calling for the swift passage of legislation that could lower credit and debit card swipe...
Sustainability and future-proofing the food system
Improving the sustainability of the food system is no longer optional from an optics and long-term business perspective, but short-term challenges – including consumer engagement – threaten immediate and mid-range returns and margins, complicating the...
Unit sales of plant-based dairy products are sliding even as dollar sales are up in most categories as inflation-related price hikes simultaneously cushion companies’ margins and discourage some consumers from trying new products and paying premium products....
During the American Frozen Food Institute’s (AFFI) Government Action Summit on May 9-10, leaders and executives in the frozen food industry met with Congressional representatives and staff to discuss the potential reorganization of the FDA’s food division...
As a new anti-ESG era emerges, food and beverage businesses that set ambitious goals to reduce their environmental footprint, improve worker livelihoods, diversify leadership or enhance accountability could find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard...
The Federal Trade Commission should update its “Green Guides” to clarify the proper use of climate change claims, such as “net zero” and “carbon negative,” which have proliferated in recent years to meet rising consumer interest, but which are not standardized...
Sales of plant-based dairy, including milk, cheese and yogurt, continue to grow at a rapid clip despite challenging macroeconomic and market conditions, but units in some categories are dipping slightly, according to recently released SPINS data, raising...
Positioning cell cultured meat as a critical climate mitigation solution could help the nascent industry unlock much-needed additional funding – and engage a more diverse set of investors – at a time when traditional resources are ebbing and competition...
The Federal Trade Commission should withdraw or “at the very least narrow the scope of its proposed ban on non-compete agreements” to exclude those between businesses and executive-level or “highly skilled workers,” urges FMI, The Food Industry Association....
Retailers investing in private label to cater to consumers trading down as inflation rises, simultaneously are looking to offset lower dollar sales with a broader selection of premium offerings that can boost basket rings – creating an opportunity for...
Food-tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods’ plant-based, whole-muscle seafood made through biomass fermentation will launch in select restaurants this summer thanks in part to an infusion of $5.5 million in seed funding led by Stray Dog Capital announced this...
The era of food and beverage entrepreneurs scoring massive checks from investors with scant review to build and exit a business in three to five years is giving way to a new era of cautious consideration by venture capitalists seeking slower but more...
Upcycling food, or turning would-be wasted byproducts from one product into something delicious and nutritious for people, has emerged as one of the hottest trends in food and beverage in recent years with the market projected to grow at a compound annual...
At Natural Products Expo West this year, walking down an aisle without seeing a callout for prebiotics or probiotics was nearly impossible as more players race to meet consumer demand for each, which research from Coefficient Capital shows is climbing...
Better for you snack brand Simple Mills is taking is mission and products beyond its initial “free from” roots to embrace a “for more” approach that not only skips artificial ingredients that consumers are avoiding but gives them more of what they want...
As consumers look for foods and beverages to do more for them and the planet they are becoming more sophisticated and skeptical of unverified claims – demanding proof that products and companies can deliver what they promise.
Even as cellular meat companies continue to clear regulatory, technical and scientific hurdles, the timeline for when their products will launch remains a moving target as emerging challenges – ranging from the banal to black swan events – threaten to...
It is too soon to give up on the plant-based meat segment, which has seen sales and household penetration slip in the past year, but which is evolving to meet demand for products that are healthier, tastier and more convenient, argued industry stakeholders...
Grocery shoppers continued purchasing fresh produce in 2022 as inflation pushed up prices but bought less of it on a volume basis, shifting to more affordable fresh fruit and vegetable options as well as frozen and canned items.
