Kellogg’s “stronger than anticipated” first quarter in which the company saw double-digit organic net sales and adjusted operating profit growth not only places the company in the “enviable position” of raising its full year guidance, but suggests it...
Kraft Heinz expects to gradually regain lost market share in the US, which tumbled 30 points on a mix-adjusted basis in the first quarter, by selectively working with retailers to boost shelf space, ramping up marketing and innovation, and tackling lingering...
After three years of innovation-stifling supply chain and labor challenges paired with record high inflation and a trying economy that has discouraged both investors and adventurous shoppers, food and beverage manufacturers are finally ready to prioritize...
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....
How Nestlé uncovers unmet consumer needs and develops foods and beverages are almost as innovative and diverse as the successful new products it has launched and patents it has filed since the pandemic began.
Change is inevitable, and for most it is uncomfortable – but it isn’t necessarily bad given it can be a catalyst for tremendous growth, deeper connections and betterment, which is good news for the consumer packaged goods industry considering research...
Kraft Heinz is entering the final stage of its transformation in which it plans to capture $2b in incremental net sales from innovation through 2027 after the company has systematically rebuilt itself following the dramatic fallout of an aggressive cost-cutting...
By Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging demand for positive nutrition must balance functional benefits, taste, sustainability and convenience
Born out of the pandemic when product availability was unpredictable or limited and when a premium was placed on immunity-boosting, consumers in 2023 increasingly are seeking positive nutrition – both for themselves but also for the planet and workers...
The idea of food as medicine is as old as food itself, but only recently has the mainstream US health care system begun to take notice, and action, as community-directed efforts to prevent, manage and treat diet-related illnesses through nutrition education...
Unilever is steadily gaining market share, boosting sales in fast-growing categories, lowering the cost of experimentation and improving its consumer engagement by doing more with less, CEO Alan Jope touted during the company’s investor day last month....
No longer a lumbering giant when it comes to R&D, Nestlé significantly increased its number of new product launches and number of patents in priority areas by simplifying its innovation process, fostering an entrepreneurial culture and collaborating...
It's got a population of under nine million, but in the food innovation stakes, Israel punches way above its weight. FoodNavigator-USA headed to Tel Aviv for the Food Tech IL annual innovation event organized by The Strauss Group’s The Kitchen FoodTech...
PepsiCo continues to raise the prices of its snacks and beverages with confidence despite some handwringing by analysts about whether elasticities, which remain at historic lows, soon will begin to give as inflation continues to squeeze consumers across...
Givaudan has developed a ‘radical approach’ that it says can assist efforts to reduce the amount of sugar in products: ‘holistic profiling’. FoodNavigator hears more about how this new technique represents a departure from conventional approaches to cutting...
While plant-based is still one of the hottest trends in food and beverage, sales and consumer engagement with alternative proteins have slid in recent quarters – prompting some players in the space to rethink their strategy.
As consumers navigate rising inflation, out-of-stocks due to lingering supply chain and labor challenges and contemplate the potential impact of their purchases on the environment and workers, they are more willing to push aside old loyalties and try...
Plant-based meat alternatives continue their downward slide with sales, units and volume all dropping in July from a year ago – a trajectory that IRI data crunched by 210 Analytics shows was set in motion months ago, but which doesn't shake at least...
After previous plans to boost Kraft Heinz’s profit margins and add value by aggressively cutting costs and practicing zero-based budgeting went awry and caused the company’s stock and consumer trust to plummet, Miguel Patricio was focused on the basics...
The acute health threat of COVID-19 may be ebbing for most Americans, but the desire it instilled in many to bolster their physical and mental wellbeing continues to push consumers to seek food as medicine, according to industry insiders.
As Americans continue to adjust to post-pandemic life and mounting economic uncertainty, consumer research from Mintel shows that many believe there is no going ‘back to normal’ and as such are changing the way they think about, budget and shop for, and...
While The Coca-Cola Co.’s tolerance for underperforming brands and product launches that miss the mark has dropped dramatically in recent years, its appetite for “intelligent experimentation” has increased – underscoring the need for a structured yet...
After three years of helping Kraft Heinz claw its way up “from the bottom,” where it crashed after previous management prioritized inorganic growth and cost-cutting measures, CEO Miguel Patricio wants credit given where it is due.
Dairy innovation that delivers added-value is becoming increasingly important as inflation rises and shoppers look to justify higher prices for products across the board – including for staples, such as dairy, that previously may taken for granted their...
Kraft Heinz is reimaging its approach to food production and marketing to help offset inflation and increase value for consumers as they begin to consider their budgets and purchase priorities more carefully as prices across categories rise.
Entrepreneurs at startups and emerging brands often innovate and build their businesses based on their intuition or anecdotal feedback from loved ones and early adopters, but as they scale so do their need for detailed data and analysis -- not just about...
Through a combination of rapid innovation, investing in growth platforms, ongoing “prudent” M&A and strategic paring down of labor and factories, Nestle is on track to deliver solid mid single-digit organic growth in 2022 and into the foreseeable...
While some of the initial challenges that food and beverage startups experienced when the pandemic began have subsided, like restrictions on sampling and freezes on category resets, others remain and new ones have emerged – complicating the path to market...
As waves of COVID-19 and its variants ebb and flow they are creating an unpredictable tug-of-war between restaurants and grocery retailers that one industry insider predicts will continue to complicate inventory management long after the current supply...
Innovation within the nascent upcycled food and beverage industry is exploding as manufacturers and ingredient suppliers large and small are drawn to the promise of potentially higher profits, a viable path to ambitious sustainability goals and a consumer-friendly...
Undeterred by the chaos of the pandemic, including supply chain challenges and retailers significantly scaling back selection and even pausing new product introductions, an elite, cross-functional team of innovators at Clif Bar & Co. secretly pushed...
A keen empathy for consumers, a deep commitment to innovation and an open-door approach to collaboration helped the founder of Nissin Foods not only capture the hearts of billions of people when he invented instant noodles, but also helped build and sustain...
Pandemic-related limitations on key resources, from essential ingredients to packaging to labor, continue to challenge food and beverage manufacturers, and while pressures may ease in one area they simultaneously increase in another – elevating the need...
From immunity- and metabolism-boosting kefir to a sugar-free lassi that supports mental clarity to trendy boba lattes optimized for performance and recovery, the 12 semi-finalists in the Real California Milk Excelerator are reinforcing the old adage “milk...
For a fraction of the price and hassle of in-person sampling or focus groups, the new product discovery and data analytics platform Snack Drop allows emerging brands to offer goods directly to consumers in exchange for honest feedback and detailed information...
A sweeping collection of convenient and accessible new products from Del Monte Foods rolling out this summer takes the company into new categories and channels to meet the rising consumer demand for plant-based products, purposeful snacks and time-saving,...
As concerns about cultural appropriation and misrepresentation bubble up alongside the push for social equity, food and beverage industry stakeholders are delicately navigating consumers’ sometimes-conflicting demands for authenticity and innovation.
While Coca-Cola Co. is eager to restart innovation in 2021 after pulling back in 2020 to accommodate supply-constraints and heightened retailer demand for best-sellers, it is doing so with a shorter leash on experimentation and higher bar for financial...
Less than a year after taking the helm at Clif Bar & Co., new CEO Sally Grimes is spearheading the company’s first transformation in 30 years with an ambitious goal to double its business to $2 billion and double its positive impact on the world....
Coca-Cola has been streamlining its portfolio: cutting down from 400 to 200 master brands. This doesn’t mean the company has abandoned NPD, says CEO James Quincey – rather, he sees the strategy as clearing the way for the ‘next generation of innovation’.
As consumer taste preferences shift to reflect a deeper understanding of the connection between health and diet during the ongoing pandemic, PepsiCo is expanding the scope of its Greenhouse Accelerator program to embrace emerging science and technology...
The Kraft Heinz Company’s recently released ‘transformation plan’ detailed the group’s strategy to deliver consistent growth, with top line gains led by its international business. FoodNavigator speaks to International Zone President, Rafa Oliveira, to...
While the pandemic may have slowed the flow of venture capital funding in some segments of the packaged food and beverage industry earlier this year, analysis from Finistere Ventures shows it threw open the tap for the food- and ag-tech sectors, which...
The Coca-Cola Co. is trying to make the best of a bad situation by using the pandemic, which had decimated its revenues with the closure of public places, as a “catalyst for change” to “drive out some of the bureaucracy,” refocus on local opportunities...
Kraft Heinz is pulling back on innovation in favor of renovating well-established, iconic brands to which consumers have flocked during the coronavirus pandemic in an effort to maintain household penetration gains made in the last nine months of lockdowns,...
After initially hitting pause on new deals during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, investors have steadily returned to the bargaining table, but the CEO of one venture capital firm warns the pandemic has raised the bar for and slowed the pace...
Encouraged by strong third-quarter sales online and in stores as well as net sales in the period that grew twice that of a year ago, Sprouts Farmers Market is “financially stronger than ever,” and on track to double its business by 2025, according to...
While companies of all sizes understandably want a guarantee that a new product or innovation will succeed before investing heavily in large-scale production and marketing, the CEO of Pilot Lite Ventures warns that this way lies the valley of death.
While Grupo Bimbo has managed to stay on top of and benefit from increased demand for its baked goods and snacks in the US during the pandemic so far, executives are weary of any additional strain on capacity and employee safety posed by a potential second...