Consumers have heightened interest in flavor twists and combinations (e.g. salty & sweet, tangy & spicy) and are less driven by brand recognition and familiarity when it comes to their snacking purchases, finds Frito-Lay North America in its recent...
Atomo Coffee – a Seattle-based startup promising to deliver a more sustainable cup of morning joe (minus the coffee beans) – has raised $40m in a series A round as it launches ready-to-drink ‘beanless’ cold brew coffee direct to consumer, ahead of a retail...
By leveraging packaging innovations that increase fun and flavor while decreasing mess and monotony, startups at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York this month are waking up sleepy categories, expanding their segments’ traditional user bases and standing...
Blue Stripes has recently unleashed a broad line of cacao-based products made from underutilized and wasted parts of the cacao fruit to Whole Foods stores nationwide and will be launching its star product -- cacao water -- next month, which founder Oded...
To offset the threat of commoditization and keep consumers from trading down or stepping away from the dairy case to save money as the economy tightens, specialty cheesemakers are moving beyond traditional formats, flavors and packaging that may be intimidating...
With a recent $300m capital injection, indoor farming company Little Leaf Farms is emerging as a front-runner of the US CEA (controlled environment agriculture)-grown leafy greens retail market with profitable unit economics and doubled production capacity,...
Nude Mints wants to modernize the mints category, which co-founder Sean Davis believes is outdated and lacking innovation, by launching breath mints using a new multi-layer capsule technology that promises a deeper and extended breath freshening experience...
Chobani has crossed into the metaverse through the online gaming platform Roblox where it's targeting a new generation of consumers with its oatmilk portfolio helping to transition its identity from a yogurt brand to broader food company, says Chobani...
The Kellogg Company’s unexpected announcement Tuesday to split its snack and cereal empire into three independent, public companies “to better position each business to unlock its full potential” tears a page from Kraft Foods’ playbook ten years ago when...
US retail sales of frozen meat alternatives were up a solid +10.1% to $76m in May 2022 vs May 2021, with volumes fairly flat at -0.8%; but sales of refrigerated meat alternatives continued their precipitous slide last month, with dollar sales slumping...
New Census data showing consumer spending on food slowing in recent months as inflation and the threat of a recession rise suggests retailers and brands need to rethink their inventory and promotional strategies to attract and maintain shoppers, analysts...
Nestlé USA-owned Sweet Earth Foods is expanding its plant-based entrée bowls line to meet growing consumer demand for flavor, convenience, and plant-based nutrition within the frozen foods aisle.
Total online grocery sales dropped on a monthly basis to $7.1bn in May 2022 (down from $8.1bn in April 2022), but are still slightly above (+1.7%) the same period last year, according to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey, which...
While climate change presents a serious threat to coffee production, we have the tools at our disposal to futureproof the supply chain, says Doug Welsh, VP Coffee at Peet’s, which says 100% of its beans are now ‘responsibly sourced’* from farms vetted...
Minor Figures is gaining steam in the competitive oat milk category backed by a recent minority investment from Danone Manifesto Ventures and Hong Kong-based Green Monday Group as it executes on its specialized business model centered on the coffee community.
With protein content claims in the spotlight after Beyond Meat was hit with two lawsuits filed in the space of one week alleging it overstates the protein in its plant-based burgers and other products, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with labeling experts...
AAK Foodservice has acquired ForA:Butter, a plant-based butter using aquafaba – the viscous liquid left over from cooking chickpeas – as an emulsifier to create what it claims is “the only plant-based butter with the performance skilled bakers expect."
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.
The HONEST Tea brand might be disappearing as brand owner Coca-Cola focuses on its Gold Peak and Peace Tea brands, but the organic, ready to drink ‘just sweet enough’ teas first launched by Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff in the late 1990s, it seems,...
Soylent is projecting sales of $100m this year on a run rate basis driven by solid double-digit growth and margins holding steady, ensuring it remains cash-flow positive without having to raise prices, despite the challenging inflationary environment,...
Where the food and beverage industry was once flush with funding from venture capitalists drawn to fast-growing businesses and from strategics eager to pay high multiples for innovative start-ups, money is now harder to come by as inflation, supply chain...
Even as General Mills adopts an ‘always on’ approach to mergers & acquisitions, it remains dedicated to driving organic growth through innovation by deploying elite tiger teams to identify consumer problems and then develop and test solutions-oriented...
Lauded as a “ghost protein” that boosts nutrition without changing finished products’ taste, color or texture, Israeli startup Brevel claims that its microalgae-based alternative protein could give competing pea and soy-based proteins a run for their...
Oat bar company Bobo's is continuing its growth streak, predicting 45% growth for the full year 2022 vs. 2021 even as challenging supply chain conditions linger, says CEO TJ McIntyre.
While its legacy may be in chocolate, The Hershey Company's portfolio of snacks has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several years, positioning the company as a growing snacking powerhouse, says Todd M. Scott, manager, corporate brand &...
With $10m in series A funding, the carbon assessment platform Planet FWD hopes to dramatically reduce the time it takes CPG companies to evaluate and neutralize their environmental impact while simultaneously speeding up their development of eco-friendly...
Gatorade is the undisputed leader in sports drinks, says the new CEO of BODYARMOR, which recently overtook Powerade to capture the #2 slot in the category. But after four years at Chobani, challenger brand extraordinaire, Federico Muyshondt knows a thing...
Organic ready-to-drink (RTD) tea brand HONEST Tea will be phased out of Coca-Cola’s portfolio by the end of this year, with executives highlighting “a drop in immediate consumption sales and limited glass supplies.” However, the organic juice line HONEST...
While the past couple of years have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride with supply chain challenges and soaring inflation, KIND posted a 15% increase in sales in the US market in 2021, and is enjoying "really robust growth" in 2022, says KIND...
They may not be magic, but mushrooms – at least medicinal ones – are having a moment as consumer demand for functional benefits, such as clarity, calm, digestive support and enhanced immunity, are driving discovery and sales of the versatile, easy-to-you...
This fall, the White House will host a highly-anticipated and hard fought for second Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger and Health at the behest of a bipartisan nationwide grassroots movement led by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) as part of an ambitious...
Unit sales of Flowers Foods' top brands still grew in the first quarter, despite significant price increases, said executives at the Georgia-based baking giant, which is gearing up for a second wave of price increases in June. "Importantly,...
Superbrewed Food has secured self-affirmed GRAS status for a new whole food, non-GMO ingredient - marketed as a ‘postbiotic cultured protein’ – that founder Dr Bryan Tracy is billing as “the most nutrient dense protein source on the planet,” with 80%+...
Fresh off of a $10.5m funding round, Tomorrow Farms is debuting is first product and brand -- Bored Cow -- which uses Perfect Day's animal-free whey protein to recreate a cow-free version of flavored milk, giving consumers the nutrition and functionality...
With the global food system under significant pressure to keep up with the world's growing population, The Kellogg Company's SVP of global R&D and innovation Dr. Nigel Hughes presents how international food and beverage companies can take...
GOOD Meat - a division of Eat Just, Inc. currently developing and producing cultivated chicken - has entered into a joint development agreement with global nutrition company ADM to accelerate the production of cultivated meat while driving overall costs...
Walmart’s already low appetite for price increases across food and beverage may be further dampening as more consumers switch to private label and smaller packs to keep expenses down – a signal to the retailer that it is not doing enough to deliver on...
Even though 59% of Americans have access to curbside recycling, only 27% of plastic bottles are currently recycled – a grim statistic that is not only bad for the environment but also bad for CPG businesses, such as The Coca-Cola Co., that are striving...
The Real Good Food Company, which makes lower carb, higher protein, gluten- and grain-free versions of frozen comfort foods, has exceeded growth expectations and raised its guidance for the full year.
Good Good, an Icelandic breakfast brand of no-sugar-added products, has closed a $20m Series B funding round which will help support new low-sugar product innovation and future US product distribution.
While even the analysts downgrading Beyond Meat’s stock in the wake of grim Q1 figures believe meat alternatives are “not a fad” (to quote Brian Holland at Cowen), the brand’s slowing sales and elevated costs have prompted some soul-searching about why...
Children following vegetarian diets have similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets, but are more likely to be underweight, according to a new study from researchers in Toronto.
Food prices likely will remain stubbornly high as the cost of key ingredients, packaging materials, transportation and warehousing paid by producers continues to rise, albeit at a slightly slower pace – sparking optimism among some that high inflation...
Rising food prices slowed slightly in April over the prior month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics April Consumer Price Index released today, but they continue to climb at a brisk pace that is significantly faster than all items, allowing them...
Brazilian plant-based meat firm Future Farm is steadily making inroads into the crowded plant-based meat category in the US, where CEO Alexandre Ruberti still sees runway for growth.
As cultivated meat gets closer to market, more attention is being paid to enabling technologies, from bioreactors to growth media to edible scaffolding. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with two players trying to replicate the extracellular matrix of meat:...
When Ginkgo Bioworks’ head of codebase Dr Patrick Boyle was working on his doctoral research between 2006-12, he was “basically ordering DNA one gene at a time,” he recalls. “I think I ordered less than six total genes for my entire PhD.” Today, the Boston-based...
As a 100+-year-old company of some of the most well-known CPG brands, Mars Inc. sees innovation as the driving force behind the company's next chapter of growth and the key to maintaining consumer relevancy.
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...
