FoodNavigator-USA Podcast

Consumers increasingly are unwilling to compromise taste or health when buying beverages – opening the door for innovative brands that deliver both functional benefits and refreshing experiences

Up and coming chocolate brands are rethinking how they make – and package – chocolate to meet rising consumer demand for better-for-you and clean-label options, while simultaneously navigating rising costs

Startups should carefully consider regenerative agriculture certifications and how to use sustainable messaging to enhance their core value proposition

Consumers say they want adventurous new flavors and international cuisine, but many are hesitant to try something unfamiliar – creating a ‘conundrum’ for manufacturers and marketers introducing global flavors

Spins and NielsenIQ representatives shared strategies for retail success, including boosting velocities, utilizing data efficiently and developing an omnichannel strategy that inserts a brand into a consumers' everyday life

CPG companies must focus on the three C’s (credibility, capability and cash) and the four P’s (product, packaging, positioning and pricing) to drive retail growth

Consumer awareness and interest in regenerative agriculture is exponentially increasing - placing pressure on farmers, manufacturers and retailers to work together to boost supply

Under John Krzywicki’s leadership, US-based biotech company Checkerspot will refine its focus on using microalgae and precision fermentation to develop sustainable high value triglyceride fats and oils not easily sourced from nature at commercially relevant scale and cost

Consumer flavor preferences are all over the map, literally, as they seek adventure, authenticity and cultural connection through globally and locally inspired food and beverage – but all too often they lack the confidence, knowledge and ingredients to recreate at home international and regional dishes with diverse flavor profiles

Sales of plant-based milk have slowed in the past year, but Silk and So Delicious maker Danone still sees significant potential by focusing on fun in addition to function

Founders and startups are on the hunt for retail buyers and possible investors at one of the largest food and beverages shows in North America, so entrepreneurs will need to hone their pitches and networking skills to breakthrough the noise

As the Whole Grain Stamp celebrates its 20th anniversary, Oldways Whole Grain Council considers where there is room for innovation and how to overcome barriers blocking product development and consumption of whole grains

Beverage veteran Danny Stepper shared his thoughts on what it takes to create an iconic drink brand during the 10th episode of the Founders’ Fundamentals podcast

An advertising watchdog lists ‘better-for-you’ claims as a potential enforcement area for 2025 amid concerns that marketers may not be able to support implied health claims

CPG founders seeking venture capital funds in 2025 should prioritize capital efficiency and how they uniquely tackle business challenges to woo prospective investors

Price hikes to boost profits are out in 2025 as CPG companies embrace more consumer-friendly strategies to drive growth, including one that could dramatically reconfigure the playing field

CPG startups searching for funding in 2025 should steel their nerves in the face of inflation and possible tariff increases

The Coca-Cola Co.’s recent decision to extend by five years its timeline to reach several voluntary environmental sustainability goals could portend a broader trend for food and beverage companies in 2025, according to one industry insider.

Most US consumers are exhausted after a year of uncertainty marked by ongoing inflation and political turmoil, and industry insiders predict as they enter the new year many will seek relief – physical, emotional and financial – from the foods and beverages they choose.

Consumer frustration and fear about their finances likely will continue to color their shopping behavior in the new year after the latest Consumer Price Index data released last week revealed prices – including for groceries – picked back up in November and progress towards the US central bank’s 2% inflation target appears to have stalled.

To break out in 2025, CPG founders must conserve capital, strategically plan promotions and offer value and premiumization, according to experts during an episode of the Founders' Fundamentals podcast.

FDA is under pressure to require standardized science-based, front-of-pack labeling to help consumers interpret nutrition information on food products – but what will the mandate mean for packaged food brands?

PepsiCo’s acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in Sabra and Obela dips and spreads brands from Strauss Group late last month underscores the growth potential of the US hummus market, which Persistence Market Research predicts will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.4% from $982.9 million this year to $1.72 billion by 2031.

Eight in 10 consumers globally are limiting sugar in their diets, but where they are cutting back and where they continue to indulge varies as do their reasons for limiting sugar and how they prioritize sugar reduction alongside other values, such as taste, clean label and overall nutrition, according to new data from ADM.