Featuring Little Leaf Farms' fan-favorite Baby Crispy Green Leaf lettuce, the new Sesame Ginger Salad Kit includes Thai seasoned wonton strips, sliced almonds, toasted quinoa and sesame ginger dressing, delivering a convenient, fresh, flavor-packed meal ready to be enjoyed anytime.

Embracing a new packaging design, Amy's offers six dishes designed to meet the needs of busy families seeking an effortless dinner. As with all of Amy's products, Family Size Entrées are made with organic and non-GMO ingredients.

The US Congress recently passed bipartisan legislation that ensures organic standards evolve and improve, while holding the federal government accountable for remaining familiar with the needs and expectations in the organic marketplace.

Cheddies® Crackers is on a mission to disrupt the $7.5 billion snacking cracker category with a cheese snacking cracker made from 100% fresh, organic cheddar cheese sourced from regenerative farms. 

In this podcast, Scott Dicker, market insights director at SPINS LLC, discusses those natural and organic categories that are doing well (think global flavors, at-home meals) and he shares an inside look at SPINS’ top trends for 2024!

Next In Natural, a firm specializing in bespoke operations for emerging organic food and beverage companies, announced the expansion of a new M&A division and the appointment of Ted Tieken as chief future officer at its helm.

Each bite delivers an indulgent snacking experience that supports sustainable farming practices, as Diana’s upcycles small, single, and irregular bananas from Ecuador that would otherwise be discarded for cosmetic reasons. 

Two pioneers in global sustainability certification, FoodChain ID and ReSeed, announced the launch of a new industry-leading ReSeed Soil Carbon Methodology for carbon market initiatives. The Soil Carbon Methodology rewards farmers not only for maintaining existing soil organic carbon built through sustainable farming practices, but also for the removal and storage of additional carbon dioxide emissions by soils. The Soil Carbon Methodology is the first program on the market to offer these two key benefits, while also making voluntary carbon markets accessible for vulnerable and small farmers to scale agriculture climate initiatives worldwide.

HIPPEAS® Chickpea Puffs are made from chickpeas. With 4g of protein and 3g of fiber per 1oz serving, the new fiesta-flavored Chickpea Puffs pack a punch of plant power with flavor.

With 7g of complete protein per serving, Fit Butters x PEBBLES™ is made with premium whey protein and coconut oil to provide healthy fats and a decadent, low-sugar nut butter. 

"We're so excited to bring a flavor that is loved by so many to our Blue Diamond snack portfolio," said Maya Erwin, vice president, Marketing & Innovation, Blue Diamond Growers. "We’re always looking for new ways to incorporate trending flavors into our products, and with Ranch, we hope our customers feel inspired to take their taste buds to a new level of deliciousness.”

Churro Chocolate Caliente Palomitaz Popcorn swirls together the Mexican flavor pairing of hot chocolate and churros into one recipe.

The new Smoothie Pops line includes three varieties: Organic Acai & Blueberry, Organic Dragon Fruit & Mango, and Organic Passion Fruit & Peach. The new Organic Smoothie Pops are both health-forward and tasty.

Campbell’s extends popular Goldfish platform with “mash-up” of crackers and potato chips.

Eat Just, Inc., a company that applies cutting-edge science and technology to create healthier, more sustainable foods, in partnership with 1880, an establishment founded to inspire conversations that change the world, made history when their cultured meat was served and sold to guests for the first time at a series of dinners.

The Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS), is a new 501(c)(3) organization focused on catalyzing science for the benefit of public health.

By expanding its capabilities to address the growing consumer interest in functional beverages, the company is poised to offer partners and customers the opportunity to meet consumer needs and expectations while embracing current food and beverage trends and advancements in the market.

Tate & Lyle, a global provider of food and beverage solutions and ingredients, introduced the “Collaborate at Home Kitchen”, a digital engagement hub where food and beverage manufacturers can explore trends, science and solutions that power modern consumer choices. The hub also provides users with access to Tate & Lyle’s experts, as well as additional resources to help them find solutions to their formulation challenges.

Silicon Valley-based cellular agriculture company Mission Barns announced a $24M Series A to scale up its cultivated fat technology and build a pilot manufacturing plant in the Bay Area.

Although there may be a pandemic-related slowdown, there’s no stopping new product development. To better help readers with corporate innovation strategy, Prepared Foods turned to leaders at the Eureka! Ranch and the Innovation Engineering Institute, Cincinnati. Founded in 1986, Eureka! Ranch has become a global think tank and innovation training company. 

Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc., announced the opening of its new North American corporate headquarters at 250 East Devon Avenue in Itasca, Ill. The new space is designed to accelerate Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition's commitment to delivering high-quality ingredient solutions that drive value for customers.

COVID-19 has certainly brought an ever changing "new normal" to the food industry but one thing that will be a sure constant in 2022 is that food safety and quality testing will continue to be important for the integrity of the global food chain.

In conjunction with its February profile of new sports foods and drinks, Prepared Foods interviewed Scott Peters, director of product development at 3i Solutions, Wooster, Ohio. 

Stellex’s partnership with J. Skinner will support investment into production capacity expansion, increased automation, and new product development. 

The Apple Cinnamon Donut Sticks feature a soft yet substantial texture, topped with an apple cinnamon-flavored glaze, creating a satisfying balance of texture and flavor.

Made for any snacking occasion or in-home entertaining, the crackers pack a bold flavor and are a versatile base to upgrade snacking moments.

Fruit Punch and Pineapple Coconut are joining the party alongside the classics, Citrus and Island. All four offerings of TAMPICO Hard Punch feature a smoother, more flavorful experience thanks to a new, lower 5% ABV, and for the first time are now available in a six-pack format.

Formulated with healthy ingredients, including 180mg of natural caffeine from coffee bean extract, prebiotic fiber and functional ingredients, like lychee extract, apple cider vinegar, l-theanine and B vitamins, each can of Bloom Sparkling Energy delivers on taste  and clean energy, with just 10 calories and zero grams of sugar.

The new facility is located adjacent to The Mart Group’s headquarters, bringing the company’s total employment in Rupert to more than 230 people. The new Mart Frozen Foods facility will directly create 80 full-time jobs, and have an estimated annual economic impact of $11.15 million.  

Bush, a graduate of Manchester Business School and INSEAD, is an experienced international CEO with nearly 40 years of experience, working across grocery retail. 

The blending and finishing facility is strategically positioned with nearby access to railroads and interstates for efficient truck and rail delivery across the United States. Construction is set to begin immediately.

For the second year, respondents ranked “Easy (Under 30 Minutes) Meals” as their top curiosity for the year ahead, once again underscoring that even the most food-forward consumers are craving approachable, simple meal inspiration.

Physically active consumers want convenient, protein-packed options to fit into their on-the-go routine. “Plant-powered” ready-to-drink (RTD) and ready-to-mix (RTM) protein beverages are emerging as a perfect solution to fill this niche nutrition category and grow into the mainstream market.

The report, “Tapping Into the Global Consumer Well-Being Opportunity,” reveals the complexity of personal well-being, with consumers turning to solutions as varied as physical activity, social media, food, pet ownership, beauty, and books, among many other products and services, to harmonize their physical, mental, and social well-being.

“Consumers are looking for wellness across every aspect of their lives, and food and beverages are playing a critical role in this transformation,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor at Circana. 

Ellison Bakery is a manufacturer of cookies, snack bars, crunches, toppings, and inclusion ingredients for retail, food service and private label end markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The role of chocolate is growing and expanding from the classic sweet confections to combinations of sweet and spicy as well as in savory products.

Drake's Mini Cake Bites are bite-sized cakes in flavors inspired by classic Drake's varieties: Pound Cake, Coffee Cake and Devils Food with chocolate chips.

Like all YumEarth treats, the sour bites are free from of the top 9 allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, gluten, shellfish, soy, and sesame), contain no artificial dyes, are non- GMO, and made with organic and simple ingredients.

Little Bites® Biggie Muffins come in two new pack sizes: eight muffins that are individually wrapped in four twin packs or a single-serve 4-pack designed for convenience.

The 169,000sq-ft facility is an expansion of Ferrero's existing manufacturing campus in Bloomington. CRUNCH, 100 Grand, Raisinets, and other chocolate products are made at the campus, and it is also now home to the company's first-ever chocolate factory outside of Europe. 

Made by slow-cooking fresh milk with traditional ingredients such as saffron, rosewater and pistachio, kulfi is dense, creamy, slow-melting, and tastes like home to South Asians around the world.

Students Anandu Chandra Khanashyam, Abrielle Schnurr, Nghi Huynh and Suchismita Roy are studying food science and earned the first-place prize of $10,000. 

To develop the final collaborative ice cream flavors, the McConnell’s and See’s teams innovated to merge the top beloved See’s Candies pieces with McConnell’s house-made artisan ice cream bases to create four custom-confection flavors for fans.

The everything bagel flavor category is growing 20 times faster than other cheese flavors, however, most everything bagel flavored products on the market are limited to the cracker, chip and pretzel categories. The Laughing Cow Everything Bagel Style is a unique option for fans to enjoy the cheese wedges in a new way.

Bobo's, known for oat bars, oat bites and baked goods, announced its new partnership with Rabobank's Acorn initiative (Acorn) to help Colorado's snack brand reach its carbon neutrality goals and further invest in a more sustainable future.

Catalina Crunch®'s extensive line of cereals, cookies and snacks has gained widespread recognition for its emphasis on providing cleaner products that are low sugar and high protein without compromising on flavor. 

This fall saw Chocolove, Boulder, Colo., return with seasonal favorites, Tree-Shaped Bites, as well as holiday collection bars. Chocolove holiday collection bars include Candy Cane Crunch in Dark Chocolate, Frosted Gingerbread in Milk Chocolate, and a Fruit-Nut Medley in Dark Chocolate. 

Trends and innovations that took place in the cereals and bars market for 2023, and what formulators can look for going into 2024.