Crafted with premium organic ingredients, the brownies offer a chocolate experience while upholding a commitment to clean eating.

A Prepared Foods infographic highlighting 2024 trends in Natural & Organic seen at Natural Products Expo West.

Joshi will focus on deepening consumer connections, expanding market reach in the US, leading the R&D organization and driving sustained growth for Nature’s Path’s portfolio of USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Certified breakfast, baking, and snack brands. 

Butter Buds Inc., a global leader in dairy and non-dairy concentrates, is showcasing its real dairy, dairy alternative and on-trend specialty ingredient solutions at the Institute of Food Technologists 2024 Annual Event and Expo (IFT FIRST), July 14-17, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Pepperoni fans can enjoy all the flavors of APPLEGATE NATURALS® pepperoni, now in new, organic options. 

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.

As consumers become increasingly concerned about food safety, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, organic products have seen a steady rise in demand. Organic September helps bridge the gap between consumers and the farming community by offering insights into the farming practices behind organic certification and providing access to organic products.

Lay's Wavy Tzatziki, Lay's Masala and Lay's Honey Butter flavors, inspired by Greece, India and Korea, are hitting store shelves in the US for a limited time, helping fans experience the tastes of these countries. 

"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.”

Zapp's, a brand of chips and pretzels inspired by the sights and sounds of New Orleans, added two bold flavors to its bestselling Kettle Potato Chip and Sinfully-Seasoned Pretzel Stix.

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

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

Prepared Foods surveys natural sweetener ingredients for use in food and beverage product development.

Consumer preference is shifting toward plant-based meat substitutes perceived to be healthier for people and the planet. Meat analogs present an opportunity for food manufacturers, but they can be challenging to produce in order to deliver pleasing taste and texture.

Motif FoodWorks, the ingredient innovation company on a mission to make plant-based food taste better and more nutritious, announced the grand opening of its new lab and office space in the Boston Seaport neighborhood, a growing hub for science and technology innovation.

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.

Aleph Farms Ltd. and its research partner at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, cultivated a slaughter-free ribeye steak, using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology and natural building blocks of meat – real cow cells, without genetic engineering and immortalization.

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. 

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.

Danone North America honored a commitment to science and education through the ninth annual Gut Microbiome, Yogurt and Probiotics Fellowship Grant Program. This year's honorees, selected by a committee of nutrition scientists, are Catherine Shelton of Vanderbilt University and Alice Solomon of the University of Arizona. Winners were chosen based on the quality of their proposals, faculty recommendations and each of their studies' value to human health and wellness.

Although there may be a pandemic-related slowdown, there’s no stopping new product development. To help readers with new product development strategy, Prepared Foods asked Dave Lundahl, founder of InsightsNow, to create a thought leadership series connecting R&D with consumer insights. 

CP Kelco, a leader of nature-based ingredient solutions, launched a new global innovation center, adding to the company’s growing network of innovation and technical support facilities around the world. The Atlanta-based innovation center is designed as an open, collaborative space for scientists and customers alike to engage in ingredient research, problem-solving, development and pilot plant scale-up of food, beverage, home care, personal care and other consumer and industrial products.

“Last September, an operator approached us to help alleviate some labor challenges they were experiencing,” notes Elise Carlson, CFS, King & Prince senior research and development manager. “They were taking frozen, cellophane-wrapped cod, thawing it and then cutting it into pieces. Kitchen staff then cut the cod by hand so not all pieces were exactly the same, which is a desirable attribute."

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.

Titled "PAT to Optimize the Cost, Consistency, and Yield of Cultivated Meat Production," the paper explores groundbreaking solutions to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of cultivated meat production processes through applied advanced sensor technology.

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

Food and beverage manufacturers will be able to see the difference natural colors make for themselves in a wide variety of applications in the Beverage, Candies & Confections, Snacks & Bakery Goods, Meat Alternatives, and Nutraceutical categories. Colors are available in liquid, concentrate, and California Natural Color’s proprietary crystal color technology.

The new varieties will join the original Red Bull Sugarfree and Red Bull Zero in this expansion of zero sugar options.

With 88 calories per 12oz serving, the new Lime, Cranberry, and Pineapple flavors are made up of real fruit, and premium spirits with ultra-purified water at an ABV (alcohol by volume) of just 4.5%.

With a blend of organic lemons, Brazilian wildflower honey, infused with real Peruvian ginger, Uncle Matt's Organic has produced a blend of better for you organic ingredients without the guilt of calories and sugar.

his collaboration will drive advancements in bioreactor technology, perfusion systems, and media rejuvenation while reducing environmental impact through optimized water usage, power consumption, and circular economy initiatives like waste stream utilization.

The study, conducted at the University of Georgia, compared the cumulative impact of daily pecan eating versus not eating pecans on changes in fasting cholesterol levels and responses to a meal higher in saturated fat (meeting 35% of total daily calories). Findings show notable reductions in cholesterol levels with pecan consumption, as well as lower post-meal triglycerides. 

The final packaging contains at least 60% UCO-based bio-renewable polymer material, which is part of SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio. Oerlemans Plastics member of OPACKGROUP, a specialized manufacturer of flexible films and packaging, converts these polymers to a multilayer PE film for Lamb Weston’s pre-fried frozen potato products.

This tool is expected to transform the process of fragrance creation across various industries by leveraging Giuseppe, NotCo’s advanced generative AI platform, alongside Cramer’s extensive database of tens of thousands of fragrance formulations, enabling the rapid development of premium fragrances in seconds.

The 75th annual report surveyed food retailers’ and suppliers’ 2023 developments and expectations for the year ahead, finding that while the industry made key strides in addressing longstanding labor and transportation capacity issues, inflation and other financial hurdles caused industry profit margins to fall to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

Mattson has been providing innovation services for over four decades. All engagements leverage the real intelligence of this highly experienced team. The team’s real intelligence, RI, is now amplified with AI. It’s the power of RI+AITM. 

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.

Joan Driggs, Circana’s vice president for content and thought leadership, sits down with Prepared Foods to break down trends fueling success for Circana’s top New Product Pacesetters at both the retail and convenience store channels.

The Kearney Private Label Report shows an industry with the wind at its back, with positive demographic trends, category proliferation that fills in gaps in national brands’ portfolios, the quality-to-value equation being increasingly recognized by shoppers, and a strong potential boost to retailer economics. 

Whether you are a retail store, manufacturer, ingredient supplier, or a foodservice operator looking to capitalize on the next food or beverage trend, having relevant data allows you to make better decisions that affect your bottom line.

As inflation slowly moderates, US consumers continue to feel the pinch of higher food costs. Value retailers are seeing more foot traffic as shoppers shift to store brands and cut back on non-food expenses. According to Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group, consumers are looking for ways to make their budgets stretch, from canceling subscriptions to favoring at-home meals over dining out.

Parents care about health and wellness for their children, and their purchasing patterns drive innovation toward healthier children’s food and beverage products. We see growth in numerous categories in children’s products that are positioned as healthy and better-for-you, including dairy alternatives as well as new items in the sweet and savory bakery, and confectionery categories.  

Made with Bob’s Red Mill’s signature blends of premium flours and quality pantry staples, each mix delivers light and fluffy pancakes in minutes. And, with home cooks preferring recipes with a short list of ingredients, they’ll become an essential shortcut for easy, convenient breakfasts with scratch-quality homemade taste. 

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.

The innovative and award-winning mini flatbreads are baked with upcycled flour, made from barley, wheat and rye rescued at the end of the beer making process. 

Whether only needing a few cupcakes for a friend or a full pan of brownies for a group, Krusteaz Batters meet any occasion and stay fresh for up to seven days in the refrigerator after opening, ready for whenever the baking mood strikes.

A pilot program brings together financial support from Kellanova, Ahold Delhaize USA, and Bartlett to aid wheat farmers in North Carolina who are adopting regenerative agricultural methods. The wheat from these farms will be combined with conventionally grown wheat to produce Cheez-It® crackers.