Last Friday at Expo West, industry leaders unpacked the plant-based category’s path forward. “Progress is not linear,” one CEO reminded the crowd, adding that getting consumers to try plant-based items “has to be a stepwise process.”
Expo West 2024 in Anaheim featured no shortage of creative and innovative products, like mycelium bacon, caffeinated breath spray, and more.
In today’s alternative protein space, the possibilities tofu offers are turning heads. More flavorful than most plant-based products, more rewarding than a perfect burger alternative, and much more affordable than a meat-based option, tofu checks a lot of boxes as a middle-of-the-road protein alternative that doesn’t necessarily have to market itself as a one-size-fits-all plant-based option.
With consumers as focused as ever on improving their health and wellness, clean diets including foods like whole fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins have gained momentum. The show floor at Expo West illustrated that movement.
Why aren’t many store-bought jalapenos hot anymore? The answer lies in changing palates and products bred for consistency, not flavor.
“By 2030, visiting a Target, Walmart, or Costco won’t just be about shopping,” said Diana Zheng, head of marketing at Stallion Express, a leading e-commerce shipping company from Canada, “It will be an experience. An immersive experience. A personalized experience, even a social experience.”
E-commerce company Temu is currently playing David to the Goliath of Amazon, but U.S. shoppers have taken notice of the inexpensive offerings.
Last week, The Kraft Heinz Company unveiled plant-based hot dogs and sausages under the Oscar Mayer brand. Could this launch be a bellwether for the struggling alt-meat sector?
One great benefit of loyalty programs is that they help businesses, like restaurant chains, build a relationship with a customer. To inspire consumers to join your program you can use price or other incentives.
The current line of Cinema Sweets launched in December and sales have been brisk. “We’re quite pleased,” he said, brandishing an R2-D2 popcorn holder from a Star Wars release years ago, “and it’s definitely been a good launch for us across more than 550 domestic theaters.”
Josh Linkner issued the opening keynote for the COEX 2024 and noted that creativity and innovation was critical for continued growth and success. He also noted that research had found all humans are naturally drawn to creativity, but that it manifested in different ways.
It’s not hard to understand why these companies have found success in a challenging environment. These are comfort food manufacturers (among other things!) whose identities, infrastructure, and revenue are built upon foods people reach for when they’re feeling down, feeling squeezed, or both.
“There’s no question that aquaculture needs to grow, and I think it’s just a matter of time before it takes off in the U.S.,” Austin Caperton, the CEO of Appalachian Salmon in West Virginia, told FI.
Steakholder Foods is leading the charge in additive manufacturing for the food industry. Over the past year, the food tech innovator has unveiled the “world’s first” 3D-printed cuts of grouper, steak, eel, and plant-based shrimp.
From chefs to retailers to restaurant operators, catching fire with a dish that went viral on TikTok can ignite a fan base (and bolster quarterly revenue).
Such a fusion of different species opens new possibilities for sustainable food production, addressing issues such as food scarcity, environmental impact, and ethical concerns associated with traditional agriculture practices.
“Tomorrow’s winners will vary how they generate demand across their portfolios, with mass activation for their biggest brands and more targeted treatment for niche and insurgent brands,” Kyle Weza, global co-lead and brand accelerator for Bain & Company, said in the report.
The Pitbull-launched intra-store restaurant is part of a larger, $9 billion plan to make “upscale changes” to stores and bring in more recognizable and coveted brands and influencers. For Walmart, pairing with the king of collaborations is a natural choice.
Through its new “super greens” partnership with BEAM, Dole joins the growing list of major food producers pivoting into the supplement category. How far will this industry convergence go?
Americans are turning away from breakfast cereal, and that’s got cereal manufacturers seeking fresh innovation to bring consumers back to their bowls and the breakfast table.
From number-crunching untold volumes of data to helping streamline inventory, supply chain, and predictive market trends, there is no digital limit to what AI can help operators achieve.
Beyond Meat has announced its latest innovation, Beyond IV, the fourth generation of the company’s core beef platform. The new recipes are the result of a multi-year research effort to improve the taste and nutritional quality of Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef.
Critics and analysts alike are keen to understand who stands to benefit most from this technology – whether it will primarily serve Amazon’s interests by increasing sales and customer retention, or genuinely improve the consumer experience by offering more personalized and convenient shopping solutions.
From regulatory approvals in animal-free dairy, to a new snack made with air protein, fermentation is making major moves in the new year. What could the recent headlines signal for the future of food?
Despite some titans of the pantry and cookie jar winning in their categories (Keebler’s Chips Deluxe Fudgy in the Cookie category; Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream in Soft Drink), better-for-you offerings not only abounded but won several snacking categories.
The least expensive products will start at just $1.99 and range from apparel to supplements, vitamins to technology, and more. Many of the offerings will be exclusive to Target and complement its dedicated online wellness destination that features ideas, meal inspiration, and more.
Dunkin’ Donuts’ shift to simply Dunkin’ serves as the gold standard in the contemporary rebranding landscape.
EV charging stations outside, stores within stores inside, sprawling beauty sections, niche products, reimagined loyalty programs – the battle for foot traffic is cutthroat as the economy roars to life.
Thousands of people just recently descended upon Berlin, Germany for the world’s largest produce show – Fruit Logistica – upstaging even Fashion Week taking place that week as well.
Recent diet “hacks” to minimize blood sugar spikes are inspiring perfectly healthy consumers to start glucose monitoring.
Through its partnership with Flashfood, an app which offers steep discounts on groceries nearing their sell-by dates, Meijer has become the first American retailer to save 10 million pounds of potentially wasted food. To put …
Chicken listings on restaurant menus have grown 6.4% in the past five years, outpacing the 4.7% of burgers and other beef-based items.
While flavors like truffle mushroom and habanero chili have gained momentum the last few years, Kerry identified coffee, sweet heat, and jalapeno as emerging in recent months.
How will plant-based evolve in the year ahead? In this industry outlook, analysts weigh in on economic challenges, the financial landscape, and consumer adoption strategies for 2024.
There’s also an interesting feedback loop occurring in American consumerism – the tighter the budget becomes, and the more stressed people feel, the more demands they have regarding how they’d like to be accommodated while shopping.
Things keep looking up for mushrooms. The versatile fungi continue to proliferate across meals-at-home, CPG, restaurant menus, and food tech.
