After years of living in the shadow of well-funded and aggressively marketed pistachios, almonds and walnuts, Oregon hazelnuts are now ready to inspire manufacturers and consumers as the star ingredient in new products thanks to a new cultivar and a steady replanting effort that has nearly tripled supply... Read

Icelandic brand Good Good, which makes no-sugar-added jams, syrups, and a chocolate hazelnut spread sweetened with stevia and erthyritol, has closed a $3m Series A round of investment led by Icepharma, AtonJL and Svanhildur Nanna Vigfusdottir along with other private investors located in the US and Europe... Read

The National Advertising Division has ruled that GSK must stop calling some of its Benefiber prebiotic supplements ‘100% natural.’ It’s a ruling that could be viewed as troublesome for other prebiotic ingredients... Read

With the invention of peanut coffee, fifth generation peanut farmer James Harrell found a way to combine in one product the rich history and future of his hometown of Suffolk, Va., which as the headquarters for Planters Peanuts was once known as the ‘peanut capital of the world’ before an influx of prominent coffee companies inspired the new moniker ‘caffeine capital.’.. Read

Global ingredients company ADM and beef producer Marfrig have agreed to create PlantPlus Foods, a plant-based protein joint venture serving North and South American markets... Read

Los Angeles-based Butterfly is adding some variety to the nut butter category with its functional, yet "fun and delicious" nut butters that come in experimental flavors such as chocolate reishi and savory rosemary... Read

“Gut feelings” often form the foundation of startups, but to scale a business successfully, especially in times of crisis, entrepreneurs need more than that – they need data that shows where their brand fits in the competitive landscape and where consumers are headed so they can pivot as needed to remain relevant... Watch now

Tokyo-based cell-cultured meat company IntegriCulture has raised JPY 800m (US$ 7.4m) in a Series A round that will help it advance its mission of ‘democratizing cellular agriculture’ and build a production facility to take slaughter-free foie gras to market in 2021... Read

Allergen-friendly plant-based cheese brand GOOD PLANeT Foods has raised $12m in a series A round led by Cleveland Avenue, and supported by GreatPoint Ventures, Tasseo Consumer, Stray Dog Capital, and Lever VC... Read

New data from the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and SPINS shows that US retail sales of plant-based meat, cheese, tofu, and tempeh outpaced total food retail sales for the 16 weeks ending April 19, 2020... Read

The uneven impact of the coronavirus on sales of food and beverage brands of different sizes has created an opportunity for smaller and emerging companies to drive consumer awareness by advertising on Amazon at a scale that previously would not have been affordable or available, according to an e-commerce expert... Read

Apeel Sciences – the Santa Barbara-based firm behind an invisible plant-based edible skin that can dramatically extend the shelf-life of fresh produce – has raised $250m in a funding round led by GIC that gives it a valuation north of a billion dollars... Watch now

With many food manufacturers experiencing difficulties in sourcing some ingredients during the pandemic, the FDA is allowing temporary flexibility in food labeling requirements enabling them to make minor formulation changes without updating labels, provided they are not introducing allergens or foods known to cause sensitivities... Read

Rebellyous Foods – a Seattle-based startup that has been targeting high-volume foodservice accounts with plant-based chicken nuggets – has made a dramatic pivot to retail with the launch of family-packs at select retailers in the Pacific Northwest... Read

Plant-based dairy brand Miyoko’s Creamery – which built an artisan cheese brand based on cashew nuts but has since introduced new products featuring legumes and oats - is experimenting with a novel ingredient that’s naturally high in protein, and developing new packaging that will enable fans to see its cheese products before they buy... Read

Nearly a quarter (24%) of consumers have taken their grocery shopping online in the months of March and April 2020 compared to 6% in 2019 highlighting the need for retailers to provide a seamless shopper experience between in-store, pickup, and delivery options, according to human behavior and analytics firm Escalent... Read

Which delivery formats for CBD are most successful at Vitamin Shoppe? How do you market a CBD beverage? And what will distinguish the winners from the losers in this nascent market? Checkout what our panel of experts had to say in our May 20 Where next for hemp and CBD? webinar, which is now available on demand... Read

The price action on cocoa on the futures market looks similar to 2008, analyst claims, while lockdown in Nigeria disrupts supplies.. Read

Seaweed is well established as a source of thickeners and emulsifiers such as carrageenan and agar and has carved out a small segment of the healthy snacks aisle, but it could also give rivals a serious run for their money as a source of plant-based protein, says Berkeley-CA-based startup Trophic... Read

When it comes to flavor, pistachios consistently rank as Americans' favorite nut, says trade association American Pistachio Growers (APG). However, new research suggests the green-hued nuts also have intriguing anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties... Read

Reports arguing high dose Vitamin D supplementation could treat COVID-19 are based on speculation and are a risk to public health, warns a team of scientists from across the globe... Read