MillerCoors has released its 2016 Sustainability Report, which provides a comprehensive review of the company’s 2015 efforts in the areas of alcohol responsibility, environmental stewardship and community investment. The brewer continues to take steps to prevent drunk driving and underage consumption, reduce water use and brewery waste, and create equal opportunities for women in beer. “At […]
Category: National
Packaged Facts: Steady Growth Continues For Healthy Snacks
Healthy-ingredient snacks that offer convenience and transparent labels/packaging have been at the forefront of many modern food industry trends. As a result of these factors, among others, the past half-decade has seen steady growth for healthy-ingredient snacks. The market’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7 percent has outpaced overall food and beverage sales growth. […]
Dole The First Produce Brand To Get Nielsen Innovation Award
Nielsen has honored Dole Fresh Vegetables for “transformational innovation and for continually bringing improvements to essential day-to-day experiences and rituals.” The company and specifically its line of Dole Chopped Salad Kits launched in 2013 received a 2016 U.S. Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Award, selected for distinctiveness, relevance and endurance from close to 3,500 consumer products introduced […]
Thomas’ Introduces Salted Caramel English Muffins And Bagels
The Thomas’ brand is combining sweet and salty in its new Limited Edition Salted Caramel English Muffins and Bagels. The new Thomas’ Salted Caramel English Muffins and Bagels are available seasonally at grocery stores and other major food retailers nationwide through mid-October, with a suggested retail price of $4.49 for a six-count pack of English Muffins […]
OTA/Nielsen Report: Organic Produce Is Growing
More than half of all households in the U.S. are now purchasing organic produce, according to an Organic Trade Association/Nielsen report. Sales of organic bananas alone—now a $165 million market—soared by more than 30 percent last year. Organic “value-added” vegetables (think chopped kale, peeled carrots and ready-to-cook squash) grew by a whopping 54 percent in […]
House Passes Biotech Labeling Act; President’s Desk Is Next Stop
The U.S. House has voted 306-117 in favor of final passage of S. 764, the Roberts-Stabenow Biotech Labeling Act. Industry groups are praising the House for passing the bill, which is now on the desk of President Obama. Media reports have indicated that the president is likely to sign the bill. If signed, the law […]
Kashi Unveils Refreshed, ‘Cleaner’ Brand Identity
With the inspiration that “good clean food deserves good clean design,” Kashi is launching a new and refreshed brand identity that reflects its belief that food should not only taste good, but do good. Created in partnership with Jones Knowles Ritchie, the new look is a commitment to visually telling the brand story of bringing […]
The Muscle Milk Brand Debuts Coffee House Protein Shakes
CytoSport Inc., maker of Muscle Milk premium protein products, has launched its new Muscle Milk Coffee House ready to drink product line, combining high quality protein and caffeine in three coffee-inspired flavors: Vanilla Latte, Cafe Latte and Mocha Latte. The shakes come in 11-oz. Tetra four-packs and contain 20 g. of high quality protein, 120 mg […]
New Study Identifies Five Key Industry Trends In Food Safety Solutions
Amid growing concerns and incidents related to food safety, a new report indicates that progress has been made among many companies, but there are critical risks and opportunities as the industry undergoes a large-scale, rapid transformation. The report, Food Safety: In a State of Transformation, was conducted by Cornerstone Capital Group (Cornerstone) and commissioned by […]
Food Industry Calls On House To Pass GMO Labeling Solution This Week
On July 1, Vermont officially became the first state to implement a mandatory GMO labeling law, with negative consequences for consumers and small businesses already being felt as consumers are facing increasingly empty shelves in the state. Further, consumers, farmers and businesses in other states could feel the consequences of lost sales in Vermont, which […]
Survey: Majority Willing To Pay More For More Humane Options
According to a national survey conducted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), most Americans don’t know the true meaning of food labels like “cage-free,” “free-range” or “grass fed” and believe that farm animals are protected by laws or independent oversight. The survey also showed that, despite their misconceptions, approximately […]
Kroger Releases Sustainability Goals For 2020
The Kroger Co. has released new and expanded sustainability commitments to increase responsible sourcing and improve eco-stewardship by 2020. Kroger’s list of 2020 sustainability goals includes: Expanding its 100 percent sustainable seafood commitment; Achieving the EPA’s “zero waste” threshold of 90 percent in all facilities; Optimizing 100 percent of corporate brand packaging; and Transitioning toward […]
Report: How Lower Gas Prices Impact Spending
The JPMorgan Chase Institute has issued a new report that reveals consumers’ financial response to a year of lower gas prices. With U.S. gas prices down 25 percent year over year in 2015, middle income households spent $477 less at the pump. For every dollar saved from lower gas prices, households decreased their spending on […]
Convenience Store Sales Remain Strong For First Half Of 2016
Convenience store sales surged over the first half of the year as lower gas prices fueled more driving and Americans embraced the continued addition of fresh and healthy food options, according to a NACS survey. More than two in three convenience retailers (70 percent) say that in-store sales in the first half of 2016 were […]
Senate To Hold Final Vote On Compromise GMO Labeling Bill
On July 6, the U.S. Senate voted 65-32 to end debate and have a final vote on bipartisan national legislation regarding the disclosure of genetically engineered ingredients in food products. The compromise bill, S. 764, was championed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan). It includes reforms to […]
FDA Launches Web-based Guide For Reading Nutrition Label
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making it even easier to explore and interpret the wealth of information on the Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and beverages with the Nutrition Facts Label Online tool. NOTE: FDA has issued final changes to update the Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect the […]
Dry Grocery Segment Prices Rose 1.3 Percent In First Half Of 2016
Price-Trak, a market research company specializing in price and trade promotion reporting, has reported that items in the Dry Grocery segment rose an average of 1.3 percent in 1st Half 2016 vs. same period last year. Overall, prices increased .6 percent within the total Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) area as tracked by Price-Trak, a service […]
United Fresh Opens Application Period For Caplan Scholarship
The United Fresh Produce Association is now accepting applications for the 2016 Frieda Rapoport Caplan Family Business Scholarship. The Frieda Rapoport Caplan Family Business Scholarship Program was founded in 2001 by sisters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in honor of their mother, Frieda Rapoport Caplan. The program provides the opportunity for representatives from […]
Column: Getting A Boost From Nutrition Bars
by Naomi Sleeper Director of Business Development Imperial Distributors As the sun makes an appearance in the summer, so do we…on bike paths, hiking and running trails, waterfronts, sports fields; any outside venue, really. The seasonal upswing in outdoor activities, enhanced by a growing focus on wellness and active lifestyles, means a boost in the […]
NACS, NGA Respond To U.S. Court Rejecting Visa, MasterCard Settlement
On June 30, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the class-action settlement in the case In Re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation. That case led to a proposed settlement valued at $7.25 billion in 2012. This ruling called the settlement “unreasonable and inadequate.” NACS led efforts to oppose the $7.25 […]
