FoodNavigator-USA Podcast

More than 100 organic industry stakeholders converged on Capitol Hill in Washington last week to lobby for increased funding, continuous improvement for certification standards, access to additional market data and improved coordination for research and extension activities that will help the now $69.7bn US industry continue to grow.

Consumer tolerance is running out for food and beverage companies raising prices to offset inflation, based on volume and sales declines reported by several large CPG manufacturers during the most recent round of quarterly earnings calls.

Water stewardship and use claims are quickly emerging as a top trend in 2024 and could become a “tiebreaker” between competing products as consumers become progressively concerned about sustainability amid increasingly inconsistent rainfall – including droughts and floods – that threaten crops, livestock and overall wellbeing.

Nearly a third of Americans are self-described “health-conscious snackers,” according to new research by YouGov, which also found 35% of healthy snackers are willing to spend more than $50 on snacks each month.

Consumers increasingly are weary of “drinking empty calories,” and are instead looking for less sugar and more functional benefits from their beverages – be it enhanced hydration, gut-health support, mood and mental health management or permissible indulgence from drinks that cut the calories but not the flavor.

Meaningful innovation in the consumer packaged goods industry has ground nearly to a halt post-pandemic for all but an “elite 20%” of companies, according to the Boston Consulting Group’s latest Build for the Future Survey, which analyzes insights from more than 1,000 C-suite executives, including from 68 CPG companies, about their ability to harness their “innovation vision” to accelerate growth, enhance operations and compete effectively.

Despite buckwheat’s status as a superfood staple in many parts of the world, including as the base for soba noodles in Japan and in kasha in Ukraine, the protein- and fiber-packed pyramid-shaped seed has struggled to secure a stable spot in the US diet – until now.

A third of global consumers consider cheese a staple, with most buying the dairy product because they love the flavor or are drawn to its health benefits, according to Innova Market Insights, but industry innovators add those are not the only reasons sales of cheese in the US are steadily climbing.

Sales of clean label products are outperforming total store sales, according to new research from the Acosta Group which also found consumer interest in products free of “bad” ingredients or “chemicals” is rising alongside high-profile state legislation seeking to ban specific food additives.

Can the humble hotdog help slow or even reverse the negative effects of climate change? According to natural and organic meat brand Applegate Farms the answer is yes – especially if it is made with regeneratively farmed beef, which the company is committing to using for all of its beef hotdogs by the end of 2025.