Member News & Headlines Blog

"Brands are expected to 'go back to basics' by incorporating essential nutrients that support physical and emotional health, while also featuring ingredients like adaptogenic herbs and CBD. The report said functional beverages will be 'next generation,' addressing multiple needs to help consumers achieve emotional and physical health goals." Read more here.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday issued 15 warning letters to cannabidiol (CBD) companies and updated its advice for consumers to follow while regulations are developed. Citing numerous safety concerns and a lack of scientific information, FDA said it cannot recognize CBD as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in human or animal food.

"The market for beef-like plant-based burgers is growing increasingly competitive as brands recognize the burgeoning consumer demand for new versions of their favorite foods. Brands are in a race to win over flexitarians who increasingly see plant-based foods as better alternatives to animal products at least some of the time, whether out of humane, environmental or health concerns. And quite often, these consumers only want to make those changes if they can do so without sacrificing the taste and texture they expect from their favorite indulgent foods. Nestlé aims to feed that craving by building on its recent plant-based burger launches with the roll out early next year of vegan cheese and bacon options that will give eateries a way to offer plant-based bacon cheeseburgers that won’t make customers feel like they’re missing out." Read more here.

Consumers are moving beyond just looking for clean label ingredients and now evaluate their food based on five tenets: health, acceptable ingredients, functional ingredients, taste and sustainability, according to a white paper from Kerry. The study was based on a survey of 2,100 U.S. consumers. Read more here.

You’ve worked long, hard hours for years to make your place in the food and beverage industry, but now it’s time to move up in your career and find a new position. There are plenty of ways to start the search, including working with headhunters and scanning job boards for something that might be right for you. Though, why should you spend money to make money? There’s a trusted, award-winning recruiting firm ready to help you for free! Read more here.

GlobalTranz Enterprises, Inc., a leading technology and third-party logistics solutions company providing award-winning Transportation Management System (TMS) products to shippers, logistics service providers and carriers, today announced that Chief Executive Officer, Renee Krug, has been named a Woman of the Year in Technology and Most Innovative Woman in Technology by the 2019 Stevie Awards for Women in Business program. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honors executives, entrepreneurs, employees and the companies they run worldwide. Read more here. 

As the experts in what consumers want and why, Mintel is best suited to accurately predict the future of consumer behavior and what that means for companies and brands.

This year, we’re taking a bold approach with our predictions about the future of global consumer markets by incorporating seven key factors that drive consumer spending decisions: wellbeing, surroundings, technology, rights, identity, value, and experiences.

With insight and analysis on shifting consumer trends over the next one, five and 10 years, discover how the seven consumer drivers will evolve markets like never before.

Access the report here.

Exciting, tasty, and fun- consumers want it all, and maybe they just can have it. We’re researching where we see “fun” in flavor, and how it can serve as a path to creating attention-grabbing products and menu items. More than 1,121 product introductions in the last five years featured “fun” positioning. From products and experiences that bring consumers back to the good old days to new innovations and trends that bring a breath of fresh air, let’s find the fun in flavor, and see where it can help meet your product development needs. Access the report here!

Check out this Food Dive Brief:

Health is now on the menu for most consumers today. In fact, most find natural ingredients and clean labels more important than brand recognition and product descriptions when making decisions about purchasing food products... Read more here

It is estimated that over 80,000 Chicagoans are homeless and struggle to survive the brutal cold every winter. It is a tragic problem, but one we can all solve. To help those in need, we gather one night a year to spread our warmth through our beautiful city of Chicago - sharing tea, conversation, and kindness with those who feel Chicago’s cold shoulder the most.

Spread the Warmth is an event held by the Tiesta Tea Foundation every January to provide warmth and everyday necessities to our fellow Chicagoans in need. Each year, volunteers from across our community gather together to pass out hot tea and Warmth Kits filled with food and warm clothing items to those in shelters, soup kitchens and on city streets.

Sign up to volunteer here: tiestatea.com/pages/spread-the-warmth