Member News & Headlines Blog

Retailers have a new ally in the long-running struggle to get healthier food options to consumers in underserved areas.

A pilot program announced this week by health insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield and its licensee Health Care Service Corp., bypasses the debate about grocery store locations and aims to deliver healthy, prepared meals to consumers in Dallas and Chicago for as little as $5 a meal.

Backers of the foodQ program hope to improve health outcomes and reduce “avoidable” emergency room visits and hospital admissions by improving consumer diets.

The program was developed by the BCBS Institute, a subsidiary of Blue Cross. It is being launched through the Affordability Cures program of Health Care Service Corp., one of the largest health insurers in the U.S. Affordability Cures works to “develop long-term solutions that address the root causes of an expensive health care system.”

Read this full article here 

ZYN CURCUMIN (from Turmeric) Holistic Wellness drink has been named Product of the Year  for Healthy Beverage Category for 2019.  Product of the Year is the world’s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, where winners are determined by the votes of 40,000+ consumers in a national representative survey conducted by research partner Kantar , a global leader in consumer research.  ZYN has been awarded the top honors for healthy beverages.  For over 30 years globally, and 11 years in the US, Product of the Year has guided consumers to the best products on the market by recognizing companies and brands for quality and product innovation.  ZYN is honored and excited to be in the elite company of global, multi-billion-dollar brands that are at the forefront of CPG innovation. Learn more about ZYN Curcumin here

Summary: Matthew Botos describes his experiences with the rise of food and beverage startups.  With the upward trend toward new and innovative beverages, the key is to keep food safety at the forefront of company importance.

Over the last two decades I have had the utmost privilege to work with food manufactures from every sector.  From dried goods, meats, poultry, school lunches programs, etcetera. I have seen almost everything. The leading trend I have seen over the last twenty years is the steady rise of beverage companies.  Everyone likes a different type of beverage: water, juice, cold coffee, teas, energy drinks, kombucha… the list goes on. The two most important things a small company entering the market needs to remember is to make sure, first, you can comply with the regulators, and second, that the people you are selling your products to also understand their market (buyers and retailers). 

Read more from our member ConnectFood here

Curion, announced today the launch of eFive™, a sensory and product insights platform designed specifically for emerging brands with testing facilities in Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and New York City metropolitan areas. “Legacy brands have long enjoyed the competitive advantage of sensory research, coupled with precise data analytics. eFive™ will give emerging brands quick, accurate, and affordable consumer insights from industry-leading sensory experts. This solution democratizes access to the knowledge challengers need most to succeed with a suite of offerings at an affordable price,” says Curion CEO Sean Bisceglia.

Sensory science is a research method that gathers and analyzes consumers’ responses to products that invoke the five human senses: taste, touch, sight, smell and sound. Through its offerings, eFive uses sensory science to reduce the risk of failure. For brand owners like Gregg Latterman, co-founder of Chicago based Positive Pretzels, eFive™ delivered the consumer insights needed to take his new product to market.

Learn more about this initiative here.

As part of our celebration of Black History Month in the United States, we wanted to take a look at just a few of the many African Americans who helped shape the food industry and the science of food profession.

"It is very important that we promote and leverage the many extraordinary contributions of African-American men and women to the science of food, if in fact we intend to attract students of color to the field," says IFT Fellow Larry Keener. "The life stories and accomplishments of American food scientists such as George Washington Carver, Norbert Rilleux and Percy Julian are compelling in this nation's history. Their life stories are simply amazing, and their accomplishments and innovations in food science and technology are inspirational for students desiring careers in science and technology. It’s exceedingly difficult to see one’s self in a place or a position in which there are no images nor history of people of similar background having succeeded previously. History can also be a portal to the future."

Here are four African American scientists and inventors who changed the food industry. Read about them here 

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Curion Deerfield was featured on Chicago’s very own WGN Morning News segment Around Town with Ana Belaval! During this segment, Curion’s world class facilities, sensory processes, data insights and talent were showcased. Check out the video below to see how Curion is not only able to provide consumers with a fun way to try new products, but also how valuable consumer feedback is provided to clients. Click here to see the WGN clip.

Since starting the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network almost two years ago, one thing has been constant: the number of food and beverage entrepreneurs we come into contact with. These are smart, motivated people with great ideas and boundless passion.  It is truly a pleasure to speak with them, provide advice/counsel/direction, and learn about where these pioneers are taking the food & beverage industry. (I also find myself energized after these meetings--it’s impossible not to feel this way given their energy and enthusiasm).  But why now? Check out this Industry Week article here.

“Businesses that understand emerging “influence points” will have a significant strategic advantage...driven by the needs of ever more demanding customers, position [1] will matter more than ever.” - The Future of Manufacturing, Deloitte Insights, John Hagel et al.

“Influence Points,” or as we know commonly identify them – “Top Trends” - were the focus of Tuesday’s SPINS event , Natural  Foods Forecast 2019:  What are the top trends in the market's hottest category?  Specifically, speakers Molly Hjelm, Jessica Hochman, and Brent Coons  addressed the trends that are quickly emerging to dominate the Natural Foods category. 

The Top trends emerging in the category are all starting to take up significant shelf space across all aisles of the grocery store.  From clean beverages, to better for you booze, kids snacks to adult snacks, new imaginings behind the seafood or “no fish” seafood spaces, and beyond - every area of our daily eating and drinking habits are seeing new innovations, product sources and approaches. We all consider know that  trends are worth monitoring, as they can be either a jumping-off point or potentially tie into something of deeper value to consumers - Tuesday’s event provided a great analysis of the trends with real market impact for 2019!

Founders from 3 Chicago-based start-ups were on hand to sample their products. All of which, matched the trends being discussed.   Hope & Sesame provided a non-dairy milk alternative - the “sesame” trend that marketers are watching closely.  Social Sparkling Wine had a gluten-free sake cocktail and Drink Stout , a new CFBN member, brought their smoky, spicy non-alcoholic Bloody Mary base - both great examples of the “better for you booze” trend.

Missed out on this awesome event? Check out the CFBN LiveStream of the event! Take a look at this recording from SPINS’ recent Trends Predictions webinar for a recap of the great content mentioned during the live event. Don’t forget that you can discover more trends & research from SPINS Natural insights experts!

As the leading wellness-focused data technology company, SPINS uniquely empowers brands, retailers and investors with powerful insights to uncover growth opportunities and stay ahead of the competition. If you’re interested in learning more about how they can help you, connect with a member of the SPINS team here.

We're finding new ways to bring you the best CFBN content! Search 'chgofood' on the Periscope app to access footage from our latest Natural Foods Forecast event with our member Spins. You can also click here to be navigated to our Periscope profile. Don't forget to give us a follow!

Over the past few years, Chicago has established itself as one of the most popular U.S. cities for natural food companies — move over Austin, Texas and Boulder, Colo. Several Windy City-based food startups have recently achieved big-dollar acquisitions like Home Chef, RXBAR, and SkinnyPop, to name a few. The Midwestern hub has all the ingredients for food startups to thrive: talent, resources, and space. Read on as we explore four natural food companies and the teams behind them that are worth keeping an eye on.

Read more from ForceBrands here