An end may be in sight for the capital crunch that has slowed innovation, growth and M&A activity in the food and beverage space in recent years, according to one investment insider, but she warns the timeline is longer for closing deals and the bar is higher for small and midsize companies or startups to successfully exit than pre-pandemic.…

Kava has been used as a ceremonial drink in the Pacific Islands for hundreds of years and is now gaining popularity globally. But the rise to popularity has been a long, windy road.By William Reed Ltd

New Zealand nut butter specialist Forty Thieves believes that its flexibility in providing smaller packaging options as well as a dedicated keto range is driving growth across the region.By William Reed Ltd

As the media landscape has become more fragmented in the past ten years, social media has emerged as one of the most influential sources of information on the consumer path to purchase and many companies are shifting advertising dollars accordingly – but new research from the marketing communication agency HUNTER suggests going all in on Facebook, …

Several states and most recently the platform TikTok have placed tighter restrictions on dietary supplements, causing concern for many in the industry as well as supplement users. Adel Villalobos, founder and CEO of Lief Labs, says now is the time to advocate for the industry and take action.By William Reed Ltd

Food and beverage brands should focus on the fundamentals of growing slowly and strategically to set up long-term success while also complementing a founder's vision with a team of experts with diverse skillsets, Seth Goldman, co-founder and chief change officer at Eat the Change, shared in the first episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Founders’ Fundame…

The European Union and the United States operate with different regulations for dietary supplements, including labeling, marketing, food additives and more. So how do brands navigate two very different regulatory environments?By William Reed Ltd

A Malaysia homegrown postbiotics company has set the ambitious goal of reducing the country's reliance on imports of overseas “biotics” raw materials, managing director of the firm told NutraIngredients-Asia in the latest episode of our Nutrachampion podcast.By William Reed Ltd

We catch up with Sebastian Emig, director general of the European Snacks Association (ESA) to find out why he is excited about the upcoming elections for the new European Parliament. He also talks about the Green Deal and SNACKEX 2024: an event not to be missed.By William Reed Ltd

Today's niche diets, social media blips and internet search spikes could be tomorrow's must-have functional ingredients, breakout snacks or new kitchen staples -- the trick is spotting them early and knowing whether they represent long-term trends or short-term fads and how best to position a launch or brand to capitalize on consumer demand.…

Mintel recently launched Ingredientscape AI, a new landscaping tool that helps brands discover the fastest-growing ingredients using robust data from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD). Stephanie Mattucci, director of food & drink at Mintel North America, used this new feature to identify the next ‘big thing'.…

Customer service is key to making your business a success, in the season finale, the Lock In takes a closer look at a key aspect that can make or break a pub.By William Reed Ltd

Lifestyle and nutrition company New History is on a mission to close the nutrition gap in inner city communities through high quality sports nutrition supplements.By William Reed Ltd

In an audio only version of the Review of the Week, the MA's Ed Bedington caught up with Brewhouse & Kitchen CEO Kris Gumbrell to get his take on the week's news.By William Reed Ltd

There are vast R&D opportunities in the botanical health supplements and therapeutics sector across Malaysia, where there is already a pool of over 3,000 local medicinal plants to be tapped on, says the CEO of local biopharma firm Medika Natura.By William Reed Ltd

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.…

From partnering with the American Diabetes Association to collaborating with SuperGut and online influencers, relationships are a significant aspect of GNC.By William Reed Ltd

Pubs and ghosts go together like, well beer and pubs! Most pubs will lay claim to a ghost or two, so the podcast team take to the airwaves to talk all things spooky!By William Reed Ltd

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.By William Reed Ltd

According to a consumer survey by CRN and IPSOS, 74% of U.S. adults take supplements. And while the most common one is the multivitamin, a lot of users are zeroing in on specific organs like the brain, eyes or even skin. But what about ears? Soundbites has developed a supplement that if taken daily, can improve and maintain hearing.…

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.…

Armed with resilience, commitment and a passion for plant bioactives, Israel based-biotech company Bioharvest Sciences continues to meet consumer demand despite the ongoing conflict in the region.By William Reed Ltd

There is a wide array of clinical benefits of fasting such as improved mood and cognition, balanced immune responses, enhanced energy, improvements in heart and metabolic health, weight management and more. But anyone who has fasted knows that it can be downright tortuous.By William Reed Ltd

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.By William Reed Ltd

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.…

Celebrities love owning pubs, so the Lock In team spoke to a few, including James May and Candice Brown, to find out why they couldn't find an easier way to lose money!By William Reed Ltd

When it comes to starting a dietary supplement brand from scratch, there is a lot to consider: suppliers, contract manufacturers, regulations, supply chain and so much more. So where should entrepreneurs start?By William Reed Ltd

Singapore cultivated seafood firm Umami Bioworks believes that strategic mergers are crucial to overcome doubts about the sector and achieve buy-in from major brands which can help the category scale-up.By William Reed Ltd

More than two billion people lack access to safe drinking water services around the world, which is why good corporate water stewardship is imperative. But the global snack giant is stepping up with some industry-leading tech, including one that uses the water found in potatoes. We find out more.By William Reed Ltd

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 harne…

We track our steps, our sleep, our cycles and so much more—so why not track our metabolism? While research shows that a healthy metabolism is crucial for a healthier and longer life, it’s not always easy to track. Healthtech company Lumen is hoping to change that by offering precise and personalized metabolic insights previously only available in c…

The ABA’s 2024 Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona, is set to kick off tomorrow, promising an array of activities, workshops and networking opportunities. We caught up with Eric Dell, president and CEO of ABA, to get the inside scoop on what attendees can expect.By William Reed Ltd

As the dust settles on the recent Publican Awards, the Lock In team caught up with some of the winners to find out what makes them tick.By William Reed Ltd

Unsurprisingly, the current state of play in the US is causing deep concern in the food industry: especially for those producers that sell products across multiple states. It's turning into a quagmire to stay ahead of the latest regulatory developments and how they impact a product portfolio: do we reformulate or not, how will this affect prices, w…

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.By William Reed Ltd

Family-owned and operated Sports Research recently debuted its "The Sport of Life" campaign, which expands its rebranding initiative that kicked off earlier this year. The campaign marks a new direction and brings a fresh approach to the brand’s visual identity.By William Reed Ltd

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.By William Reed Ltd

It’s bizarre to think that like fashion or food, there are emerging trends in the social impact and philanthropy spaces, but as C.D. Glin, global head of Social Impact at PepsiCo and president of the PepsiCo Foundation says, it’s the pointedness and emphasis that consumers are putting on issues like sustainability, digitization and localization tha…

To pie, or not to pie, that is the question asked in this episode of the Lock In podcast, as the team lift the (pastry) lid on what makes the perfect pub pie!By William Reed Ltd

The National Football League (NFL) is partnering with Canadian researchers on a clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of CBD for pain management and neuroprotection from concussions.By William Reed Ltd

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.By William Reed Ltd

South Korea’s functional proprietary probiotics market is growing at a faster rate than the generic gut health category, says the CEO of biotech firm AceBiome in our latest Nutrachampion podcast.By William Reed Ltd

Focusing on flexitarians and doubling down on the perceived health benefits of consuming less meat and dairy is the best way for APAC’s sluggish plant-based sector to secure significant growth.By William Reed Ltd

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.…

As awareness builds around the different species, mushrooms are attracting attention for benefits outside of immune support.By William Reed Ltd

The podcast team tackles the topic of pub games, from old school to new and ask how pub gaming is evolving and changing in the modern age.By William Reed Ltd

The dietary supplement industry has come a long way. A significant number of new dietary supplement products have appeared in the marketplace since Congress passed the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. At that time, there were an estimated 600 U.S. dietary supplement manufacturers out there marketing about 4,000 products.…

Beverage sales have outpaced that of food within the specialty segment in the past decade, according to the Specialty Food Association, which attributes the boom to an increased demand for functional benefits, a faster pace of innovation and a lower threshold for initial trial.By William Reed Ltd

Sustainability may not be as highly prioritized as taste or price in purchase decisions for food and beverage, but research suggests it is increasingly important to consumers -- especially younger shoppers who are coming into their buying power.By William Reed Ltd