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.

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.

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.

With the recent launch of an AI-powered Smart Assistant, leading business-to-business e-commerce platform Alibaba.com wants to help level the playing field and increase the odds of success for small and medium enterprises and solopreneurs by simplifying their sourcing and supply chain operations.

Regenerative agriculture may be a relatively new or unknown concept to most US consumers, but new research by ADM suggests that as shoppers’ awareness of the practice grows so too does their trust in retailers and brands that implement its tenets and their intent to buy products sourced from those that practice it.

A resounding theme of “better” emerged at the Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas last week, where more than 1,200 specialty food companies came together to showcase the latest innovations in cheese, condiments, baked goods, snacks and more.