Beginning in 2020 and continuing through 2022, the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant effect on consumer habits. Packaged Facts' May 2022 National Online Consumer Survey indicated that 30% of consumers were still eating more fresh produce than they did pre-pandemic.

For the sixteenth consecutive year, almonds are the top nut in global new product development according to Global New Products data from Innova Market Insights, having been first recognized as the number one nut globally in 2006.

Want to listen to industry news and views on the way to work? Catch a quick video on a lunchbreak? Prepared Foods now goes anywhere—and everywhere—to cover critical topics.

In 2019, Mendelsohn co-founded PLNT Burger, a fast-casual chain dedicated to celebrating classic American comfort foods in a way that is better for people and the planet. His desire to make a positive impact on our food system also led to the founding of plant-based snack company Eat The Change with friend and fellow entrepreneur, Seth Goldman.

It’s no longer enough for dairy alternatives to simply be plant-based. Increasingly, new product development is focused on products that replicate the taste, texture and nutritional content of their conventional dairy equivalents.

NotBurger™ features a unique combination of plants like peas, bamboo, spinach, chia and cocoa powder, to create the recipe. Like all NotCo products, the innovative recipe for NotBurger™ was created by Giuseppe, alongside NotCo’s team of AI Chefs and R&D experts.

Danone NA’s Research & Innovation team continues to connect the dots and it forecasts even more market opportunity—enough to warrant substantial new product development. That led to several years of research and development behind Silk Nextmilk, which debuted January 2022 nationwide in Whole Fat and Reduced Fat varieties.

The Simple Root™, a new global plant-based brand backed by venture management firm Pilot Lite and the multinational McCain Foods company, launched a vegetable-forward line of dips, cream cheese-style spreads, and artisan cheese-style spreads in the US this fall. 

New Wave Foods, a leader of sustainable, plant-based shrimp, recently appointed co-founder Michelle Wolf as the company’s full-time CEO. Wolf’s passion for food sustainability was her key motivator in co-founding the brand. Today she continues to drive the company’s mission to produce products that will reduce the impact on our overtaxed oceans.