Salad Bowl Branding Welcome! Salad Bowl Branding provides briefings on America's shifting specialty food markets, the changing tastes of consumers, demographic and industry trends and growth opportunities in the consumer packaged goods sector. Learn More about us.
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 Food labeling is required for most prepared foods, such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen foods, snacks, desserts, drinks, etc. Nutrition labeling for raw produce (fruits and vegetables) and fish is voluntary. We refer to these products as “conventional” foods.
Under the leadership of Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret Hamburg, M.D., reliable nutrition labeling of food products is a top priority for the Food and Drug Administration. In a recent statement, Dr. Hamburg encouraged food companies to review their labeling to ensure that they were in compliance with FDA regulations, and were truthful and not misleading.
In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified 17 food manufacturers that the labeling for 22 of their food products violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
“Today, ready access to reliable information about the calorie and nutrient content of food is even more important, given the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in the United States,” Dr. Hamburg said in the letter. She also expressed her hope that the warning letters would clarify the FDA’s expectations for food manufacturers as they review their current labeling.
The violations cited in the warning letters include unauthorized health claims, unauthorized nutrient content claims, and the unauthorized use of terms such as “healthy,” and others that have strict, regulatory definitions. Companies that received warning letters have 15 business days to inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct their labeling.
FDA soon will propose guidance for the industry regarding nutrition labeling on the front of food packages, and plans to work collaboratively with the food industry to design and implement innovative approaches to front-of-package labeling that can help consumers choose healthy diets.
Nutrition Initiative Questions & Answers
What is FDA doing today?
Why is FDA taking this action?
How did FDA identify the products that are the subject of the enforcement action we are taking?
What are the primary violations?
What is FDA’s expectation from the firms that received Warning Letters?
Will FDA continue to monitor the marketplace for similar violations?
 http://www.chobani.com/ To develop a product launch strategy we were asked to try The 17 Day Diet. After 3 months, it has changed our eating habits for the long term. Chobani Greek Yogurt is a big reason for that.
When polled, we found that most of our group thought they would not be able to live without eating pasta, bread, rice and many other carbohydrate rich products. For some, these types of foods are part of their culture, a flavor of their heritage, which posed other challenges.
However, after a lifetime of eating starchy foods, trying a higher protein, pro biotic and low fat eating choice was very inciting. Our office began eating more cottage cheese, Kefir and Greek yogurt, especially Chobani.
We started with the plain and immediately noticed its unique thick, rich and creamy texture. Nothing like any yogurt on the shelf. This was a new flavor profile. And the packaging was elegant and clean with a unique profile using fine product illustration. Shortly after their demand exceeded production we hear that Dannon launched a copy cat line, albeit with a slightly slender profile.
The familiar “fruit on the bottom” concept so successful in the past is re-energized. Some may choose to stir it up. But many of us enjoyed the taste so much we ate it one slow spoonful at time with the tip coated in fruit on the bottom.
The brand has grown rapidly with a complete line of popular fruit flavors. We hear that Big box orders are up and the larger packs are selling out.
Thanks to the makers of Chobani for becoming part of a healthier lifestyle choice for our team and for inspiring new appreciations for authentic, specialty imported foods.
Visit the Chobani site: http://www.chobani.com
Get Chobani coupons: http://www.chobani.com/coupons
 We’ve come across a wonderful web service that helps specialty food brands to centralize, store and share their packaging artwork files.
With so many companies using foreign suppliers these days and the sheer volume of digital artwork that is being generated, even companies as large as PepsiCo are having a hard time managing their assets. In the age of social media this is a perfect fit between technology and a real problem in the industry.
Many of our supporters come from a branding or packaging background and a constant pain is locating the latest approved file, sending it to the pre press house or printer, making sure they got it and can open it using the right application and version, and then make sure they don’t edit or change the graphics. Then, once the label or package is printed, ensure that the brand keeps the last version of the file, not the vendor.
I’ve seen similar systems, some out of countries I just don’t trust, but they are either proprietary (use a process that gives them ownership of the brand artwork) or are a value added service of a printer to control print runs.
The Packaging Vault provides a simple, smart interface, is inexpensive (even for specialty foods), and can immediately help small to large brands better manage the packaging design and production process. It was built by a team of brand packaging gurus over the last several years and now they’re finally starting to see some traction.
They offer a 30 day free trial so check it out.
 While news of the economic downturn is blazing the nation’s headlines the fact is, it’s only part of the current story. After all, the economy is not the only entity in America experiencing dramatic shifts.
With one-third of the U.S. population currently of minority status—a figure forecast to soar to half the population by 2050—a far larger story of change is occurring. And with sales of specialty foods rising 17 percent over the last two years (compared to only 4 percent of overall food growth), these long-term marketplace changes hold near-term implications for the specialty foods and beverages industry.
A look at many of the current trends tells the broader story—which includes opportunity, not just economic challenge:
- Purchasing power increases. Minority market segments are not only growing in size but in spending power—and that power is pegged to fervently rise by 30 percent, to $1.9 trillion, within only three years. These markets are essential to the overall economy, and a key driver within our own sector.
- The new “tastemakers” wield wide-ranging influence. With sales of specialty foods slated to grow by an astonishing 50 percent over the next decade, the real phenomenon is that 75% of sales generated for specialty foods are from mainstream customers, not the niche cultural segments originating the foods. Indeed, American palates are now influenced by an entirely new set of tastemakers.
- Home-based dining poised for growth. Consumers don’t stop eating during a downturn, but they do adjust where they have their meals. This is good news for food producers as home-based food preparation is undoubtedly poised for an upswing. Moreover, consumers will seek more variety in their home-based diets since they will not be frequenting specialty and ethnic restaurants at the rates of the past few years.
A Look Back Gives Future Insight
As history has proven time and again, the economy will turn back around–just as the stock market took some steps toward recovery this week. But as history has also taught us, the chance to gain a strong foothold into emerging markets is time-sensitive, too.
Opportunities with new markets of this magnitude—that are influencing the purchasing decisions of much larger markets—come and go quickly…which begs the ultimate question: In this economy, is your company’s growth strategy reactionary or truly visionary?
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Chobani Greek Yogurt, Product Review
http://www.chobani.com/
To develop a product launch strategy we were asked to try The 17 Day Diet. After 3 months, it has changed our eating habits for the long term. Chobani Greek Yogurt is a big reason for that.
When polled, we found that most of our group thought they would not be able to live without eating pasta, bread, rice and many other carbohydrate rich products. For some, these types of foods are part of their culture, a flavor of their heritage, which posed other challenges.
However, after a lifetime of eating starchy foods, trying a higher protein, pro biotic and low fat eating choice was very inciting. Our office began eating more cottage cheese, Kefir and Greek yogurt, especially Chobani.
We started with the plain and immediately noticed its unique thick, rich and creamy texture. Nothing like any yogurt on the shelf. This was a new flavor profile. And the packaging was elegant and clean with a unique profile using fine product illustration. Shortly after their demand exceeded production we hear that Dannon launched a copy cat line, albeit with a slightly slender profile.
The familiar “fruit on the bottom” concept so successful in the past is re-energized. Some may choose to stir it up. But many of us enjoyed the taste so much we ate it one slow spoonful at time with the tip coated in fruit on the bottom.
The brand has grown rapidly with a complete line of popular fruit flavors. We hear that Big box orders are up and the larger packs are selling out.
Thanks to the makers of Chobani for becoming part of a healthier lifestyle choice for our team and for inspiring new appreciations for authentic, specialty imported foods.
Visit the Chobani site: http://www.chobani.com
Get Chobani coupons: http://www.chobani.com/coupons