The Consumer Brands Association’s SmartLabel program allows shoppers to scan QR codes featured on the packaging of consumer packaged goods items, instantly offering detailed information about the products’ ingredients, allergens, nutrition and recycling instructions. SmartBrief spoke with Rishi Banerjee, senior director of SmartLabel at Consumer Brands, about how the association’s SmartLabel program is an essential tool for educating consumers on where and how to recycle their products and the importance of all stakeholders supporting packaging sustainability across the CPG industry. Rishi Ban ..read more

When Verde Farms’ founder Dana Ehrlich visited South America on a backpacking trip over 20 years ago, he visited several ranches where he had the opportunity to experience authentic South American barbecues with the ranch gauchos. Surprisingly to Ehrlich, the meals didn’t have a negative effect on his digestive system and, in fact, he felt like his body was processing the meat well. “So then when he got back to the United States, he looked in grocery stores and tried to find a 100 percent grass-fed, organic beef, and lo and behold, he couldn’t find it,” said Verde Farms CEO Brad Johnson in an ..read more

From deciphering data requirements to integrating technology solutions, navigating the intricate landscape of the 597-page Final Traceability Rule (FSMA Section 204) presents a formidable challenge for manufacturers striving to uphold food safety standards. As manufacturers must find their way through a multifaceted framework to meet regulatory standards, Tiffany Donica, food and beverage industry consultant for SafetyChain, delves into the complexities of the rule and provides actionable insights for compliance. As the January 2026 compliance deadline looms, understanding the role of digital ..read more

In the world of pet care, a quiet revolution is taking place in the pet food industry. For years, pet owners have been navigating the aisles, seeking the perfect balance between quality, clean-label ingredients and nutrition for their furry companions. Recently, a shift has become evident – a return to the value that goes beyond just the price tag. The value of value Pet food sales have been rising, reaching a four-year high of $49 billion for the 52 weeks ending April 29, 2023, according to NielsenIQ. While the numbers can give the image that people are spending more on pet food, another part ..read more

Quality, heritage, innovation, taste, sustainability and authenticity are all trending factors in the food and beverage landscape, and as consumers increasingly seek out products that stand out for those reasons, food and drink produced in the UK is gaining recognition and seeing increased demand on an international level. A culture of innovation in cheese In 2020, the UK exported food and drink to 210 countries and territories across the world, according to the Department of Environmental and Rural Affairs, and more specifically, nearly 154,000 metric tons of UK cheese was exported globally i ..read more

The theme of this year’s tech show was “All On,” a play on words that tells me that anything with an on button is getting its moment at the annual gathering of consumer electronics companies, and CES 2024 didn’t disappoint. Robots were on, interoperability was on, every home appliance was on and listening, and your car’s on button could be pushed from the comfort of your couch via smartphone. And lots of what was on display in Las Vegas also tapped on via AI in a myriad of ways. I won’t be so ambitious to think we can cover everything under the sun — we’re covering just what caught our eye, bu ..read more

As SmartBrief marks 25 years as a leading voice in digital B2B media, we’re thrilled to welcome you to our new website, a hub for connecting professionals with the information they need to succeed in our rapidly changing world.  Our refreshed website debuts a fresh new look, and it is designed to make it easy for you to leverage the best of our business: Great content, mutually beneficial publishing partnerships and a suite of B2B marketing solutions for brands across over a dozen industries.  Our streamlined structure and navigation tools make the site easier to explore on your own ..read more

The pandemic years sent many consumers back to the kitchen to discover, or rediscover, their culinary talents, awakening more adventurous palates to a wider variety of flavors and fueling innovation among spice makers. Globally, the market for spices and seasonings is on track to grow 5.2% annually through 2026 and hit $27.4 billion in value by the end of that year, according to a Markets and Markets report, up from $21.3 billion in 2021.  In recent decades, as consumers increasingly grew more interested in the origins of the foods and other products they purchased, factors like transpare ..read more

In today’s fast-paced world, the demand for staying focused, alert and mentally sharp has never been higher. Consumers are increasingly turning to functional beverages that strive to enhance their cognitive abilities and promote brain health. According to data from Euromonitor, the US functional beverage market—currently valued at $48.4 billion—is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% between 2020 and 2025. A driving force behind this growth is the rise of nootropics, natural ingredients that support cognitive function such as caffeine, L-theanine, ginkgo biloba and lion’s ..read more

When lifelong entrepreneur David Kroll met Peggy Johns, he realized that what Johns had created in her home kitchen was a product that, “had the potential to become a disruptor in modern nutrition.”  Four years later, that product – known now as Egglife egg white wraps – has grown from $4 million a year in retail sales and placement in a few hundred stores to $40 million in sales and shelf space in more than 12,000 stores, including Whole Foods Market, ALDI, Target, Kroger and Walmart. David Kroll One of the keys to Egglife’s success is the fact that the product is meeting the needs of co ..read more