New Nutrition Business

Welcome to New Nutrition Business

We are a service like no other, dedicated to the business of food, beverages and health. Since 1995 we have supplied the world's most innovative food and drink businesses with unrivalled insights and practical case studies. Our unique, high quality information enables hundreds of businesses to successfully refine and implement their strategies

We are led by internationally respected expert Julian Mellentin

NNB Strategy Insights - a regular information service
An annual forecast of key industry trends
Reports and case studies on specific sectors, technologies and ingredients, and companies
in-house presentations and
consultancy services

I regard NNB as a reliable, unbiased source of information. Also it is one of the very few publications which try to analyze and understand markets, not only report what has happened. Kalle Leporanta Valio Ltd

Recent Studies Stevia takes premium fruit juice to new level The rapid mass-market success of the Trop50 juice brand has made it the poster child for what suppliers of stevia – the natural sweetener that’s currently getting the most attention and promotion – hope stevia will be able to do for many more brands.

read more Lactose-free: seven steps to success in a category where you can ‘create a customer for life’ To create a successful brand, it helps to be able to target a large group of consumers who have a clear need for your product. But that large group is not essential.

read more Stevia’s sweet and premium-priced niche A lot of people in our industry are getting excited about the potential of stevia – the natural zero-calorie sweetener which is arguably the first of its kind.

read more Mouse clicks, social marketing and long shelf-life – the elements of successful direct-to-consumer business? Food and beverage companies around the world – from the largest to the smallest – are experimenting with new ways to reach consumers, to bypass supermarkets and keep more margin (see Micro-Trend 7 in NNB 10 Key Trends 2012).

read more Callebaut sets sights on cocoa claim breakthrough Chocolate processor Barry Callebaut has launched a bid to win European Union approval for a health claim linking cocoa extracts with cardiovascular health – and says it is “hopeful” it will succeed.

read more How Valio created the world’s biggest lactose-free brand There are few dairy companies that aren’t looking at the potential of the lactose-free market. But no dairy can yet boast of a success to match that of Valio’s Zero Lactose milk brand, now celebrating its 10th year on the market. It’s a case study that shows just what can be achieved in a market where the level of lactose-intolerance in the population at large is in double-digits. And the brand’s success, despite selling at super-premium prices, has opened the door for Valio’s technology in markets around the world.

read more Turning granola bars into a dairy snack Kraft, like many dairy companies, is keen to see dairy make more impact in snacking. Faced with the challenge of how to take dairy into the ambient nutrition bar shelf, Kraft’s response has been instead to take the snacks into the dairy aisle. It may not be as eccentric a move as it sounds – innovative merchandising has been the under-appreciated success factor behind many brands. If Kraft is successful then dairy companies around the world will jump on the idea.

read more Muesli with a mouse click Senior managements at most food and beverage companies dislike the idea of owning a portfolio of niche products, instead pushing their marketing and innovation teams to focus only on “big brand opportunities”.

read more Almonds exploit health halo and product innovation to drive growth at premium prices Ingredients blessed with a health halo still require hard work to leverage that halo into a successful market-place position. Almonds provide one of the best case studies of how to make a success out of a “naturally functional” ingredient. A focus on branding and merchandising – among other marketing skills – as well as unlimited innovation in product formats has helped almond-based snack brands sustain 10%-20% annual sales growth during the economic downturn, even while selling at premium prices.

read more Joint health market creaks to a stand still American baby boomers are getting older and more numerous – there are now 78 million of them, accounting for 26% of the US population. Their joints are growing creakier, yet the US market for beverages aimed at joint health has declined. One of the segment’s three major brands has stalled and another has been withdrawn.

Game changing innovation is about doing mad things that no-one else dare do

Innovation in food can take many forms. And while big companies spend their days looking for giant "game changer" innovation opportunities, savvy entrepreneurs are meanwhile busily experimenting - experiments which may create the real game-changing opportunities.

Entrepreneurs often develop ideas which would fail the "too weird test" and the "too niche test" inside most corporates.

Here's three ideas we like:

Back to the Roots, based in California, enables you to grow your own oyster mushrooms at home, using recycled coffee grounds. The grow-your-own packs are selling like hot cakes online and in stores like Whole Foods. They appeal to a certain demographic's interest in sustainability and being involved in your own food. Take a look at: www.backtotheroots.com

My Muesli. Meanwhile in Germany, three young entrepreneurs decided to serve "thousands of tiny customer niches" by enabling people to customize their breakfast cereal online and get it delivered to their home. Company co-founder Max Wittrock told New Nutrition Business: "Some are gluten intolerant, some health freaks, and then there are some who simply hate raisins". The company has grown from zero to over 200 employees, profitable operations and a growing international footprint, all within the space of four years. And also while charging a 100% price premium compared to regular muesli. Meanwhile sales of muesli in German supermarkets have been flat or falling. Take a look at: www.mymuesli.de

EasiYo. A dairy innovation, and another that appeals to people's desire for customisation and home preparation. The EasiYo system is basically a home yoghurt maker, a machine that comes with dedicated supplies of yoghurt powder (which contains genuine probiotics), fruit additions and other inclusions. The customer can only use EasiYo ingredients. Retailed in Italy, the UK and New Zealand through internet stores and channels like the QVC TV shopping channel, it by-passes traditional supermarkets. Remarkably, it's become a EUR16 million ($20 million) annual sales business in just a few years - and still growing in double digits. It's another example of niche innovation that big companies have overlooked. Take a look at: www.easiyo.com

We live in a world full of risk-takers and innovators. If you want your food brand or food ingredient to succeed, it's businesses like this you can look to for inspiration, just as much as looking to better-known giants like Apple.

Julian

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