FMCG Innovations and Trends by Sophia Nadur

Business most unusual for 1 Baby Boomer and 3 Generation X-ers Baby Boomer and famed rocker-turned-philanthropist  Sir Bob Geldof  issued last week a rallying cry to Millennials all over the world. His stirring speech at the  One Young World Conference  in Bangkok implored millennials to start "tweeting about serious things" and to "get real with your governments" and "get people of your age group to understand" about climate change, health, food education, security threats etc. (see it  here ).  Dr Aseem Malhotra , a cardiologist, founding member of  Action on Sugar   and Generation X-er, called on folks all across Britain to  " get angry about sugar ".  It is his fervent belief that it's only through public pressure that government will finally agree to taking important policy steps which could begin impacting positively on people's health right away (read more  here ). So start  tweeting  your MP,  emailing  the PM,  sharing  

The new "sweet spot" for soft drinks today After many years' marketing/innovating brands for global food & drink companies (including Coca-Cola and Unilever), I opted to launch a beverage #startup in order to respond quicker/better to evolving health & wellness trends.  After reviewing numerous consumer, retailer & market research data (thanks in part to the British Library  Biz & IP Centre ) and chatting with folks up and down the country on  what they were looking for in a healthier drink  while testing prototypes, it is clear that consumers are looking for  3  things these days from their beverage choice, namely  (i) less of the "bad stuff",  (ii) more innate, natural functionality, and  (iii) something that can be "daily habit forming".  Being able to deliver on all 3 consumer "wants" is in my view the  "sweet spot"  for a soft drink today. The essence of this " sweet spot " is shown here:

How can we use technology to make healthy eating cool for a generation of young people brought up in a culture where less healthy brands have the biggest marketing budgets? Now isn't that a good question! Its simply not enough though just to create healthier food & drink but they have got to get into consumers' hands (often 'round staid retailers) and folks need to want them.  Using technology to make healthy eating more accessible AND cool is key!   The great thing is that some really smart and dedicated folks have put together a very special event during the weekend of  16-18 October  here in London that will try to answer this exact question. FoodHack   is the first innovation-driving food tech event of it's kind in London, and one of the main events of  London Food Tech Week   - a week-long celebration and showcase of the new trends, ideas and companies transforming the food technology space and the  #FutureofFood  (16-23 October).  I was deeply touch

Tg Green Teas do Lunch! Join us at stand F317. Lunch! the UK’s leading annual trade show for the food-to-go industry is on at the Business Design Centre in London 24-25 September If you are a  café ,  sandwich bar ,  contract caterer ,  wholesaler ,  multiple buyer  or  deli , then  Lunch!  is your most important date of the year. There really is no substitute for doing business face to face and at  Lunch!  you will be able to meet  over 350 suppliers  in the food & drink industry, from the largest manufacturers to the small, innovative start-up producers........including  Tg Green Teas ! Find us on  stand number  F317. What's so special about Tg and why is it right for Lunch! What makes Tg different from other iced teas and / or new-to-market drinks that tout "healthy" credentials?   Iced Tg  is a deliciously natural energy infusion using real brewed tea - not extract like most other iced teas - and without added tea flavours. Iced Tg is blended with in

Jamie Oliver's #Sugarrush a game changer? Famed restauranteur and foodie  Jamie Oliver  ramped up the anti-sugar campaign with a stomach churning  TV programme  showing the effects of sugar over-consumption on kids' teeth and diabetic folks' health (Channel 4 on 3/Sept ), a  public petition  that has attracted nearly 150,000 signatures (sign up  here ), and a stirring performance at a government health committee meeting on 19/Oct.  His insights and actions  may be the  game changer  Action on Sugar and other lobby groups have been looking for in their well meaning efforts to tackle the growing obesity problem here in Britain. I support wholeheartedly  Jamie Oliver 's challenge to government to add a  20p/litre tax on soft drinks  and make  front-of-pack nutritional labelling mandatory  in an effort to help us reduce our daily  #sugarrush . In my view, a sugar tax could work if implemented in a similar way as a "plastic bag"  tax i.e. at the cashier&#