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Beverages, snacks, and plant-based foods are standouts in the specialty segment which despite approaching maturity continues to outpace the growth of conventional, according to Mintel research presented during the session 5 Key Drivers in Specialty Food at the Winter Fancy Food Show. “Specialty food and beverage sales account for 16 percent of all food and beverages so the fact that it’s approaching 20 percent is a major milestone,” said David Browne, senior analyst, Mintel. Helping spur sales is the rise in popularity of specialty beverages, which hold 18 percent share of all specialty products and account for $12 billion in sales. The fastest growers are ready-to-drink tea and coffee (19 percent), water (15 percent), and refrigerated juices and functional beverages (7 percent). “Rising trends include functional drinks that boost energy, mental focus, relaxation, and microbiome health,” said Browne. Boding well for specialty is the fact that consumers are making snacking part of t

La Cocina, a nonprofit incubator focused on providing affordable kitchen space and mentorship to women- and immigrant-led food businesses, is working to bring a marketplace to the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. La Cocina’s Municipal Market will feature seven businesses that sell healthy, affordable meals to area residents who often lack access to fresh produce and/or cooking equipment. The marketplace will create 30 to 40 jobs in the area of the city that has one of the highest unemployment rates. “La Cocina's Municipal Marketplace was born out of La Cocina's strategic planning work in identifying the needs of working-class entrepreneurs in a rapidly changing city, as well as an opportunity to partner with the city on a vital corner in the heart of our working-class Tenderloin district,” says executive director, Caleb Zigas. “Projects like this will only truly serve their community if they come from those communities. As such, they can be platforms for residents, a home away f

Erin Ransom is a brand growth and product innovation strategist. At Tofurky, a plant-based protein company, she is responsible for global and multi-channel leadership aimed at high-valued CPG impact. Specialty Food News spoke with Ransom about her upcoming session at the Winter Fancy Food Show and recent legislation around plant-based labeling. Ransom will speak on a panel titled, Expanding Your Plant-Based Options in Retail, taking place on the Main Stage at the Moscone Center on Monday, January 20 at 1:30 p.m. Can you explain Tofurky's recent win against the state of Arkansas, which had ruled that plant-based companies weren’t allowed to use certain words to describe their product? Tofurky won an injunction to prevent a law from being upheld in the state of Arkansas that wouldn’t allow for the use of terms like “burger” or “sausage” on package labels. We must still prevail in a trial that prevents this law from being enforceable. While it’s possible that additional state-level law

During this Summer Fancy Food Show session, Phil Kafarakis, president of the SFA, spoke with Kevin Head and Laura Rush of Walmart about how Walmart works with brands to lower costs without compromising the value of the product. Related: How Does Walmart Handle R&D with Specialty Food Companies?

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