Available: Regional Retail Insights for Plant-Based Foods Report
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) has published its latest report, detailing the retail sales, household penetration, and repeat purchase rates of plant-based sales across all four U.S. census regions (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West).This year's edition offers a detailed view of the widespread and durable consumer incorporation of plant-based foods in their grocery buying habits. Plant-based food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and marketplace partners can use the insights to better connect with consumers and deliver on the sustained demand that has grown significantly over the past decade. Key findings from the latest report include:
- In 2025, U.S. retail sales for plant-based foods reached $7.9B, more than double 2018 figures. Overall, 60% of U.S. households purchased plant-based foods, with 78% returning for more.
- Across regions, at least 95% of plant-based meat shoppers also purchase animal-based meat. This flexitarian segment, representing roughly 14 million households in this dataset, is the core of the category and the audience any future growth must reach.
- The West leads in household penetration (67%+) and loyalty (84.1% repeat rate).
- The South is the largest regional market, representing 36% of all plant-based food dollars.
- The Midwest recorded the fastest household penetration growth of any region.
- The Northeast is deepening loyalty in categories like plant-based cheese and seafood.
"Plant-based foods have become a routine part of grocery shopping for millions of Americans, and this report shows that demand is both widespread and durable. The regional data highlights where consumers are embracing plant-based foods most strongly today, while also pointing to significant opportunities for continued growth across the country,” said Marjorie Mulhall, executive director of the Plant Based Foods Association. “For manufacturers, retailers, and industry partners, these insights provide a roadmap for meeting consumers where they are and expanding access to the products they increasingly want."
A full version of the report can be read here.
Sabinsa's C3 Reduct Receives Overwhelming Response
Multi-national health science company, Sabinsa, has announced that its Curcumin C3 Reduct ingredient has received a positive opinion as a novel food for use in food supplements in each nation of Great Britain. Produced through catalytic hydrogenation of curcuminoids extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, the standardized tetrahydrocurcuminoids (THCs) ingredient derived from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) yields a purified powder containing 95% tetrahydrocurcuminoids and demonstrates excellent stability, with a confirmed shelf life of 60 months under ambient conditions.
The positive opinion was issued through a joint statement from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), recognizing Curcumin C3 Reduct for its safety for use in food supplements at a maximum daily dose of 140 mg for adults 18 years and older. The FSA and FSS found no concerns regarding allergenicity, genotoxicity, or product stability, and concluded that the proposed conditions of use are not expected to pose a safety concern for the general population, building on a positive opinion previously issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in October 2021.
“Receiving the recognition in Great Britain is a significant achievement for our European operations and reflects the strength of the scientific dossier our team assembled in support of this application,” said Dr. Umar Jan, President, European Operations, Sabinsa. “The final authorization will open new opportunities for supplement brands across England, Scotland, and Wales to incorporate Curcumin C3 Reduct into their product lines with confidence, backed by the thorough review of both the FSA and FSS.”
JAMBAR Coming to a Show Near You
Certified organic energy bar brand, JAMBAR, is making the specialty food industry B2B event rounds this summer to introduce its new 28g Mini JAMs. All of the brand's offerings are made with certified organic ingredients including ancient gluten-free grains, premium chocolate, real fruit, nuts and seeds, the bars are sweetened with real-food ingredients such as honey and maple syrup, with no sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, or manufactured sugars. Each full-sized JAMBAR delivers 10 grams of protein from whole-food sources including sunflower seeds, quinoa, oat bran and nuts.
The JAMBAR team will be introducing retailers to their latest offerings at the industry's key tradeshow events including:
KeHE Holiday Show , June 10–11 at McCormick Place, Lakeside Halls D1 & D2, Chicago, IL, Booth: #2077. The KeHE Holiday Show connects brands with grocery, natural, independent and specialty retail buyers across KeHE’s national distribution network.
Summer Fancy Food Show, June 28–30 at Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York, NY, Booth: #975. Marking JAMBAR’s first time exhibiting at the event, the Summer Fancy Food Show is North America’s largest B2B specialty food and beverage event, bringing together specialty food makers, buyers, brokers, distributors and industry leaders from around the world.
UNFI Central/West Holiday and Winter Selling Show, July 14–15, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, NV. The UNFI Central/West Holiday and Winter Selling Show connects natural and conventional grocery retailers with suppliers showcasing products for the upcoming holiday and winter season.
"We’re excited to bring JAMBAR to some of the industry’s most important summer trade shows and introduce retailers to our new Mini JAMs,” commented Jennifer Maxwell, founder and CEO of JAMBAR and a nutrition and food scientist trained at the University of California, Berkeley. “Mini JAMs were created to give consumers a smaller, convenient way to enjoy the same certified organic, real-food nutrition JAMBAR is known for. In a category crowded with highly processed products, we believe our commitment to organic ingredients, quality protein and real-food sweeteners truly sets JAMBAR apart.”
Layn Natural Ingredients Receives FEMA GRAS Approval
Botanical extract supplier, Layn Natural Ingredients, has confirmed its plant-based sweetener, SteviUp M2, has received FEMA GRAS Approval (No. 5106). Debuted in 2025 to help formulators address long-standing challenges associated with traditional stevia sweeteners, including bitterness and solubility limitations, while maintaining non-GMO and clean-label standards, SteviUp M2 delivers approximately 200 times the sweetness of sucrose. Derived from high-purity steviol glycosides extracted from Stevia rebaudiana leaves and produced through a controlled, non-GMO, enzyme-based bioconversion process, the sweetener offers exceptional solubility, minimal bitterness or licorice notes, and strong versatility across beverage, dairy, confectionery, bakery, sauce, and functional nutrition applications.
President & CEO of Layn Natural Ingredients, Frank Xie, discussed the significance of the approval, “Layn Natural Ingredients has spent more than two decades advancing stevia ingredient development to help formulators create better-tasting reduced-sugar products. Receiving FEMA GRAS approval for SteviUp M2 further validates our long-term investment in stevia innovation and reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality, science-backed solutions to the global food and beverage industry.”
Dr. Kazunori Hosoe Joins Global Mitochondrial Health Summit
Japanese CoQ10 and mitochondrial researcher, Dr. Kazunori Hosoe, will be in attendance for the 2026 Global Mitochondrial Health Summit event in Sydney, Australia on June 26. Widely regarded as one of the longest-serving and most experienced researchers within the field of Ubiquinol science, over the last fifty years Dr. Kazunori has contributed groundbreaking work to the scientific understanding of how cellular energy production influences human health and heavily influenced the shift in focus from CoQ10 to the global adoption of Ubiquinol. Open to healthcare professionals only, the CPD-accredited gathering will host several key international experts within pharmacy, cardiology, women's health, genetics, health and well-being in ageing and integrative medicine including:
- Keynote Speaker: Dr. Olivia Lesslar MBBS BIR – Functional Medicine Practitioner
- Dr. Ross Walker MBBS (Hons) FRACP FCSANZ – Preventive Cardiologist & Integrative Medicine Physician, Sydney
- Dr. Christabelle Yeoh MBBS, MRCP (UK), MSc (Nutrition), FACNEM – Integrative Medicine Physician
- Dr. Denise Furness PhD BSc (Hons) RNutr – Geneticist & Epigenetics Researcher
- Dr. Leah Hechtman PhD MSciMed (RHHG), BHSc (Naturopathy), ND, LNHAA – Reproductive Medicine – Reproductive and Women’s Health Specialist and Educator
- Rhiannon Hardingham BHSc (Nat) – Reproductive Health Naturopath & Nutritionist, Practitioner Mentor & Educator
- Gerald Quigley BPharm – Pharmacist and Master Herbalist
- Bobby Mehta BPharm MRPharmS IPresc – Pharmacist and Educator
- Dr. Paul Taylor (MC) – Researcher and Author
"Mitochondrial health has evolved from a specialized area of cellular biology into a foundational consideration in modern healthcare," shared Dr. Hosoe. "As our understanding of cellular energy production continues to advance, clinicians are increasingly recognizing the importance of Ubiquinol in mitochondrial function across a wide range of health areas, including cardiovascular, women’s metabolic and cognitive health, for supporting healthspan, particularly relevant for ageing individuals."
For more on the event, please visit mitochondrialhealthsummit.com
EVERY Partners with Huvepharma
The EVERY Company is expanding its manufacturing capabilities and partnering with global pharmaceutical company, Huvepharma, to focus on developing, manufacturing, and marketing human and animal health products. The union will quadruple EVERY’s production capacity of its commercially available egg protein made via fermentation, OvoPro.
Through its subsidiary Biovet AD, Huvepharma will utilize its fermentation infrastructure in Bulgaria to ensure consistent, food-grade quality of the egg protein at industrial volumes. The collaboration will further optimize batch costs and prepare the partnership for future growth as EVERY continues to onboard additional proteins from its fermentation platform. "Scaling to meet the world’s appetite for consistent, stable protein requires more than just great science; it requires world-class manufacturing partners," explained Arturo Elizondo, CEO and Co-Founder of The EVERY Company. "Huvepharma has been an instrumental partner in our journey from the bench to industrial scale. Quadrupling our capacity today is a direct response to the market’s clear signal: the food industry is ready for egg proteins that deliver parity on performance without the supply chain challenges endemic in the global egg supply chain."
