Brand Watch Maria Nila

Maria Nila: Vegan and Cruelty-Free Nordic Brand Making Waves in Western Europe

With 15% growth in Western Europe coming mostly from its home market in Sweden, but also from Germany, Maria Nila is one of the exceptions in terms of professional brands that are growing healthily during the pandemic. The brand portfolio is 100% vegan and animal-friendly and produced in Sweden, making it appealing to the demanding consumers of Western European countries. For additional brand insights, follow our Salon Hair Care Global Series report. 

Plant-Based Meat Processing Technologies Infographic

Which Processing Techniques Make Plant-Based Meat Behave Like Real Meat?

In order to mimic the structure of meat-using plant proteins, a protein structuring step is required to allow the formation of fibrous structures. Several technologies have been developed to create these structures. Extrusion — both low- and high-moisture — is the dominating process to produce the fibrous structure. New technologies such as shear cell technology and 3D food printing are gradually rising, offering different textures that ultimately may provide a wider range of products to consumers. 

Continue reading

Plant-Based Meat Ingredients

What’s Inside Plant-Based Meat?

Plant-based meat requires a slew of ingredients to make it nutritious and  most importantly  taste like the real thing. Soy, wheat, and pea ingredients are some of the most common and widely used protein raw materials. Other ingredients are often added to the formulation to improve the texture, juiciness, and bite of the “meat.” 

Continue reading

Dollar General Beauty Retailing

Dollar General: The Number-One Dollar Store in the United States

While most retailers were severely affected by the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dollar General prospered: It opened 899 new outlets in 2020 to reach more than 17,000 doors, making this the numberone door count of all retail chains analyzed for beauty in our Beauty Retailing USA reports. Sales for the chain were up almost 22%; one of the reasons behind this healthy growth is the rapid expansion of privatelabel beautyIn 2020, Dollar General also launched a new store, Popshelf, aimed at higher-end shoppers. For additional insights and data on retailers, please refer to our Beauty Retailing USA report. 

weDO Professional Gaining Ground in Salons with Vegan Claims

weDo Professional: Gaining Ground in Salons with Vegan Claims

weDo Professional is a new eco-ethical salon hair care brand offering a range of vegan and cruelty-free products in 100% recyclable packaging. This brand is already present in markets such as Austria, Switzerland, Spain, the Nordics, and Germany and is expected to roll out in other major European markets during 2021. For additional brand insights, follow our Salon Hair Care Global Series report. 

Plant-Based Meat Labeling

What’s in a Name? How Plant-Based Meat Labeling Differs Around the World

Product labeling has been the major bottleneck for the plant-based meat industry — as manufacturers around the world strive to ensure that their products are easily identifiable and appealing to consumers, countries are wrangling over exactly how those items can be described. Here’s how product labeling requirements vary by region: 
Continue reading

Internet of Things (IoT) and automation in the industrial and institutional cleaning industry

Next Generation of Tech in the Industrial & Institutional Cleaning Industry 

Industries are adopting robots in varying degrees; the automotive industry, for example, has adopted robots more than any other sector, contributing approximately 38% of currently deployed robots worldwide.  

But how is automation impacting the industrial and institutional cleaning industry? And how is the Internet of Things (IoT) involved? Read on: Continue reading

Clean Label: Top 3 Largest Ingredient Categories in the United States

Clean Label: Top 3 Largest Ingredient Categories in the United States

For a product to be considered a clean-label one, ingredients are the main consideration. There are no current scientific, legal, or regulatory definitions for clean-label ingredients.  However, three main criteria are generally followed to recognize an ingredient as clean label: Ingredients should be naturally derived, non-GMO, and easily recognizable or do not have a chemical-sounding name.  Continue reading