What Truly Defines Innovation in the Food Industry?

Market Basket Musings is Salud Brand Management’s newsletter covering a variety of topics in CPG. This month we are talking about our definition of true innovation in CPG and beyond.

The word "innovation" is thrown around a lot these days to describe any new product a brand introduces. But let’s be honest—just because something is new doesn’t make it groundbreaking. For us, true innovation is doing something radically different from what existed before.? It’s not releasing a new product just for the sake of trying to expand on shelf space.

Take a King-sized chocolate bar or a double-stuffed cookie. Are they clever? Sure. Are they innovative? Not really.

So, what counts as true innovation? To us, it’s about thinking in new ways—creating something valuable that has the potential to drastically improve or even disrupt the way things are done. Innovation can take many forms, like:

• Food science breakthroughs
• Reinventing the familiar
• Sustainability as innovation
• Reimagining business models

Let’s take a look at each category and discuss some brands that are currently pushing the status quo.

Food Science Breakthroughs

Food science often gets the spotlight for shaking up the status quo. Remember when Beyond Meat first started marketing their plant-based burgers that “bled” like real meat? It was such a revolutionary idea that Beyond Meat’s stock exploded after its IPO.

Now, we’re seeing 3D-printed vegan meat and lab-grown proteins push the boundaries further. Mycelium is being researched for its potential in everything from biodegradable packaging and sustainable leather to plant-based proteins and even fertilizer alternatives.

Cultured dairy is another frontier that is expanding its horizons. U.S.-based Brave Robot has commercialized animal-free ice cream, while Israel's ReMilk just got the green light from Health Canada to produce animal-free dairy. Even humble byproducts from legumes like aquafaba (the liquid from cooking chickpeas) are finding new life as egg replacers and emulsifiers.

Reinventing the Familiar

Not every innovation requires a lab coat and millions in R&D funding. Sometimes, it’s about rethinking the familiar. As the saying goes, "We’re not reinventing the wheel here—just making it spin in a whole new way."

Take Konscious Foods, for example. They turned sushi into a plant-based, frozen product that’s ready in minutes. Avafina reimagined caviar with chia seeds and seaweed. Millennia Tea moved a saturated product—tea—to an entirely new format: the frozen aisle.

Even in crowded categories, there’s room to innovate. Remember how oat milk disrupted plant-based beverages in 2017? Now, we’ve got milk made from sunflower seeds and macadamia nuts. And tofu? It’s been around for over a millennium, but brands like Big Mountain Foods and Franklin Farms are shaking it up with fava bean and chickpea versions.

The takeaway? Creativity has no limits, and no one has a monopoly on brain power.

Sustainability as Innovation

The climate crisis is pushing brands to rethink not just what they make, but how they make it. Crops like buckwheat and amaranth—known for their water efficiency—are surging in popularity. Regenerative farming is becoming a buzzword, emphasizing sustainable practices that nourish both people and the planet.

Upcycling—turning food waste into new products—is another exciting trend. Mindful Fud, for instance, makes vegan “hunny” from surplus apples. At the University of Saskatchewan, researchers are developing compostable plastic alternatives from faba beans.

And let’s not forget Vancouver-based Lomi. Their countertop composters turn food scraps into dirt in just 24 hours, making composting easy for people who might otherwise toss food scraps in the trash (which comprises close to 30% of what is in the landfill). Meanwhile, Pela, Lomi’s sister company, makes compostable phone cases, proving that even everyday items can benefit from sustainable innovation.

Business Models

Sometimes, innovation isn’t about the product at all—it’s about rethinking the way you do business.

Take zero-waste stores, for example. They’ve gone from a niche concept to a movement. Or look at what Covid forced businesses to do. Grocers, brands, and restaurants had to pivot to digital channels almost overnight, with many embracing direct-to-consumer models to survive.

Then there’s Flashfood, which connects shoppers with discounted groceries nearing their best-before dates, reducing food waste and saving customers money. Sharewares tackled the takeout waste problem by creating a reusable cup system that functions like a library—you borrow, return, and repeat.

By looking at innovation through these lenses, it’s clear there’s no single path to breaking new ground. Whether it’s through science, sustainability, or rethinking tradition, the future of food is filled with exciting possibilities.

Thanks for taking the time to read another Market Basket Musings. Follow our LinkedIn page for more industry news, information, and tips: Salud Brand Management LinkedIn.. Follow our Instagram page for pictures and videos of our world-class brand partners: @saludbrandmanagement

Thank you for being here!