by Jill Failla Commonly used in hospital emergency rooms to prevent the absorption of certain toxins in the gastrointestinal tract, charcoal is now growing quickly in a variety of retail product lines, marketed with the ability to bind to unwanted substances so they may be eliminated...
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Michelle Fox Senior Manager, Brand Growth Solutions Over the past five years, I've analyzed data on a wide range of products from lip balm to dog food, from potato chips to kefir. And while categories of interest have changed, my general best practices for analyzing the data...
Read MoreBy Kim Kawa and Paige Leyden Delighted to attend the Midwest Face & Body Show for the first time, we found ourselves privy to a variety of noteworthy ingredients and massage techniques geared primarily toward spa professionals. As researchers, we were eager to learn the recommendations...
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On a not so cold late November evening, a group of 11 committed SPINiZens made our way to the Chicago Food Depository to embark on an adventure in food repacking. While we didn’t know exactly what would await us there, we knew that our service...
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An annual celebration of plant-based and vegan living, this year’s Portland VegFest drew over 6,000 people for an outstanding program of prominent speakers and, of course, a wide variety of vegan wares. Nonprofit Northwest VEG has served the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA area with...
Read MoreChicago’s heat has peaked in the 90s several times this summer. A vibrant lifestyle requires proper hydration whether biking around town, strolling the river walk, or keeping optimal attention at work. So what do we know about health, hydration, and shopper preferences from SPINS data?...
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The Institute for Food Technology’s annual symposium convenes a diverse group of academic, industrial, and regulatory experts from the food science field. This year, I had the pleasure of attending the IFT conference in Chicago and looked forward to a session on Trends and Ingredient...
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SPINS recently took a hands-on approach to affect positive change in our community. We rallied a team from SPINS along with our loved ones to volunteer in the 2016 Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon. We joined over 5,000 volunteers to spend the day building, painting, and planting...
Read MoreMichelle Fox Senior Manager, Brand Growth Solutions There’s been plenty of news about protein over the past few years. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the average American male consumes 102 grams of protein per day, while the average female consumes about 70 grams....
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SPINS finds inspiration all over the country in artisanal makers, culinary champions, and food activists, but it’s a special treat to find this experience near our headquarters in Chicago. Last month, our neighbors and partners at Family Farmed exhibited the 12th annual Good Food Festival...
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