How do you measure the success of an innovation? Sales results achieved is the obvious answer – and flowing on from that, profits. But given that markets, business and products all evolve over time, a key part of the usefulness of any measurement of innovation is not just what you measure, but when you measure it.

Using a proprietary drying process, start-up Wholesome Valley Foods is offering the nutrition of bananas in a more portable and lasting format with its Barnana chews. Given that US consumers buy more bananas than any other fruit, the company’s dream to become the next Sambazon or Pom Wonderful is within the realms of possibility. This case study is from New Nutrition Business.

The influence of ‘naturality’ over food and beverage product development will continue to grow in the coming year, according to the latest edition of New Nutrition Business’s trend-spotting report, 10 Key Trends in Food, Nutrition & Health 2013. This highly-regarded annual report says naturality has become “the direction people want to go in” and will shape and drive the market in the coming year as companies across all categories seek to ride the naturality wave.

Sales of Kombucha, a traditional Asian fermented beverage, are surging, both in its original form and in formats that have been modified to better suit Western tastes. Despite a weak economic backdrop and super-premium pricing, US sales of kombucha leapt by 22% to $327 million (€270 million) in the year to April 2012, driven by the positive health halo around anything that has “live and active” bacteria, largely resulting from the dairy industry’s marketing of yoghurt. Could kombucha be the next coconut water, asks New Nutrition Business.