In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized the new Nutrition Facts label, including specific information on “added sugars.” In response to this change, as well as growing consumer concern, food and beverage producers have instituted sweeping programs to reduce sugar in their products, with rippling impacts in the alternative sweetener industry.

Weak demand for bromine-based flame retardants is generating new merger and acquisition activity. Concerns about the environmental risk associated with bromide flame retardant compounds have triggered regulatory and consumer backlash, while the ever-shrinking size of consumer electronics -- the leading outlet for brominated retardants -- limits volume demand growth. What do these shifts mean for the market?

Agricultural crops, such as corn or soybeans, are increasingly used in non-food applications, particularly among companies looking to up their sustainability cred with biodegradable or bio-based products. One such innovation is soy air filters, which use biodegradable soy protein and bacterial cellulose to filter particulate matter. Learn more about the future of these products.

Although biopesticides account for just a fraction of the massive agricultural pesticide market, human health and environmental protection interests have boosted their use and encouraged new product innovations. Learn more about why biopesticides are used and how several new products fit into the overall market.

The manufactured housing industry makes up about one-tenth of new single-family housing in the US. In recent years, a competitive environment for new units has destabilized many small manufacturers. Consequently, the industry has become increasingly concentrated as small producers close or are acquired by larger manufacturers. A Freedonia analyst weighs in on recent industry restructuring.

Expansion has always been key to the global floor covering industry. Most flooring products are fairly heavy and expensive to ship, and prompt delivery to project sites is extremely important. As a result, more companies have been expanding in developing areas in recent years, where production costs are typically lower and the less mature markets have greater growth potential.

The API’s gasoline engine oil specifications are created through an immense collaborative process between automakers and lubricant manufacturers. A new update of the standards was recently pushed back from 2017 to 2019. Learn about the update approval process, the goals for the new standards, and what this means for the synthetic lubricants market.

The much maligned and scrutinized antimicrobial, triclosan, may soon be off the market. However, the chemical’s disappearance has been slow and has left the wary consumer skeptical that regulatory changes on a federal level would ever happen.

On January 5, 2017, Sears announced that it would sell its famed Craftsman tools brand to Stanley Black & Decker. This deal reflects the shifting US retail market and perhaps also the decline of Sears. However, for Stanley Black & Decker, it marks a major opportunity to expand its already significant share of the US tool market and move into new retail channels.

Instances of bilateral mastectomies and reconstructions have seen dramatic growth and much media attention. However, the same cannot be said for the overall market for breast implants used for cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. See how evolving cancer treatments and cosmetic priorities will impact the market for breast implants.