Adrianne DeLuca

In the case of Zero Grocery, sustainable grocery delivery does not make for a sustainable business model, according to retail analysts. This month, Zero Grocery abruptly announced on its social media platforms that it had closed up shop.

Maruha Nichiro announced last week it has invested an undisclosed sum into Happi Foodi’s business with the stated aim of bringing the better-for-you, keto-focused frozen food brand into new “foreign markets.” The move represents an opportunity for the company, one of Japan’s leading frozen food distributors, to easily integrate a new brand with established tenants into its core business, said a spokesperson from its execution team.

In this distribution roundup: Starday rolls out its Gooey Snacks brand to Kroger nationwide; Beckon doubles its conventional channel store count through Walmart and Kroger partnerships; Future Farm named the official plant-based meat brand of The Golden State Warriors; No Evil launches new product at Sprouts; Laoban expands retail presence and more.

In this week’s Checkout: OneRare introduces a Foodverse of celebrity chefs, food brands and virtual restaurants, Conscious Foods creates gene-edited salad greens, Blue Apron adds breakfast, Instacart launches a new platform for grocery retailers and The EVERY Co. makes animal-free macrons.

Food makers are reimagining the classic cereal bowl to bring higher protein and lower sugar levels to an aisle that has often overlooked its resident products’ nutritional value. This year’s Expo West saw two brands – Love Grown and Magic Spoon – aiming to capitalize on consumer interests while taking an omnichannel approach to draw in new consumers. Here is how one established and one emerging brand are each approaching the category.

Breakfast foods, including cereal and yogurt, are leading growth across General Mills’ portfolio, with sales increasing 4% during FY Q3 2021, according to an earnings report released today. During a call with investors and analysts, the global food giant highlighted its “solid execution in a highly volatile environment,” reporting that net sales growth has remained virtually flat at $4.5 billion, while organic net sales were up 4%.

Online grocery platform Instacart is adding a new product integration feature that allows content creators on social media to link their recipes directly to grocery items within the app, the company announced last week. Dubbed Shoppable Recipes, the new feature is now available on TikTok and Tasty.

In this video, recorded last week at Natural Products Expo West 2022 in Anaheim, California, Kuli Kuli founder and CEO Lisa Curtis discussed how the company has tackled a range of formats while also educating consumers on the benefits of Moringa.

In this week’s Checkout: Doordash launches its new Local Goods Accelerator program, Plantish raises $12.5 million in seed funding, Sweets & Snacks Expo announces new locations and MeliBio closes $5.7 million funding round.

Alt-protein player Impossible Foods announced today that former Chobani president and COO Peter McGuinness has joined the company as its new CEO, succeeding founder Pat Brown.