Brad Avery

The growth of better-for-you products has been one of the top stories of the food and beverage industry for years now, but according to the latest Healthy Living Consumer Products review by Whipstitch Capital and SPINS, that growth is now “beyond long-term,” rating as one of the top industry trends for 2021.

When Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss launched their latest venture, Earth & Star, last year with a line of mushroom lattes, the intent was always to build the brand into a “mushroom platform.” Over a year later, the vision is taking shape.

Nevada-based pretzel brand Stellar Snacks has launched its latest offering — Vegan Butter Braids — into Southeast retailers, the company announced this month. Meanwhile, functional food brand Four Sigmatic has entered Target locations and Hungry Planet has landed on Sprouts shelves.

After last year’s reckoning on racial injustice across America prompted a look into widespread inequity within the food and beverage industry, companies appear to be making progress on their diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) goals, according to a new study by Deloitte Insights and FMI – The Food Industry Association last month.

In June, plant-based food and beverage brand New Barn Organics was acquired by national egg producer NestFresh in a move that promised to allow both companies to provide a broader range of products and give the brand a new runway for growth. Nearly three months later, that promise is taking shape.

Last week, plant-based cheese and butter maker Miyoko’s Creamery emerged victorious in what could be a landmark legal case for dairy and meat alternative CPG brands. Citing the company’s first amendment rights, a California judge ruled the company can continue to use terms such as “butter,” “lactose-free” and “cruelty-free.” However, while the case could provide plant-based brands with some much needed legal precedent to defend the practice of using meat and dairy terms on their labels, the fight ahead is anything but cut and dried.

San Francisco-based office food service provider and snack delivery service garten today announced its acquisition of East Coast sister companies LeanBox, a provider of healthy fresh food kiosks, and Grind Coffee, an office provider of coffee kegs and beans. The deal gives West Coast-focused garten access to LeanBox’s East Coast accounts.

Canadian cannabis producer Tilray Inc. has acquired a majority stake in dispensary chain MedMen in a $165.8 million deal, the company announced today.

Oatly announced today Q2 revenue of $146.2 million, up 53.3% year-over-year in its first earnings report as a public company.

Last month, still hot on the hype of its highly publicized May IPO, plant-based milk maker Oatly sustained its first major setback as a publicly traded company when Spruce Point Capital Management, a research firm focused on short selling, released a 124-page document claiming that the company had misrepresented its success and “will never achieve… Read more »