Brad Avery

Danone Manifesto Ventures (DMV) announced today that it has acquired a majority stake in premium coconut products maker Harmless Harvest. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Harmless Harvest is the first U.S. investment to become majority-owned by DMV, the venture arm of French multinational corporation Danone, the company said in a press release.

Better Juice, an Israel-based food tech company which has developed an enzymatic technology to reduce the sugar content in fruit juice and fruit-based ingredients, has raised $8 million in a seed funding round that will support the company as it goes to market next year.

Here’s another marker that life is approaching a post-pandemic “new normal”: the reintroduction of free samples in grocery stores nationwide. To the relief of brands, who have long relied on sampling to win customers, many retailers announced plans this month to allow brands back in-store for product demonstrations.

“Powerful branding, international exposure, and strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) credentials” are just three of the qualities making Oatly a major player in the plant-based food and beverage space, according to a new equity research report from Credit Suisse.

On Thursday, New Mexico Fresh Foods (NMFF) will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new high pressure processing (HPP) tolling facility — the first in the state. The company offers services for food products, juice, cold brew coffee, tea and green chili.

As consumers “hunkered down” last year amid the pandemic, demand for new food and beverages was very much up, according to IRI’s New Products Pacesetter report examining the performance of 2020’s new product launches. And while a plague year may seem like a period for comfort food and old favorites, new and innovative products saw big benefits from out-of-stock issues and a desire among shoppers for a “change of pace.”

Cirona Labs, a cannabinoid manufacturer and supplier for food and beverage brands, announced today that it has raised $1.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round, led by LiDestri Food & Drink, BevSource and Sweetener Supply.

Ringing in the company’s first day trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Oatly CEO Toni Petersson said the decision to go public was “the right thing to do.”

Nearly a year after being formally separated from Dean Foods, plant-based food and beverage company Good Karma is beginning a new chapter. The Colorado-based company announced today a brand refresh accompanied by the launch of a new line of refrigerated plant-based milks and a direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform.

Plant-based protein brand Aloha is getting ready to become a more serious beverage player while also expanding its line of bars further into the natural channel.