Carol Ortenberg

To continue on its quest to re-envision classic food and beverages as better-for-you offerings, holding company and investor HumanCo announced yesterday it had raised $35 million in funding. Alongside the raise, the group also announced it had acquired frozen pizza and bread producer, Against the Grain.

In this month’s Category Closeup Meat Snacks: Expert Analysis, we’ll have two interviews with industry leaders who both had large roles in the category’s development. Over the course of the discussion, we’ll explore the tactics and trends our experts believe successful meat snack brands must embrace and hear about what they believe are the opportunities for growth and innovation.

Investor Patrick Schwarzenegger is keeping it in the family with the launch of his new CPG venture MOSH, a line of functional foods (and eventually beverages) with his mother, Maria Shriver.

There have been several updates from major trade shows as the food and beverage industry continues to have to adjust its plans for trade shows due to effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and recent weather events.

With PepsiCo’s innovation hub The Hive, the global snack and beverage brand has sowed the seeds of innovation. Now, it’s time to start harvesting. Last week, The Hive launched its second product, a line of savory dried vegetable snacks called Good Notes, on Amazon and Walmart.com

KIND Snacks founder and chairman Daniel Lubetzky is looking beyond the snack aisle for his next bite. The outspoken executive and entrepreneur is aiming to take a fresh approach to Mexican food with the launch of his next venture, SOMOS. Joining him as co-founders are two former KIND executives, with Miguel Leal, former CMO at Cholula, also serving as CEO

Having tackled meatballs, sustainable seafood and functional beverages, Michael Chernow is turning his sights to fitness with the launch of health and wellness CPG brand Kreatures of Habit last month. The company’s first product is a line of functional oatmeal that can also replace consumers’ daily supplement regimens, called The PrOATagnonist.

Members of the natural products industry have had a sense of deja vu the last few weeks as the fate of the annual trade show Natural Products Expo East has been a hot discussion topic. Last year, show organizer New Hope shifted its shows to a virtual format, but this year the company is moving forward, having spent recent weeks attempting to address attendee safety concerns and generate enthusiasm for a return to in-person events.

Plant-based protein brand Meati is beefing up its marketing and communications team. In August, Patrick Jammet joined as VP of marketing and, last week, Christina Ra came aboard as VP, brand and communications.

Condiment, sauce and oil producer Chosen Foods announced yesterday that Butterfly Equity had acquired the majority of the company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.