Carol Ortenberg

Ten years after launching, Quinn Snacks has a sweet new partner: The Hershey Company, which announced a minority investment in the snack company last week. Hershey will provide the brand with both strategic advice as well as capital, CEO and founder Kristy Lewis said.

Having sampled the food delivery market, strategic Nestlé is looking for a bigger bite. The global food producer announced today the acquisition of meal delivery service Freshly, which it previously invested in. The company acquired Freshly for $950 million, with the opportunity for potential earnouts valued at an additional $550 million.

“Candy Season” typically begins at Halloween and carries across Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter. But this year, with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging, the consumer appetite for holiday celebrations is unclear. Still, there’s a bright spot for potential future indicators of success: though confection brands were concerned about Halloween sales, many brands with natural or better-for-you offerings are reporting a solid start to the holiday season.

Now, we’re turning to the brand’s point of view. In this episode of Category Closeup: Product Showcase NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and Taste Radio producer Ray Latif will interview executives and brand leaders from both emerging and established ice cream companies to discuss company strategy, category evolution and new product information.

Though ice cream sits in the freezer, it’s still hot with consumers, investors and retail buyers. So for the second edition of Category Close-Up, a video series available exclusively to BevNET and NOSH subscribers, we’re taking a deep dive into the trends and news — as well as the innovative brands and products — that are currently shaping the ice cream industry.

In an impressive fast-growth story, insurgent low-sugar candy brand SmartSweets has sold a majority share to TPG Growth Fund. “It really felt like the right time for a meaningful growth partner in order to have the rocket fuel to really put behind our mission to kick sugar and really amplify it in an accelerated pace with more resources than we’ve ever had before,” founder Tara Bosch told NOSH. As part of the deal, Bosch will step aside as CEO.

Citing concerns about unproven claims and potential violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Food and Drug Administration released warning letters this week that it had sent to a pair of food brands that offer children exposure to allergens in the hopes of warding off allergic reactions later in life. The agency gave both SpoonfulOne and Ready, Set Food! 15 days to reply to the letters or else risk legal action.

Bolthouse Farms CEO Jeff Dunn believes he’s “always been crazy,” when it comes to innovation, it’s just taken years for retailers and consumers to be excited to take the leap with him. Now once again a privately owned company with Dunn at the helm, Bolthouse is ready to let industry in on its creative musings, last week announcing the launch of new sub brand Wunderoots, a portfolio of carrot-based meal “swaps.”

Welcome to Market Share, a new show from NOSH where we’ll sit down with leading executives and thought leaders to discuss their careers in the industry — including the hurdles they’ve overcome — and to break down food industry trends and news. To begin the bi-weekly series, we’ll spend the first six episodes talking to some of the leading women in the industry, ranging from CEO’s to founders to retailer executives.

In an email today the Specialty Food Association announced the cancellation of the organization’s 2021 Winter Fancy Food Show, which was to be held in San Francisco on January 17-19. The annual trade show and conference highlights food and beverage producers targeting the specialty food channel.