Carol Ortenberg

PepsiCo is pivoting to meet consumer demand online with the launch of two new ecommerce platforms — snacks.com and pantryshop.com. The two storefronts will allow the company to give consumers easy access to the familiar and “comforting” brands they are seeking out during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Gibu Thomas, SVP and head of ecommerce for PepsiCo.

Snack brand Clif Bar last week announced the hiring of Sally Grimes as its new CEO, effective June 1. Meanwhile both Miyoko’s and Snacklins brought on two new sales executives.

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems many Americans are strapping on their aprons and marching to the oven with a goal of learning to bake. But why have sourdough breads, brownies and chocolate chip cookies captivated the nation? And is the “made from scratch” ethos similarly powering the baking mix brands that allow kitchen dwellers to cut out a few steps?

Maybe the old saying is wrong: You can go home again. Today Sonoma Brands, the holding company and investment group for snack brands started by Jon Sebastiani, announced the acquisition of KRAVE — the artisanal jerky and meat snack brand Sebastiani built and subsequently sold to The Hershey Company in 2015.

In an interview with NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, Mark Rampolla, partner and co-founder at PowerPlant Ventures, discussed what the new relationship between brands and investors may look like, during and after the covid-19 pandemic. Drawing also from his time as founder and CEO of coconut water Zico, Rampolla discussed the opportunity for “wartime CEOs” to actually thrive and see enormous opportunity.

Low-sugar confection brand SmartSweets is moving beyond the gummy. The brand this month launched a new, low-sugar Starburst alternative fruit chew. The launch follows a reformulation of its existing product line to embrace newly available sweetener options, including allulose.

Over a decade after it opened, the founder of organic ice cream company Three Twins announced last week that it was closing. Neal Gottlieb attributed the difficult decision to financial hardships resulting from a lack of growth and poor product choices.

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, supplement brand Ancient Nutrition — which is backed by investment from some of the biggest names in the natural foods business — has undergone layoffs and replaced its CEO.

Keto-focused snack brand Fat Snax will have more support as it pushes further afield into brick and mortar retailers this year. The company announced today that it has raised $4.5 million from venture group Boulder Food Group (BFG), along with investment firm BIGR and some individual investors.

For many fast-moving food and beverage startups, 2020 was set to be a banner year for sales growth. But the Covid-19 outbreak has forced many companies to reevaluate projections. In this video with NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, Lily’s CEO Jane Miller details how the company is planning for growth, but still operating with a conservative mindset in order to prepare for any potential slowdowns