Carol Ortenberg

Since its launch in 2016, Sonoma Brands’ Zupa Noma has refined its packaging, sales strategy and messaging. Now they’re trying for a new name and product approach, rebranding as Medlie and launching a line of vegetable “mashes” which are vegetable blends that can be eaten as a snack or used as a spread or dip.

Beverage veteran Lance Collins is ready to disrupt the cooler yet again — this time from a different angle, the fresh nutrition bar set. The founder of beverage brands BodyArmor, Fuze and CORE Nutrition announced today the launch of his newest CPG venture, Core Foods, which will launch its first product, Core Bar, at Natural Products Expo West.

If you’ve got a big megaphone, why not use it to inspire change? That’s what John Foraker and Jennifer Garner — co-founders of baby and toddler food brand Once Upon a Farm — plan to do. The company announced today a new line of Once Upon a Farm (OUAF) baby food purees that meet the guidelines for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

RightRice has a new partner in its mission to to revolutionize an age-old center store category. The brand, which offers consumers a substitute for rice, today announced a $5.5 million investment led by Strand Equity, as well as some high profile social “capital.”

Chicago Bar Company, makers of RXBAR, announced today it will rebrand as Insurgent Brands, expand its product mix under the RX brand and launch a new “contrarian” sub brand. All of which will move forward under new leadership. Co-founder Peter Rahal told NOSH that the new product follows the RX strategy. “I’ve always taken a contrarian point of view to everyone else. RX was very contrarian. It didn’t fit with anyone else.”

Beanfields has had a busy two years. In that time, the vegan chip company was acquired by PowerPlant Ventures and a coalition of investors in April 2017, rebranded, and seen CPG veteran Mark Rampolla both become CEO and then subsequently step down in place of Arnulfo Ventura in July 2018. Now, after a period of strong growth, the brand is announcing the close of its series B round of funding.

Having already backed brands making everything from pancakes to popcorn, Boulder Food Group (BFG) is ready to deepen its roots investing in the next generation of emerging consumer brands. The investment group announced today the close of its second fund.

Although plant-based products may be on an upswing, there’s still room for dairy. To support its growth, today cultured dairy brand Good Culture announced the close of an $8 million investment round. Previous investors CAVU Venture Partners and 301 Inc, the venture arm of General Mills’ led the round with Almanac Insights also taking part.

Having conquered rice and pizza, cauliflower is coming for the snack aisle. Vegetable-based snack brand Real From the Ground Up (RFFTGU) announced today that it will expand beyond its current lineup of pretzels and cheese crackers, adding eight new products to fill other snacking occasions and reach new demographics.

After having to make the hard choice to discontinue its Drinkable Veggies beverage line last year, today Bonafide Provisions announced the launch of a line of Keto Broth Cups, which are frozen, heat-and-drink cups of bone broth and MCT oil. The cups come as the company also unveils a new rebrand.