Carol Ortenberg

The bar set is ever growing, and even familiar brands are looking to change up their looks in order to stay competitive. Today snack company PROBAR announced an outdoor-inspired rebrand of its packaging — one of the first major changes by the company’s new president and investor, Matt Fuller.

The rice category is starting to stretch with even more ingredients trying to define the staple. Today Banza, which is known for its chickpea pastas, announced it will expand into the category with its own line of rice — the company’s first major new product since introducing a line of macaroni and cheese in 2016.

Chickpea snacking brand Biena is ready to stretch out. The company is about to launch a new line of chickpea-based puffs and has made over its packaging to unify the portfolio. To support both initiatives, Biena closed a $2.35 million round in April 2018 and a second internal round of financing later in the year.

In 2007 snack innovator Keith Belling felt guilty eating potato chips and decided to do something about it. The result, which spawned a slew of imitators and helped revolutionize the snack set, was Popchips.

In response to consumer demand, Tofurky announced today that it will launch two products at Natural Products Expo West: Moocho cheesecakes, the company’s first sub-brand, and a revamp of the previously discontinued Tofurky Pockets. The former may lead to other alternative dairy innovations.

Over the past two months, investment group and incubator Sonoma Brands has seen changes to its operating team including the addition of two managing directors. Founder Jon Sebastiani told NOSH the additions are reflective of how the firm has evolved since its inception.

Call it the Starbucks effect, but consumers now want their meals and snacks to be customized to their unique needs. As a result, brands offering these solutions found themselves as targets for acquisition and investment this week.

Despite consumers’ insistence that they want to eat healthier, classics like Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts have remained popular. Earnest Eats is hoping to offer consumers a better-for-you take on the classic with the launch of Toasties, a breakfast pastry that it believes can bring health benefits to the category.

As creative thinkers, chefs are filled with an infinite amount of ideas for new dishes and flavor combinations. What they don’t have is the time needed to execute on all of these ideas. Enter Render Provisions, a chef-driven line of food and beverages that partners with some of the hottest chefs in the country.

One of America’s greatest chefs, Nancy Silverton spoke about her approach to cooking and food innovation. She also explained why “having a business is not a hobby,” why she’s always trying to create food that is craveable, and how she navigates the challenges of modern marketing… aka making your restaurant bathroom “Instagrammable.”