Carol Ortenberg

In response to shifting attitudes towards nutrition and diet, and a high-profile spat with a nutrition bar company,, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced in late September that it was seeking public input for a new definition of the the “healthy” nutrient content claim for food and beverage labeling.

Patagonia, long seen as a leader in outdoor gear and apparel, has decided to step up the pace of its move out of the changing room and into the kitchen with the expansion of their Patagonia Provisions line. With 29 SKUs, including soups, bars, jerky, cereal and more, the line is on its way to become a key flanker to Patagonia’s core business.

Two years ago, Johnson and Wales University (JWU) along with longtime entrepreneurs and strategic consultants Michael Allio, Ken Levy and Steve Lane, formed the Food Innovation Nexus (FIX) — a food and beverage incubator, angel fund and consulting group.

At Expo East one of the most popular topics of discussion was investment. Who’s getting it, how much and from whom. Today, just a few short weeks after the show ended, the team AccelFoods, an accelerator and investment fund for packaged food and beverage companies, announced the newest additions to their portfolio. The new round includes investments as part of larger raises by Brami Beans and SkinnyDipped Almonds.

Having seen his share of the snack aisle, Rob Ehrlich (the founder of Pirate’s Booty and SexyPop) is ready to take on his greatest challenge yet – bringing vegan food to the masses. The “gourmet snack food visionary” has plans to take the stigma out of “vegan” with the launch of Vegan Rob’s, a plant-based snack line.

At this year’s Natural Products Expo East, there were salty, sweet, meat-based, plant-based, crunchy, creamy foods as far as the eye could see. Project NOSH walked the entire show floor, which included 1,450 exhibiting brands, and picked our favorite new products debuting at the show.

That gorilla grew fast! After just over two years in business, raw nuts and seeds snack brand Gorilly Goods) has sold a controlling stake of the company to cereal and snack company Nature’s Path.

Today, grocery delivery service FreshDirect announced it had closed a $189 million round led by J.P. Morgan Asset Management on behalf of its PEG Digital Growth Fund II L.P. Also investing in the round was second-time investor W Capital and AARP’s Innovation Fund.

To highlight its deep ties to Madagascar, Madecasse chocolate has launched an innovative new sampling program staffed solely with former Madagascar Peace Corps volunteers.