Erin Cabrey

Canadian holding company and investment firm Eat Beyond this week announced the appointment of Michael Aucoin as CEO. Aucoin replaces Patrick Morris, who had held the CEO role since the company’s launch in fall 2019, and joins Eat Beyond after previously serving as principal for MJA Consulting and president of the Canadian division of dairy cooperative Agropur.

Amid a retail push that has seen the New Jersey-based chocolate brand grow its total retail footprint to 10,000 doors last month, Undercover Snacks announced yesterday it has raised $13.7 million in funding.

Fresh meal provider FreshRealm has seen its business model evolve over its eight years in business, ranging from a direct-to-consumer meal service to retail meal kit supplier. Now, with $32 million in new funding, it’s repositioning itself once more, aiming to establish “fresh meal destinations” in retailers nationwide that offer cooking-weary consumers more options.

Fungi-based meat and dairy alternative maker Nature’s Fynd today announced it has raised $350 million, marking the fermentation industry’s largest ever funding round. The Chicago-based company will use the capital to expand its production capacity and grow its product portfolio ahead of the retail debut of its dairy-free cream cheese and meat-free breakfast patties this fall.

In this week’s Checkout, Awakened Foods secures investment from Clover Vitality; Nestlé explores cultured meat technologies; and Good Catch takes on Subway with its #FishFreeForGood campaign.

Plant-based food startup Next Gen Foods announced this week that it has raised $20 million in a seed round extension following a $10 million seed round in February. The Singapore-based company plans to use the new capital to hire over 50 employees in the San Francisco Bay Area ahead of the U.S. launch of its plant-based chicken brand, Tindle.

Lapping the pantry-loading sales surge of last spring, Conagra Brands net sales took a hit in the company’s Q4 and full fiscal year 2021 earnings report this week.

Social mission is a core tenet of many food brands — but is it enough to support a company platform? For This Saves Lives, social impact has now become just one part of its recipe for success as a food brand. With an expanded suite of offerings aimed at kids and refreshed messaging focusing on nutrition, the brand is now working to raise consumer awareness about the products themselves and establish itself as a “food first” company.

In the latest distribution news, Know Brainer’s Max Mallow line expands at Walmart, Undercover Snacks adds 5,000 stores and Blake’s Seed Based rolls out in 500 Kroger locations.

In this week’s Checkout, Beyond Meat launches Beyond Chicken Tenders in foodservice; Thrive Market reportedly considers an IPO; and Acosta releases a report on post-pandemic health and wellness trends.