Erin Cabrey
Posts by Erin Cabrey
The Checkout: Beyond Meat Announces Global Partnerships With McDonald’s, Yum! Brands
In this week’s Checkout, Beyond Meat announces strategic global partnerships with McDonald’s and Yum! Brands; Pan Pacific International Holdings acquires Gelson’s; Foxtrot raises $42 million to expand into new markets; and FASTER Act for sesame labeling is introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives.
HowGood Raises $6M to Grow Sustainable Ingredient Data Platform
Sustainable ingredient data platform HowGood announced this week the close of a $6 million funding round. The company will use the capital to further invest in its proprietary database, which helps members of the food industry and consumers make choices around purchases, formulation, investment or marketing claims.
Industry Members Question Safety of Synthetic Biology
It’s no secret that plant-based innovations in categories like meat and dairy have dominated headlines in the natural products industry in recent years, with companies swapping farms for fermentation tanks to create many of the ingredients used in vegan alternatives to products like burgers or ice cream. But the technology behind one of these production processes, synthetic biology, is relatively new to the industry, and it may blur the definition of a genetically modified organism (GMO) — causing some to question the safety of these new lab grown ingredients.
CAGNY 2021: CPG Companies Discuss Refreshed Portfolios, Low Sugar Innovation
At the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference, held virtually this year, many leading CPG companies discussed both how they navigated the pandemic in 2020 and laid out their plans and strategies for 2021, with plans for the latter including several new low sugar and plant-based innovations, reducing SKU counts and emphasis on ecommerce.
CAGNY 2021: CPG Companies Talk Sustainability Commitments, Plant-Based Innovation
At the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference, held virtually this year, many leading CPG companies discussed navigating the pandemic in 2020 and laid out their plans and strategies for 2021. Several companies previewed new innovations, particularly in the plant-based meat space, while others highlighted progress against their sustainability goals as well as unveiled new climate-friendly ventures.
IRI and Forrester Find the Future of Online Grocery Remains Uncertain
One of the most notable behavior shifts that has emerged amid the Covid-19 pandemic is consumers’ move from in-store to ecommerce grocery shopping. In 2020, for example, online grocery sales grew by 48% while brick-and-mortar sales rose by just 6% in North America. But will this shift be permanent?
Fermented Food Maker Wildbrine Takes on Alt-Dairy With wildCREAMERY
Having spent the better part of a decade focused on fermented food products like sauerkraut and kimchi, Wildbrine is using its fermentation expertise to expand its horizons this month with the launch of wildCREAMERY, a new line of plant-based dairy alternative products made from the company’s in-house cultures.
Distribution Roundup: Allergy-Friendly Brands Partake, Blake’s Seed Based Expand in Retail
In the latest distribution news, allergen-free snack brand Partake and Blake’s Seed Based make retail gains, Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn launches in Whole Foods and keto snack mix maker Hilo Life makes its retail debut.
The Checkout: HighKey Partners With Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort; Mondelēz Launches Startup Program
In this week’s Checkout: HighKey partners with Ryan Reynolds’ marketing firm Maximum Effort; Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets announce a merger agreement; Mondelēz SnackFutures launches a new startup program; and Kellogg’s and Lotus Bakeries report earnings.
Powerful Nutrition and MMG Consumer Brands Combine to Form Powerful Brands
High-protein snack maker Powerful Nutrition announced last week it has combined with consumer products investing platform MMG Consumer Brands to form Powerful Brands, a CPG holding company focused on launching and acquiring health and wellness companies.