Erin Cabrey

In this week’s Checkout: WM Partners acquires Jade Leaf Matcha; KIND updates its KIND Kids packaging as part of racial inequality commitments; the fifth annual PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator turns its focus to food tech companies; and Gainful and CookUnity close funding rounds.

For chocolate maker GoodSam Foods, the latest brand to emerge from incubator and accelerator BeyondBrands, the goal is simple: make products that are “good for you, good for farmers and good for the planet.” Led by BeyondBrands chief strategy officer and Nibmor co-founder Heather K. Terry, the company recently launched with a goal of using chocolate as a springboard for developing into a sugar-free snack platform focused on transparency and sustainability.

The brewing industry produces 9 million metric tons of spent grain annually, and rather than discard it, Anheuser Busch InBev-backed ingredient supplier EverGrain is giving the nutrient-rich brewing byproduct a second chance as a food and beverage ingredient.

Plant-based seafood brand New Wave Foods announced this week the close of an $18 million round of funding as the brand prepares to “disrupt an enormous market” with its seaweed-based shrimp alternative. New Wave plans to launch the line later this year.

In this week’s Checkout, plant-based snack brand Outstanding Foods and meal delivery service Thistle close funding rounds; citrus-derived CBD brand Peels secures investment from KarpReilly; and Benford Capital Partners recapitalizes Brothers International Food Corporation.

According to founder Greg Willsey, Los Angeles-based consumer brands holding company Venice Brands has always had a “unique business model,” launching in 2017 with a plan to found and incubate its own brands while also investing in others. But the firm is narrowing its focus, with a plan to outright acquire majority stakes or build out its own companies, such as its latest venture, online CBD marketplace Arrive Market.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) today released its 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). This edition of the guidelines marks the first time the USDA organized its recommendations by life stage, outlining dietary needs from birth to older adulthood, and is the first time since 1985 the USDA has included dietary guidance for infants and toddlers.

Greenjoy CEO and founder Jenny Cawthon announced last week that the superfood dressing and snack brand was closing. The South Carolina-based brand decided to end its eight year run following expensive operational issues at the end of last year compounded by the tepid investment landscape at the beginning of the pandemic.

Israel-based alt-dairy start-up Remilk announced yesterday it has raised $11.3 million to expand production and distribution capabilities of its animal-free proteins in preparation for commercial launch as an ingredient supplier in the U.S. and other global markets.

In the latest distribution news, Outer Aisle adds 2,200 new doors, Hooray Foods debuts its plant-based bacon in Whole Foods, Ithaca Hummus brings four flavors to Sprouts nationwide and Catalina Crunch launches new flavors of its keto-friendly cereal in retail.