Erin Cabrey

Plant-based dressing and condiment maker Mother Raw announced today the closing of a $6.1 million funding round to fuel the Toronto-based brand’s U.S. distribution growth as well as new sales and marketing initiatives. The round was led by new investors Forage Capital Partners and Export Development Canada (EDC), with participation from existing investor Whitecap Venture Partners.

In this week’s Checkout, Ahold Delhaize and Centerbridge partners acquire FreshDirect; Farmstead raises $7.9 million to fuel its East Coast expansion; and Unilever announces its “Future Foods” initiative to support plant-based eating and reduce its environmental impact.

Elite Sweets hit the sweet spot with its keto-friendly protein donuts, winning NOSH Pitch Slam 9 as the judges saw a strong opportunity for the brand in its better-for-you take on a popular indulgent snack.

Fruit jerky brand Watermelon Road has been sold and will now operate under new ownership, founder Jamie Melzer announced last week. The brand, winner of NOSH Pitch Slam 4, will now be helmed by new owner and CEO Cortney Rhodes, with Melzer remaining on as a consultant but stepping away from day-to-day operations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Roughly three years after it invested in the upstart brand, snack company Mars Incorporated announced today that it had acquired KIND Snacks. Mars previously placed a minority investment in KIND, a deal which gave Mars the rights to “lead the growth of the business” outside of the US and Canada.

In this week’s Checkout, Beyond Meat reports Q3 earnings and addresses confusion around a possible McDonald’s partnership, food industry groups pen a letter to the White House asking for COVID-19 vaccine priority and JADA Brands scores a deal on Shark Tank.

Veggie noodle and rice maker Cece’s Veggie Co. has sold its Austin, Texas manufacturing plant to Fresh Texas, a produce and plant-based meal solution provider, as the brand shifts its manufacturing strategy to regional production amid a push to diversify its product portfolio.

According to a 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the food system is responsible for about 21% to 37% of total greenhouse gas emissions — resulting from all parts of the production process from agriculture and land use to packaging, storage and transportation. Betting on consumers’ increased desire for transparency in the items they buy, some brands and marketplaces are working to help educate shoppers about the carbon impact of their purchases, providing clarity to a previously opaque part of the industry.

In this week’s Checkout, Election Day sees support for hemp advocates and legislation, the USDA expands SNAP access to online shopping to more retailers and B&G Foods reports its Q3 earnings and previews 2021 innovation.

After a rebrand and expansion into savory snacks earlier this year, direct-to-consumer keto brand Schoolyard Snacks has raised $5 million in a Series A funding round from Lyra Growth Partners as it builds out a platform of “old school snacks made the new way.”