Lukas Southard

An eclectic group of six startup food brands (will be moving on to the NOSH Pitch Slam 12 finals tomorrow afternoon to vie for the grand prize of an industry awareness package valued at $10,000.

In this week’s Checkout: Everything Legendary and Live Nation announce investment partnership; General Mills invests $3 Million into Eco Harvest; Foster Farms sells to Atlas Holdings and names new CEO; Campbell’s reports Q3 earnings; and SCiFi Foods raises $22 million.

A new report by the Specialty Food Association shows that growth in the specialty food market has changed as the pandemic’s evolution over the last two years has brought dramatic price increases and a shift in consumer shopping and eating priorities. The category grew by 7.4% in 2021 as compared to 5.8% in 2020, reaching $175 billion in sales.

In this week’s Checkout: The Very Good Food Company secures capital to keep its doors open; Hormel reports double digit sales increase despite bird flu outbreak and inflationary pressures; and Danone North America commits to Zero Waste to Landfills by 2025.

Industry leaders and investors warned CPG entrepreneurs that brands need to plan for a tighter investment market if they hope to survive in the rapidly changing economic climate at a Wednesday panel discussion hosted by the Naturally Network.

At the Good Food Institute’s “The Business of Alt Protein” webinar on Tuesday, panelists discussed how alternative protein founders can find new investment during a possible economic downturn and the best ways to strategize a food tech startup.

Bioscience company Brightseed has spent years trying to identify bioactive compounds in plants proven to improve human health. Now, the company is ready to monetize its research by investing in a new ingredient manufacturing plant and bringing products to market later this year.

For about three years, the Los Angeles-based Uplifting Results Labs’ consumer brand Muniq has consisted of just a single product: a meal-replacement protein shake. But in a signal the company’s success and growth strategy, Muniq has launched two new products in the last month – Empowerfull Prebiotic Fiber Blend sticks and Muniq Bars – in hopes of reshaping how consumers understand the role of the gut’s microbiome and healthy eating.

There was concern among U.S. egg and poultry producers in January as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began to report cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the eastern half of the country. In 2015, an outbreak of H1N5 strain of bird flu ravaged the industry killing about 43 million egg-laying hens and pullet chickens, according to the agency.

Despite missing earnings by $38.4 million, Blue Apron is confident that a significant investment in brand awareness will expand its reach to new customers. During its first-ever Investor Day presentation on Tuesday, the meal kit company laid out its marketing strategy that will tap consumers interested at-home dining options.