Meagan McGinnes

On Sunday, some of the industry’s biggest brands got into the April Fool’s Day spirit, announcing the launch of everything from trendy new flavors to line extensions that we all wished for, or rather, winced thinking about.

From booming seasonal chocolate sales to synergies between retailers proving effective, here is this week’s lineup of natural food news.

Numerous companies including Nothin’ But, Grainful and The Jackfruit Company used Expo West as their own red carpet to highlight recent rebrands. While at the show, the NOSH team spoke with these companies to hear about their new looks and the motivations behind them.

On Monday, Senate majority leader and long-time hemp advocate Mitch McConnell announced he plans to introduce a bill to legalize industrial hemp as an agricultural product. If passed, the bill could have major implications for the natural food industry.

Last year, the specialty condiment and fruit spread purveyor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a jury found they violated the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act. But by streamlining and strengthening their business both operationally and financially, the company is seeing growth.

The Denver-based flour supplier announced earlier this month the launch of its new business unit, The Annex, which is a 15-person team dedicated to providing food companies and foodservice operators with “next” grains and plant-based ingredients. The goal for the “company within a company” is to establish itself as a thought leader and problem-solver in the grain market.

From private supplier meetings and investment news to insights and advice coming out of the retail and ecommerce conference, ShopTalk, this issue of The Checkout takes a closer look at the news around the retail outlets themselves.

With products ranging from fun to functional, here is the latest in natural food distribution news.

Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to better understand how your retailers are faring in the online space or a retailer looking to up your digital game, here are four main takeaways about the state of U.S. digital grocery, according to L2 researchers.

During Natural Products Expo West 2018, Senior Reporter Meagan McGinnes spoke with five-time CrossFit Games athlete Lauren Fisher about her work as a brand ambassador with Lesser Evil. Watch the video to learn about what attributes she looks for in snacks and what she thinks natural brands need to do in order to be noticed by functional fitness consumers.