Monica Watrous

A class action lawsuit filed in New York federal court claims David Protein significantly understates the calories and fat content in its protein bars. David maintains the accuracy of its labeling.

Sprouts Farmers Market has announced several changes to its leadership team, naming experienced retail hands Don Clark as chief merchandising officer and Amanda Rassi as chief customer officer. Clark succeeds Scott Neal, who will be retiring from the company.

While protein-packed breakfast items flooded the show floor at Natural Products Expo West, a quieter trend was hiding in plain sight: vegetables. A handful of brands at the show debuted morning staples – from pancakes to toaster pastries to oat bars – that sneak produce into the first meal of the day.

Recently acquired Japanese-style condiment brand Bachan’s has partnered with two legacy companies with deep roots in Asian cuisine for a pair of special releases.

Tart, tangy and unapologetically sour flavors abounded at Natural Products Expo West, where exhibiting companies leaned into puckery profiles and fermented twists across a number of categories.

The growing backlash against processed seed oils has fueled a resurgence in traditional cooking fats. Fatworks, a family-owned operation in Colorado and longtime defender of rendered fat, has been waiting for this for well over a decade.

Attendees at Natural Products Expo West spotted white box trucks encircling the Anaheim Convention Center on Tuesday featuring the protein bar purveyor’s branding and a cartoonishly muscular cow alongside an image of an ice cream pint and its nutritional highlights: 30 grams of protein, 260 calories and 2 grams of sugar. (Unclear if that’s for the pint or one serving.)

Xochitl is transitioning its full portfolio of thin and crispy tortilla chips to be made with avocado oil amid rising demand for seed oil-free foods. The brand, owned by private equity firm Forward Consumer Partners, is marking the reformulation with redesigned packaging that features new color blocking to better stand out on shelf.

Harken Sweets, armed with new capital from Selva Ventures, is readying a major retail expansion with Kroger, adding roughly 2,000 doors and bringing its total retail footprint to around 7,500 stores.

Protein bar maker Mezcla has closed a $9.5 million Series B funding round led by Bluestein Ventures, with participation from Santatera Capital, Grupo DMI, Lever VC, Habitat Partners, Tonic Ventures and Steve Platt, former chief executive of BrightFarms and Icelandic Provisions.