Nosh Staff

This week, the podcast team explores the uphill battle for industrial hemp food and beverage brands as individual states enact restrictions, a juice category merger and the growing snack portfolio of Our Home.

Each year, Nosh recognizes packaged food industry companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas, and trends through our annual Best Of awards show, presented at our two-day Nosh Live conference. This year, the winners will be announced on December 5 in Marina del Rey, CA.

Late last week, CEO Ethan Brown announced the company will soon roll out a whole muscle cut, plant-based steak. As consumers cite the segment’s over-processed nature, could Beyond’s embrace of healthfulness inject a panacea into its challenged profit margins?

In this week’s new products roundup, Myna made its first foray outside of the cookie set, Wenzel’s expanded its portfolio of smoked meat snacks, and Bubbies, Chamberlain Coffee and McConnell’s jumped on the pumpkin spice bandwagon.

On the episode of CPG Week, the team discusses the social chatter around Foxtrot’s reopening, insights from the first Newtopia Now and the state of the non-alcoholic wine category.

This month, explore how Walmart’s Open Call program helps brands get on shelves, gain updates and strategies from Whole Foods Market, learn how Mazaah got Target’s attention, and dive into current functional ingredient trends with Bristol Farms. Our September calls are free and open to the public – just register in advance and mark your calendar.

In this week’s notable new products roundup, Pilgrim’s creates a savory twist on what has become a first birthday tradition, TABASCO launches its first Mexican-style hot sauce, and Seal the Seasons debuts its Blue Spirulina Tropical Smoothie Kit after nearly a year’s worth of R&D.

A recent Linkedin post penned by an executive of online distribution platform Pod Foods ignited a passionate discussion about the limited routes to market for emerging brands and whether things might be changing for the better… or worse. Taste Radio’s hosts have their say on the matter.

On the episode of CPG Week, the team conducts a wide-ranging, mid-year quiz related to some of the quirkier elements of the industry this year.

Also in this issue: Albertsons Argues For Merger in Ore. Court; Stuffed Puffs to Close Pa. Facility; New School Closes On $6M Investment; Ardent Mills Grows Colorado Facility; and Whole Foods Announces Latest LEAP Cohort.