CPG Week Podcast

In this week’s episode, co-hosts Brad Avery and Lukas Southard discuss the knowns and unknowns surrounding Jetty, the upcoming new brand from Poppi’s co-founding husband-and-wife team. They then cover several investments in packaged food and the state of the hemp industry as the December 11 ban approaches. Plus, does protein belong in a White Russian cocktail?

This week on the NOSH Podcast, editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Adrianne DeLuca and Lukas Southard talk about top trends and new tastes they are on the lookout for at the last Natural Products Expo East. The team also discusses the approaches of two new CPG-industry backed investment funds that debuted this past week. While the team travels to Philadelphia, this week we revisited a conversation from NOSH Live Winter 2022 featuring Thrive Market head of merchandising James Ren and Misfits Market senior director of grocery Brandie Miller who breaks down the unique operations of running an online grocery retail platform, merchandising tips and the role of a company mission plays in retail relationships. In this episode: 1:30 – What is The NOSH Podcast team on the lookout for at Expo East? Adrianne is looking for more ancient grain use while Lukas is still focused on the plant-based category, particularly since some brands have closed their doors or reduced workforces in recent weeks. 7:15 – How are two new venture funds approaching CPG investing? Carol dives into the details on Unfold Ventures and Humble Growth’s respective theses and one of the firm’s founding partners has retooled his strategy for food industry investing. 10:55 – Ren and Miller share their opinions about working in ecommerce grocery and the unique value propositions for the respective business models. 17:10 – The ecom retail leaders explain how their respective companies pursue their mission’s for a more sustainable grocery industry and balance that with a unique consumer shopping experience – all the while helping brands succeed on their platforms. 23:50 – How does merchandising work in a digital store? What do ecommerce grocery buyers prioritize more so than brick-and-mortar buyers f? Miller and Ren discuss how the approach often differs online than in conventional and even natural channels. “Something that makes us (Thrive Market) unique is we have a set of values that members can shop by whether thats dietary to sourcing.” -James Ren, Thrive Market head of merchandising “We’re here for when it’s not perfect and we call that a way to access lost revenue that you otherwise wouldn’t see.” -Brandie Miller, Misfits Market senior director of grocery About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, reporter Adrianne DeLuca and editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman drum up some girl dinner alternatives and run down recent legislative and M&A news from the plant-based sector. Later, Adrianne chats with Tony’s Chocolonely Mission Guardian Anne-Wil Dijkstra about why the company put a new corporate structure in place to protect its mission. Dijkstra also provides advice about how emerging impact-driven brands can take steps to secure the success of their own mission. Show Highlights: 01:05: Girl Dinner or Dad Bod Dinner? Hear the NOSH team’s take on the new TikTok trend, how it is showing up on e-commerce platforms and the opportunities they see for CPG brands to latch onto. 07:33: Between the introduction of the PLANT Act to Congress and the sale of Alpha Foods, plant-based industry news has been plentiful this week. The team runs through some highlights of the new legislation and key details about Alpha’s sale. 18:19: It’s been two months since Tony’s Chocolonely implemented an independent, legally binding corporate structure to protect its mission to improve the cocoa supply chain. Anne-Wil explains the motivation behind that effort and how it will evolve as Tony scales its impact. 28:16: Open-sourced processes and ideas are also at the heart of the chocolate maker’s mission. Listen in to hear Anne-Wil’s take on when emerging brands should look to lock in their impact goals and why she believes they can do so even with limited resources. “You need growth to inspire others – for that you need to have a commercially successful business case. It doesn’t have to be “or”… Money is a means to go towards your vision. We need a world with profitable organizations that have a positive impact. That’s how we change the world for the better.” -Anne-Wil Dijkstra About The NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Adrianne DeLuca and Lukas Southard chat about recent news from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding functional food claims. Later, Adrianne sits down with Cynthia Cabrera, chief strategy officer at Hometown Hero CBD, and Bethany Gomez, managing director of The Brightfield Group to talk about the impact of hemp-derived THC has had on the CPG industry and how this unregulated space has contributed to consumer awareness of cannabinoid products. Show Highlights: 07:17: The team breaks down recent news from the FTC, which saw nearly 700 businesses receive warning letters regarding their use of certain functional food claims, and the challenges functional brands could face in the future. 15:24: In the spirit of 4/20, the topic turns to hemp-derived THC compounds including Delta-8 and Delta-9. Cynthia and Bethany talk through the regulatory nuances that have allowed this subset of the hemp space to grow and how the rules vary from those governing marijuana businesses. 21:25: Cynthia and Bethany discuss the implications widespread distribution has had on these products and business and breakdown opportunities for growth – ranging from gas stations to grocery stores to e-commerce. 32:13: The duo then shares their expectations for the upcoming farm bill reauthorization and the conversation centers around ramifications of state level legislation, rather than federal law, that have impacted the overall market’s performance. “Marijuana companies are not sure what to think about the whole hemp-derived THC space. Many of them are up in arms about it and really looking to view it as a threat and are combating against it, and others are viewing it as an opportunity.” – Bethany Gomez “At the time [of the 2018 Farm Bill], nobody knew that a whole other industry could or would crop up — that’s the beauty of innovation. That’s the beauty of an entrepreneurial market. They see an opportunity and they take it. The worst thing that could happen would be anything that tamps that down.”  – Cynthia Cabrera About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s show, the team debriefs on its trip to Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia and then sorts through the news around the White House and FDA’s evolving definition of “healthy.” NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg chats about Amazon’s first Prime Early Access Sale (or PEAS) with Chris Moe, the president and co-founder of the Amazon consulting group Cartograph. The two discuss how brands can utilize the e-commerce giant’s new day-long sale to build more visibility and velocity among potential consumers. In this episode: 00:58: The NOSH team discusses trends they saw among food brands at last week’s Expo East, noting an emphasis on regenerative agriculture claims as well as product innovation versus rebranding and reinvention. Then NOSH reporter Adrianne DeLuca sifts through the FDA’s proposed new food label definition of “healthy”. 07:28: NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg chatted with Cartograph’s Chris Moe about Amazon’s first Prime Early Access Sale happening on October 11. The conversation covers how some seasonal buying trends happen earlier than one might think and finding ways to reach new customers is one of the most important aspects of big e-commerce retail events. About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts