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?

On this episode, CPG Week co-hosts Brad Avery and Lukas Southard take a quick hit from the juice shots category on the news that functional brand Sol-ti raised a new tranche of capital. After exploring if shots have a ceiling, the team discusses how the meal kit category is increasingly relying on celebrity chefs to build brands, a new app for UPF-averse consumers and C4’s new beer-flavored energy drink.

This week, BevNET CPG Media senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard get jacked talking about protein, exploring Beyond’s expansion into new protein formats and the whey supply shortage. Later in the show, the hosts discuss Battle Bars’ rebrand, energy brand Echelon’s new strategy and a legal dispute between Big Food and Big Sugar.

This week, the podcast tackles a series of M&A deals from Goodles’ recent acquisition by Barilla, a renewed partnership between Keurig Dr Pepper and Chobani, Nestlé’s divestments and Peter Rahal’s big news week.

In this episode: No more blue tongues or Flamin’ Hot Cheetos fingers? On this episode, the CPG Week podcast dives into the recent FDA/HHS directive to remove synthetic food dyes from food and beverages. The podcast team discusses the feasibility of the plan and how it could complicate food manufacturing. Show Highlights: 0:30 – Monica explains the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Services’ new directive for manufacturers to voluntarily phase out the use of eight synthetic food dyes by the end of 2026. 2:30 – The group discusses why the proposed timeline for banning these food dyes might be too aggressive for many larger food companies. 5:30 – Pivoting to natural sources will not only force consumers to adjust to a new visual norm but will require a heavy lift for supply chain sourcing. 9:00 – Even as industry groups debate the feasibility and necessity for the directive, the podcast team talks about how many countries and states have already started the process of phasing out these synthetic dyes in the interest of public health. About CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

  In this episode: This week, the podcast team is turning its attention to how small brands are navigating tariff turmoil. The CPG Week podcast hosts talked with several food and beverage founders about the issues most pressing for their respective businesses amid the rapidly changing environment. From pulling back on trade spend to changing packaging solutions and tariff-related spring sales, emerging brands are getting creative in how they plan to survive a potentially protracted period of import taxes. Show Highlights: 0:30 – Is Pirate’s Booty on its way back to its founder Rob Ehrlich? At the moment, the brand appears to be staying under Hershey ownership, but Ehrlich continues his nearly two-year campaign hinting that it will be back in the Vegan Rob’s portfolio. 4:15 – Tariffs are all the rage right now, but how are small food and beverage brands dealing with added costs? Senior reporter Brad Avery explained what Just Ice Tea founder Seth Goldman said about his company’s moves to ease the burden of new import taxes. 7:00 – The dynamic nature that tariffs have been announced to the public has caused not only uncertainty but also a fear that demand shock will cause prices to rise steeply. 10:30 – Packaging is a major concern for CPG entrepreneurs because much of it comes from China, which is facing over 100% tariffs currently. For many brands, pivoting to a domestic supplier is not available, leaving limited options to counter elevated costs. 14:00 – There are only so many ways to squeeze cost-savings out of a startup’s supply chain, especially when many of these costs are being felt weeks or months after orders were made. About CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: Hot honey, hot pink totes and hot takes. The CPG Week team is back from Anaheim and ready to discuss all the new things they saw at the yearly Natural Products Expo West show. From bubbling trends to maturing categories, the podcast hosts discuss protein popping up in everything, meat snacks, a further distancing from seed oils, next-gen sodas and the surprising innovation tasted within the convention halls. Show Highlights: 0:30 – BevNET has launched its latest platform, Nombase, a centralized hub for the CPG industry with resources like a directory of over 10,000 brands and partners, job boards and a new place to post important company announcements. 2:15 – The team jumps into its Expo West recap discussing “Big Kefir,” protein snacks and surprising (and unsurprising) brand collaborations. 9:30 – Senior reporter Brad Avery talks about saturation of the better-for-you soda set and his impressions of Perfy’s Pepperoni Pizza and Cherry Cola flavors. 12:00 – The CPG Week hosts share what they heard from stakeholders about the impact of tariffs, supply chain issues and inflation they are expecting this year. 16:30 – One hot take being echoed in the wake of Expo West was a lack of innovation on the floor. The podcasters share the best innovations they tasted including candy-flavored dates, new bao buns and instant scrambled egg cups. About CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts