News Roundup: Congress Seeks To Increase Access to Frozen Produce, Motif FoodWorks Launching Foodservice Portfolio
New Bill Could Boost Access to Frozen Goods
The bipartisan Supporting All Healthy Options When Purchasing Produce (SHOPP) Act introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday aims to provide families who use supplemental grocery-buying programs more access to frozen fruits, vegetables and legumes.
The new bill (H.R. 3127), introduced by freshmen Representatives Mark Alford (R -MO) and Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), would amend the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to incentivize frozen produce consumption for SNAP recipients. If passed, it would also broaden the USDA’s Prescription Produce Program from only supporting fresh produce to include frozen fruits and vegetables as well. It would go into effect on March 6, 2024, National Frozen Food Day.
Under the current GusNIP incentive program, SNAP recipients who spend $1 on fresh fruits and veggies get an additional $1 to spend on those products. The SHOPP Act would expand that rewards program to the frozen aisle, Rep. Crockett said in a statement.
“We’ve seen great success from GusNIP, but more needs to be done to ensure this program is accessible in areas with less access to fresh food. For families who live in food deserts like those in Dallas, frozen fruits and veggies are a great alternative to fresh produce – it can last longer and go farther without sacrificing on nutrition,” she said.
The bill is supported by the American Frozen Food Institute. The organization cited a November 2022 study that put U.S. household penetration of frozen produce at 94% with eight out of 10 SNAP-eligible survey respondents agreeing that “frozen fruits and vegetables make it easier to eat more produce, prevent food waste and help save money.”
“The broad inclusion of frozen food in federal government feeding programs can help consumers overcome those barriers and tackle the produce consumption crisis head on,” said AFFI president and CEO Alison Bodor in a press release. “This proposal would enhance USDA’s existing programs and increase access to a variety of healthy food choices for millions of Americans.”
Brands have leaned into a similar type strategy to reach a different demographic of consumers who might not otherwise have access to healthy food products. In 2019, kid’s food brand Once Upon A Farm baby formulated a special line of food purees that met the guidelines for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) allowing it to reach new consumers who otherwise might not shop for the brand’s products.
Motif FoodWorks Launching Plant-Based, Foodservice Products
Boston-based Motif FoodWorks is taking its plant-based pork and beef products to restaurants and foodservice operators.
Ahead of its appearance at the National Restaurant Association Show later this month, the food technology company announced Tuesday it will be launching Motif PorkWorks ground plant-based meat and Motif BeefWorks burger patties and grounds in foodservice later this year.
“Motif answers operators’ desire to meet consumer demand for great-tasting plant-based food by creating alternatives that truly mimic the taste and texture of animal meat,” CEO Michael Leonard said in a press release statement. “We have refined our portfolio of products to meet the needs of foodservice customers and are eager to share samples of what is the new benchmark in plant-based meats at NRA.”
Recently, the plant-based food tech company announced that it was selling its alt-meat burger direct-to-consumer for a limited time, contrary to Motif FoodWorks’s previous statements that it was a B2B ingredient provider and food manufacturer. In February, the company opened its second production facility that was offering its bioprocessing services to other alt-meat makers looking to scale. The company has been embroiled in a drawn-out battle with CPG plant-based brand Impossible Foods over heme-protein patents.
RX3 Closes $150M Fund With List Of High-Profile Celebrity Investors
Private equity firm RX3 Growth Partners, based in Orange County, California, closed a new oversubscribed $150 million fund bringing its total assets under management to $230 million. RX3 closed its first fund constituting $50 million in 2019 and were investors in CPG beverage brands Super Coffee and powdered hydration company Hydrant as well as nutritional shake and bar maker Orgain.
The firm has made a number of investments in other CPG products from pet food and beauty to athletic equipment and clothing brands describing itself as a consumer growth equity firm. Like many other firms, RX3 is seeking investment opportunities in companies with a clear path to profitability with the newly raised capital. The new fund will be “a mix of growth and later-stage investment opportunities across the consumer market” and “seeks to foster authentic relationships where celebrities are stakeholders in a brand’s long-term success.”
Co-founded in 2018 by NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers with Roth Capital institutional wealth managers Byron Roth and Nate Raabe, the firm also lists high-profile celebrities actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens and comedian Kevin Hart as advisors. New investors on this second fund include Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, actor Miles Teller, and recording artists Christina Aguilera and Machine Gun Kelly among others.
