News Roundup: Stonyfield Expands Plant For More Pouches; Taco Bell To Liberate Taco Tuesday

Stonyfield Organics Spends $7M To Make 46M Yogurt Pouches

Stonyfield Organics has set a goal to produce 46 million organic yogurt pouches annually; to do so, it’s spending $7 million to expand its Londonderry, NH production facility by an additional 17,000 sq. ft. The investment marks the second largest plant expansion in the brand’s 40 year history.

“Stonyfield set the standard for organic yogurt pouches many years ago, and they continue to be our most in demand product,” said Bill Cassidy, CEO of Stonyfield Organic, in a press release. “This expansion will accelerate our production of our yogurt pouches and add 35% to our total pouch network to increase accessibility for our consumers.”

According to Stonyfield, the pouches have seen double-digit growth over the past five years and are currently available in 75% of U.S. grocery stores. The Lactalis-owned company aims to continue increasing that footprint following the expansion, which includes more pouch production lines. Stonyfield expects the new lines to be operational by October; this new wing of the facility has been dedicated to the brand’s co-founder, Samuel Kaymen.

Upon the product’s launch in 2013, Stonyfield became the first organic yogurt producer to sell pouches. The format has since taken off within the category and broader on-the-go kid-focused snack space. Between 2015 and 2016, Horizon Organics and kids squeeze-pouch snack maker GoGoSqueeze both entered the organic pouched yogurt set.

However, Stonyfield maintains a leading spot in the category with its extensive lineup that features products positioned for all consumers as well as specifically for kids. The yogurt pouches are made with organic milk, real fruit and contain 14 essential nutrients.

Taco Bell Files Trademark Suit To Liberate Taco Tuesday For All

Taco Bell has taken aim at two small taco joints – New Jersey-based Gregory Hotel Inc. and Wyoming-based Taco John’s Seasonings – seeking to remove their hold on the phrase “Taco Tuesday.” The fast food giant filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last week requesting that the agency review marks and “liberate” the use of the phrase for all.

“Taco Bell believes “Taco Tuesday” should belong to all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos,” the company said in a press release. “In fact, the very essence of “Taco Tuesday” is to celebrate the commonality amongst people of all walks of life who come together every week to celebrate something as simple, yet culturally phenomenal, as the taco. How can anyone Live Más if they’re not allowed to freely say “Taco Tuesday?” It’s pure chaos.”

Alongside the petitions, Taco Bell launched an advertising campaign, enlisting the help of NBA star LeBron James, to repeatedly say the phrase while bleeping out the word “Tuesday”. According to the company, it is not seeking damages or transferral of the phrase’s ownership, rather “common sense for usage of a common term.”

Taco Bell is relying on the generic use of the phrase to win its appeal with the USPTO.

“I’m just sitting back and watching it. It’s unbelievable the effort [Taco Bell is] putting into this,” Gregory Gregory, co-owner of the Gregory Hotel, told Law360. “I cannot for the life of me understand why it’s so important to them.”

Target Faces Backlash For Pulling Back On Pride Month Products

Retail giant Target came under fire this week when it announced it would reevaluate its Pride Month-related in-store activations and products while citing its commitment to protect the safety of staff members. The company said it has offered an assortment of Pride Month-celebrating products for more than a decade and remains committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.

“Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” the company said in a statement. “Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”

The company did not specify how many or which products would be removed from shelves, though numerous reports point toward an apparel line as the source of the confrontational consumer behaviors. Either way, the move has put the retailer at the center of broader conversations with media outlets and consumers drawing comparisons between the recent controversy surrounding Bud Light.

Lexington Bakes founder and CEO, Lex Evans, took to LinkedIn while appealing to Target to reconsider the move. The Queer and non-binary CPG founder said when he was 16 years old working at Target was his first job and said the workplace served as “a safe space for me back then.”

“Please consider the message you are sending by giving in to hate,” Evans wrote in the post. “When you move your Pride merch from the front to the back in response to hate, you are telling Queer youth to be ashamed and to hide. When you censor parts of your Pride merch you tell Queer and Trans youth assimilation is the only path to acceptance.”

SNAC International Releases 2023 State of The Industry Report

Snacks have captured 27% of all CPG food and beverage sales in the U.S., according to a new report released by trade association SNAC International this week, created in partnership with Circana (previously IRI) and Sosland Publishing. The snack industry itself employs 395,000 individuals and generated $11 billion in U.S. tax revenue last year.

“I am especially proud of the work to define the economic impact of the snack industry”, said Christine Cochran, CEO of SNAC International, in a press release. “This report provides valuable insights and strategic guidance to support industry stakeholders. As the industry undergoes rapid changes and consumers seek healthier, more sustainable snacking options, it is crucial for businesses to stay informed and adapt to emerging trends.”