Food Industry News, Insights, and Education for the CPG Community

Some of the world’s largest food companies have been quick to set sustainability goals aimed at 2030 – or worse, 2050 – but are slower in taking much-needed action. Startups are driving innovation, but the pressure to scale still creates a tension. Here are three ways we can all begin to help bridge the gap.

On this week’s show, the team airs grievances about the lack of natural product emojis, runs down some ice cream deals and discusses the impact of pouched products on Stonyfield’s business. Later, Carol and Jeff rehash key takeaways from BevNET Live including how investors are assessing growth and how brands can use their online identity to generate insights.

If your grandma’s homemade cookies were packed with gluten free, clean label and adaptogen ingredients, they might taste something like Toto — or so the brand hopes.

After a three-year financial rollercoaster, Ample Hills is right back where it started as: a family-run, small business. The ice cream company, which was sold in 2020 as part of a bankruptcy process, was acquired by its original owners, Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna.

Family-owned breakfast cereal and snack brand Nature’s Path acquired fellow Canadian, CPG brand Love Child Organics in a bid to increase Nature’s presence in the toddler and kid-positioned food categories.

RollinGreens has expanded its retail footprint through partnerships with Sprouts, Walmart, Raley’s and Safeway & Albertsons banners in a continued effort to become a category leader in the shelf-stable, plant-based meat space. The new distribution gains bring the brand’s total store count to 4,300.

Drive-up grocery store Addie’s has closed its doors, at least temporarily. The retailer’s website has been taken down and founder Jim McQuade told NOSH that Addie’s has “paused” its operations as of Friday.

Tony’s Chocolonely has tapped into its existing shareholder base to raise $21.8 million that will see the organization accelerate the growth of its mission, brand and B2B business. The round saw participation from majority shareholder Verlinvest, investment firm Jam Jar and holding company Genuine Chocolate, among others.

When Stonyfield became the first organic yogurt producer to put its product into pouches a decade ago, Cassidy claims both parental preferences and the Stonyfield business began to evolve.

In this week’s roundup of notable new products, Partners Coffee releases its first summer blend, Brightland teams up with A Dozen Cousins to launch a seasoning sauce designed for summer grilling and BelliWelli expands its lineup of gut-friendly snack bars.

Frozen novelty brand Yasso announced today it will be acquired by global conglomerate Unilever in a deal that is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Justin Pearson joins the NOSH Podcast this week to talk about how and when the First Amendment and the Constitution protects brands against food labeling regulations.

United Natural Foods (UNFI) will consolidate its four operating regions to three in an effort to “enhance profitability, speed decision-making and reduce administrative layers,” the company announced on Tuesday. Though the move shakes up UNFI’s business operations, the company said it does not believe the move will have a significant impact on brands and suppliers.

The USDA announced plans to revise the guidelines for animal-raising claims providing more consumer transparency and oversight for label callouts like “grass fed,” “pasture raised,” “hormone-free” or “antibiotic-free.”