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

Recent trendlines suggest that today’s consumers aren’t as much interested in living long, as much as they are in living well.

Finding the right balance between control and efficiency is one of the toughest decisions founders make as they evolve out of the startup stage. A big part of that centers on production.

The novelty of a “bleeds-like-meat” burger seems to have worn off for consumers, investors and the industry alike. As CPGs at-large turn to formulate with simpler and shorter ingredient decks, the meat alternative category is following along.

There are plenty of emerging dynamics currently reshaping the grocery business… and those dynamics are also changing the ways brands bring products to market.

Frozen baked goods producer Mason Dixie announced today it has launched a new Chicken & Waffle Sandwich at Costco stores across the Midwest, deepening the brand’s partnership with the warehouse club chain.

Watching the latest season of FX’s hit show “The Bear” felt like the CPG industry’s version of a Super Bowl commercial blitz. In between the action of Season 3 was a packed menu of brand deals.

In this week’s notable new products roundup, 5-Hour Energy unveils its caffeinated BBQ sauce, Oat Haus teams up with Ambitious Kitchen, and Fx Chocolate expands its portfolio of protein supplement bars.

Ultra-processed food – the often vilified, rarely defined food category – remains a hot button issue among better-for-you food industry proponents, market researchers and federal regulators. Let’s take a look at the sentiments currently dominating this discussion.

The Simply Good Foods Company reported “slightly better than expected” gross margin and sales growth from the Atkins and Quest Nutrition brands in Q3 amid onboarding the company’s newest brand, OWYN.

During the Wall Street Journal Global Food Forum this week, speakers ranged from government officials to private sector executives and investors who provided a bird’s eye view into key trends and the industry’s response. From our notes, here are some highlights.

On this episode of CPG Week, the team talks about what was seen and tasted at the Summer Fancy Food Show as well Curaleaf’s move into hemp and the uphill battle for functional beverage ingredient kava.

Also in this issue: why ultra-processed foods are making mass headlines, is this the end of the sub-$100 cookout, The Simply Good Food Company earnings recap and Swander Pace invests in Inovata Foods.

We’re still catching our breath – and digesting so many delicious bites – from the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show earlier this week in New York. Here’s another round of trends and notable new products at the event.

General Mills’ Q4 sales decline reflects the company’s struggles with lower volumes and retailer inventory reductions as well as a drop in demand among value-oriented shoppers.