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

Algae Cooking Club launched earlier this year and immediately began to make waves in the industry and online. But, despite the rising popularity of macroalgae – a group that includes seaweed, sea moss, kelp and other ocean-hailing ingredients – in food and beverage products, Algae Cooking Club (ACC) identifies with a completely separate group.

In this episode, the team discusses industry pranks and the controversy surrounding various sweeteners, including allulose and erythritol.

The latest episode of Elevator Talk features leaders from Xinca Foods, Jolly Moss, Doughpamine, Nebula Snacks and S’NOODS. Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates. Our special co-host is Mike Fata, the founder of Manitoba Harvest, who shared his thoughts, questions and feedback with the participants.

Many brands took to this year’s Expo West to highlight rebrands and packaging refreshes across existing products and formats. Check out this gallery for the fresh new looks.

Growth equity firm SEMCAP Food & Nutrition has paid $68 million for a “significant” minority stake in plant-based protein brand ALOHA.

Yellow pea-powered pantry staple brand ZenB has grown its lineup to span pastas, sides and snacks with a single legume as its North Star. The brand has quickly innovated and entered new categories – but how does it decide what comes next?

Evergreen talked to Nosh about its packaging rebrand and reformulated better-for-you breakfast products as it sheds its identity of being a health food brand and positions with flavor first towards more conventional consumers.

From butter boards and exotic flavors to premium $11 Les Pres Sales Sea Salt Camargue butter and refrigerated ghee sticks, there’s been plenty of buzz coming out of the solid cooking fats category.

Continuing with our Expo West 2024 coverage, here’s a look at some of the hottest new products and trends that we spotted on the show floor last week, including Lessr Evil’s better-for-you take on Funyuns, Icelandic Provisions’ collection of alt-dairy skyr, and much more.

With its launch of shelf-stable aiolis, Haven’s Kitchen is set to expand into new retail channels, including online grocery.

More takeaways from Expo West including more Canadian snack companies looking to expand their footprint in the U.S. and details on Kevin’s Natural Foods moving into the frozen aisle after its 2023 sale to Mars.

In this capital-constrained environment, startups are tapping conventional options as well as celebrities, consumers and distributors to rake in extra cash.

As the plant-based alternative segment has matured, a handful of brands have tried to cross category lines and TiNDLE is the latest challenger.

Los Angeles-based startup ChiChi Foods is harnessing the power of the chickpea to create a higher-protein replacement for traditional oatmeal.