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

In this week’s notable new products gallery, TCHO releases Choco Nachos just in time for the Super Bowl, Enzymedica launches its first CPG food product and Oreo hopes to transport consumers’ taste buds to outer space.

From cauliflower-packed puffs to dehydrated fruit-based brittles to freeze-dried salsas, emerging brands are experimenting with ingredients and processing technologies to develop healthier and more sustainable spins on snacks and staples.

With this week’s launch of A2/A2 Whole Milk Shakes, children’s fresh food brand Once Upon a Farm is seeking to fill a gap for no-added-sugar dairy-based pouches targeted at young consumers.

For those of you looking for a variety of levels of investment capital, the frustration was real in 2023. Deals were down. That’s the read from the FABID 2023 Annual Report, which hit our screens yesterday.

In distribution news, Maazah brings its Afghan dizzling sauces to Target, Funky Mello finds its way to Whole Foods Market locations in the Southwest and Supergut dips its toe in retail at Sprouts and Erewhon.

The Winter Fancy Food Show kicked off on Sunday with numerous new products tapping into consumer demand for culinary convenience.

Financial advisory firm Solomon Partners reported its expectations for M&A activity in food and beverage this year with a slow escalation in acquisitions as inflation recedes and the Fed lowers interest rates.

Will Nitze, the founder/CEO of brain health-focused CPG brand IQBAR, shared candid takes on how to scale a food/beverage company, including those on funding (“bootstrapping is the worst thing you can do”), staffing (“how to build a $50M brand with a staff of six”) and retail (“choose channels that scale well).

Half of startups fail within the first five years. How does a founder know when it’s time to move on?

Having helped consumers reimagine one familiar confectionary format with its nut butter cups, Justin’s is again tapping into heightened demand for nostalgic foods with the release of Chocolate Candy Pieces.

As digital tools help to democratize ecommerce for brands both large and small, why can’t influencer marketing be part of that conversation, too? That’s the question being posed by minisocial.

Made by Whole30 meals are free from grains, dairy, added sugar and alcohol.

Condiment and beverage brand Acid League will close its online store at the end of this month, pivoting to focus on the expansion of its international retail line.

Cereal and snack maker Catalina Crunch is looking to a future beyond the keto-friendly category by appointing a seasoned CPG executive as CEO last week and shifting its positioning from diabetic and weight-conscious consumers to the fitness-focused community.