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

As consumers increasingly lean into food-away-from-home occasions and plant based producers look for ways to differentiate and diversify their businesses, foodservice has emerged as an essential channel.

Seth Rogen is the latest Hollywood name looking to be a part of your morning cup with Houseplant Coffee, a collaborative venture announced this morning between the actor’s Houseplant brand and frozen coffee capsule platform Cometeer.

In this week’s notable new products roundup, Elmhurst 1925 announces the release of its first food product, Streusli brings its granola into new eating occasions and Good Girl Snacks releases Hot Girl Pickles.

Boston-based Jaju Pierogi has slowly built a “grassroots” brand and in the process learned the ups-and-downs of getting bigger and carving out a niche in the frozen dumpling category.

Alter Eco has shifted hands once again. Today, Texas-based investment firm Trek One Capital announced it has acquired the Fair Trade, regenerative confections and pantry staples producer. The deal closed on December 22, and terms were not disclosed.

When Norma Chu founded DayDayCook in 2012, the Hong Kong-based company was simply an online recipe sharing platform. Twelve years later, with Chu still at the helm as CEO, it’s become a publicly traded global CPG portfolio business specializing in Asian food brands.

Instacart is facing a pair of lawsuits from disgruntled shareholders seeking to recover damages for losses incurred after the online shopping platform allegedly knowingly exaggerated its growth prospects.

M&A activity continues to accelerate. This morning we are bringing you updates on the changing snack landscape as Our Home expands its platform with tried-and-true Utz Brand muscle. Additionally we run down news that distressed salad dressing maker Tessemae’s has found a new home and share details on a growing pasta platform.

The co-founders of Singing Pastures Farm talked to Nosh about bringing the message of regeneratively farmed and pasture-raised pork to the meat snacks category.

Despite touting fiscal year 2023 as its “best year ever” with record gross profit dollar growth of $2.2 billion, Mondelez International will continue raising prices on some of its products in 2024 to combat cocoa inflation.

In the latest episode of Elevator Talk, we feature leaders from Harken Sweets, Rotten, Soom Foods and Philosopher Foods. Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates. This week’s special co-host is Wade Yenny, the vice president of center store for The Fresh Market, who shared his thoughts, questions and feedback with the participants.

California-based FreshRealm announced this morning it had acquired the U.S. operational assets and supply chain infrastructure of global meal kit provider Marley Spoon for $24 million.

CPG industry veteran Craig Dubitsky launched today a new coffee brand called happy products that seeks to pair a philanthropic mission and unique business structure with the clout of a recognizable face to compete in the $17 billion coffee category.

Aiming to put a troubled period behind it, meal kit maker Blue Apron is embracing a leaner business model in 2024 that prioritizes flexibility and accelerates innovation targeted at consumers’ growing interest in convenient, clean label offerings.