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

More news from the Summer 2023 Fancy Food Show floor, including interviews with snack brand Zesty Z, alt-dairy cheese brand RIND by Dina & Joshua, upcycled food brand Matriarch Foods and condiment line We Love You.

BBQ, Sweet Curry, Truffle and plenty of other spices coated some of the most exciting new snacks spotted at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. From Rufus Teague’s new BBQ seasoned nuts to Pop Daddy Thai Honey Curry pretzels, it’s safe to say bold flavors were not in short supply.

Cold brew brand Lucky Jack has been acquired by private label manufacturer Magnum Coffee Roastery earlier this year for an undisclosed amount. Magnum has added Lucky Jack’s high-caffeine extraction IP, facility, products and manufacturing capabilities as part of the deal.

Private equity firm Keen Growth Capital is putting all of its eggs (or condiments) in one chef’s basket, announcing at this week’s SFA Summer Fancy Food show the consolidation of its tomato sauce, dressing and mayo lines under a new unified brand, Colicchio Kitchen, featuring chef Tom Colicchio.

A new $23 million VC fund is seeking scalable, early-stage, sustainable protein-focused startups to back. Launched by Joyful Ventures, the fund is specifically looking to invest in B2B businesses that have the ability to deploy multiple revenue streams and support the growing infrastructure needs of the alt-protein category.

Hot off the closing of its IPO on the Nasdaq Capital Market last week, Oregon-based dehydrated produce snacks maker BranchOut Food Inc. is expanding its business with new distribution and a U.S. Army contract to aid in the production of MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat).

In this week’s roundup of notable new products, Daily Crunch and Beehive look for inspiration from the popular flavor pickle, and Banza launches what the brand says is its most requested pasta shape. 

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.