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

Ahead of the relaunch of a “completely renovated” plant-based product portfolio, Alpha Foods announced today it has been acquired by LIVEKINDLY Collection (LKC).

How does the government create a research-driven, farmer-centric plant-based food industry ecosystem that supports its own growth through consistent supply and demand? That’s the task the The Peas, Legumes, and Nuts Today (PLANT) Act is looking to tackle.

This month, we’re introducing two Insider-only Community Calls where we’ll dive into financial insights with a CPG investor and talk with Thrive Market about how the retailer curates brand partners.

In this week’s notable new products roundup, Lesser Evil goes to infinity and beyond through a new partnership with Toy Story, Sauz seeks to usher in a new generation of pasta sauce options and Second Nature launches a set of globally-inspired trail mix.

Mondelēz notched a better-than-expected second quarter with net revenue jumping 17%, driven by a 15.8% increase in organic revenue growth.

In this episode: the team advocates for year-round pumpkin spice, runs through key grain and sugar trends spotted at IFT First and discusses Perfect Day’s presence at the show. Later, Chubby Snacks talks about how building the business, and working in it, had a positive impact on both team building and the bottom line.

Whole Foods Market released its 61-page 2022 Impact Report on Tuesday, offering a detailed account of how the natural grocery chain has continued to reach its sustainability goals.

Frozen food company Counter is building its brand around macro-friendly meals by tapping into the community of content creators who follow the trend for both recipe development and investment.

Appropriately named Actual Veggies has flipped a portion of its burgers over to frozen this month, landing in Whole Foods stores nationwide. That shift – from its original fridge case placement to the freezer aisle – also comes with an updated brand identity and a box format better suited for the frozen set.

Following a limited test, Kraft Heinz is starting the nationwide rollout of its first Philadelphia brand plant-based spread in Original, Strawberry and Chive & Onion varieties.

Pasta Rummo, which touts itself as the first pasta worldwide with a third-party “al dente” certification, has gone national with Whole Foods Market. Consumers can now find the brand’s 11 classic and gluten-free pastas at the retailer, including its Shells and Mezzi Rigatoni, which are exclusive to WFM through the end of this year.

In this week’s notable new products roundup, Goodles celebrates National IPA Day with a new flavor launch, One Stripe Chai Co. introduces its first coffee product and Confetti Snacks unveils new mandarin orange “chips.”

Venture firm Brynwood Partners announced today it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Marie’s salad dressing brand and Dean’s Dip businesses from Ventura Foods, LLC, as well as the Thornton, Illinois facility where the products are manufactured. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

This week on the NOSH Podcast, the co-founders of Every Body Eat discuss inclusivity in snacking and food manufacturing. Also, the team discusses THC-infused snack brand knockoffs, CPG food products cashing in on popular entertainment properties and the WHO’s ruling on artificial sweetener aspartame.