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

Over the last three years, Simpli has established ingredient partnerships with Whole Foods, sweetgreen and Daily Harvest, among many other natural products players. But now, the company is taking significant strides toward establishing its own brand in the natural food space.

Winter hibernation may be over, but New York-based startup Folk Revival is taking a cue from the squirrels with its line of hot cereal cups featuring a healthy serving of acorn. Founded in 2021 by CEO David Cantor, Folk Revival is a line of grain-free hot cereal cups made with hemp, nuts, coconut and, its hero ingredient, acorns.

With snacks trending upward and vertically-integrated supply chains becoming increasingly appealing to large corporations amid continued market volatility, The Hershey Company is doubling down on both.

Plant-based frozen novelty brand GoodPop announced it will expand the reach to Walmart stores in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest regions this month.

In this week’s roundup: Bel Group partners with food tech company Climax Foods; Farm.One reopens doors with a new investor, Fresh Thyme launches ecommerce platform and more.

In this week’s notable new products roundup, HelloFresh teams up with Marvel to create hero-inspired meal kits, Banza expands its mac & cheese offerings and Siggi’s celebrates summer early with the rerelease of its seasonal Guava flavor.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned around 670 companies to stop making unsubstantiated product claims or face the prospect of steep civil penalties.

As the market for plant-based seafood outpaces the overall meat alternatives category, The Plant Based Seafood Co. – maker of Mind Blown – is setting sail for national expansion this year with new innovation and a focus on foodservice.

On this week’s show Charles Coristine, president and CEO of Lesser Evil Snacks, discusses how the brand approached raising funds as the fed lifted interest rates and what areas of the business he prioritizes during economic uncertainty.

After previously investing in the cultured meat company Believer Meats, Archer Midland Daniels has entered a new partnership with the Israel-based food tech company to help develop and commercialize cell-cultured protein products.

The alt-dairy industry has staked a claim among nearly a third of American consumers and within that new wave of plant-based milks, a handful of brands are hoping to disrupt conventional thinking around how such products are packaged and sold.

Though still just a small fraction of the total plant-based meat and seafood category, plant-based seafood dollar sales increased by 15% and unit sales grew 5% in 2022, outpacing total plant-based meat sales, according to a new report by the Good Food Institute and the Plant Based Food Association.

Personalized nutritional supplement company Gainful is branching out from DTC with a national launch in Target featuring a simplified customization process to reach retail customers both online and in-store.

Italian food importer, distributor and producer Colavita has acquired California-based O Olive Oil & Vinegar for $6.23 million, giving Colavita another foothold in the domestic olive oil and wine vinegar category.