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

From plant-based sushi to salsa starter pouches to fish jerky crunch snacks, there was something for every consumer type at this week’s Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas. The show also saw Bobo’s making its first foray into the protein bar set, Savannah Bee Company and Runamok jumping on the hot honey trend and Wonder Monday launching a single-serve, better-for-you iteration of a classic dessert.

The Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy Food Show returned to the Las Vegas Convention Center with a wave of new product innovations, novel formats in the plant-based alternatives space and growing prominence for outer space aesthetics.

The Washington State Supreme Court has cleared the way for Albertsons to pay out a $4 billion shareholder dividend after it sided with a lower court trial judge in declining the state attorney general’s request to appeal an injunction on Tuesday.

Tara Bosch, the founder of better-for-you candy brand SmartSweets, explained how prioritizing a lean business model in its early development enabled the company to be nimble and outpace its competitors, why its growth strategy is built around “patient urgency” and how the brand’s highly effective social media strategy drives consumers to its retailers.

Global accounting firm Deloitte’s recent 2023 CPG industry outlook reported that profitable growth is the top priority food and beverage brands as they continue to navigate supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty.

Kerry Group announced last week its intention to sell its sweet ingredients portfolio in order to further focus on functional ingredients and innovation in biotechnology for food.

Gluten-free frozen empanada maker COCINA 54 has been acquired by Los Angeles-based food manufacturer Pensieve Foods, founder and CEO Cecilia Panichelli announced in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Digital advertising has become a nightmare for hemp food and beverage brands, regardless of whether or not their products contain CBD.

Baby food maker Cerebelly received the first U.S. patent for food composition that benefits optimal infant neurodevelopment. The recipe includes 16 key nutrients supporting brain health and is in all the brand’s squeezable pouches.

Walmart announced a partnership with Salesforce to help the retailer drive profitability in its delivery and curbside pickup apps. New Age Eats puts pilot production facility up for sale and Beyond Meat sheds another executive.

In this week’s new products roundup, Little Spoon and OSMO Salt celebrate Valentine’s Day early, Partake teams up with Ben & Jerry’s and Pure Organic makes its first foray into the cracker set.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made a small but notable move in nutrition standards this week, raising vitamin D fortification level allowances in cereal while expanding regulation to permit the nutrient’s addition in the bar category.

The NOSH Team considers what food products should truly be called food technology. Later, Lukas interviews Elohi Strategic Advisors founder Stephanie Lind to discuss the successes and failures of plant-based brands in foodservice.

Since introducing its line of dairy-free Cheese Balls last year, vegan snacks company Outstanding Foods has seen sales accelerate. Now, new president Bobbie Turco says the brand is looking to make 2023 its breakout year.