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

Cambridge, Mass-based Formaggio Kitchen has been providing specialty and imported goods to the Boston area since 1978. As the store expanded beyond its flagship location it has also brought a range of new products and categories into its mix. When the original owners retired last year, they sold the business to long-time employee and general manager, Julia Hallman.

Frozen Chinese food maker Xiao Chi Jie received a capital infusion of $21 million just over three months after the company had announced a previous raise of $10 million.

This week the team dishes out some hot takes on condiments and give an update on some recent divestments and sales resulting from supply chain struggles. Later, we hear from Adam Spriggs, founder of The Angel Group.

Wrestling with debt and litigation, down to a small fraction of its workers, its two factories shuttered, condiment company Tessemae’s announced today it will voluntarily file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to restructure the company.

Mondelez is gearing up for continued double-digit inflationary headwinds in 2023, aiming to hedge against what it believes are misguided projections that input and operating costs will begin to decline this year.

Today we welcome a familiar face to our full-time staff. Melissa Traverse, a former BevNET colleague who rejoined the team as the Director of Community to take the lead on engagement with our growing community.

A new generation of AAPI owned and operated startup brands have launched online and in-store recently, sporting premium and better-for-you versions of products that look to reclaim the heritage of and rebuke stereotypes about Asian cultures and Asian foods. With vibrant, modern branding and messaging and an emphasis on authentic flavor, brands have emerged to sell new takes on classics.

Acknowledging issues within its existing system, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking to reimagine its food program through an agency-wide restructuring, per a letter published by Commissioner Robert Califf earlier today.

After announcing the launch of a new investment fund in May 2022, Washington, D.C.-based Union Kitchen has laid off its sales and marketing team as part of a corporate reorganization.

Kansas City, Missouri-based digital health and ecommerce platform Free From Market announced last week it has closed a $2.1 million seed funding round to expand its reach within healthcare, specifically the managed care channel. Looking to extend patient care beyond clinic walls, FFM takes a ‘food is medicine’ approach.

James Beard award-winning chef Stephanie Izard spoke about the origins of her globally inspired consumer brand This Little Goat, how taste and accessibility guide its thoughtful product and marketing strategy, why the company turned to self-manufacturing and how she became more comfortable as the primary spokesperson for her restaurants and brand.

In this distribution roundup: Mighty Yum brings its plant-based lunch packs to Hungryroot and c-stores; Laoban launches frozen dumplings at Whole Foods nationwide; Yasso expands into the drug channel with CVS; and more.

Unilever has appointed former H.J. Heinz executive Hein Schumacher to lead the CPG company effective July 1 reaffirming the multinational company’s commitment to its food brands.

Ultimately the holding company plans to have four entities in the company’s portfolio, two of which are already accounted for: egg white-based chip company Quevos and supplement and energy drink brand ProSupps.