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

In this roundup: KIND is cleared in ‘All-Natural” class action suit, Kashi sued for misleading consumers with pear-filled, strawberry-flavored bars, Kellogg’s served for not putting enough whole grains in crackers and Sabra sued to remove its Kosher mark.

Caliper Holdings co-founder Jeremy Goldstein is stepping down as COO as the company moves into licensing agreement-based business model.

In the latest episode of Elevator Talk, we feature leaders from Spicewell, Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies, Khalsa Salsa and Toasty. Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates. This week’s special co-host is Adam Spriggs, a partner with Thirsty Craft and a founding member of The Angel Group, who shared his thoughts, questions and feedback with the participants.

Alternative protein company Beyond Meat suspended COO Doug Ramsey after the executive was arrested last weekend for allegedly biting another man’s nose.

South African meat snack manufacturer Stormberg Foods has acquired Ayoba Foods in an effort to directly compete against U.S. biltong category leader Stryve.

A California district court judge ruled last week that food manufacturers cannot rely exclusively on QR codes to disclose if their products contain bioengineered ingredients.

Junea Rocha, the co-founder of pioneering Latin food brand Brazi Bites, explained why her advisory network was critical to the company’s formative years, the pros and cons of appearing on “Shark Tank,” why innovative brands need to scale quickly or risk being left behind and why she describes herself as “the opposite” of entrepreneurs that are great at raising money.

Wellness brand and vitamin gummy maker Goli named former Church & Dwight, Kraft Foods and Coca-Cola executive Bruce Weiss as its new CEO earlier this month.

The Plant Based Food Association has created a new nonprofit arm, dubbed the Plant Based Food Institute, to address industry-related policies and effect change along every step in the industry’s value chain.

This week’s smattering of notable new products brings autumn-inspired ice cream sandwiches, a better-for-you iteration of classic Mexican candies and breakfast sausage innovations.

In this week’s roundup: Brazi Bites launches an accelerator programs for Latino business owners, PepsiCo and ADM team up on a new regenerative agriculture initiative, Kroger consolidates its low-price private label lines and Barkley acquires Smiths Agency.

In the natural food world, where sustainability, sourcing practices and nutrient density have become key consumer interests, fresh seaweed is starting to surface.

Our pitch competition for the natural food industry returns to NOSH Live Winter 2022 on December 1 + 2. During the NOSH Live Pitch Slam, leaders from natural food startups have the chance to introduce their brand and showcase the latest trends in the industry.

Vegan meat company Upton’s Naturals is rebranding its Chicago cafe into a “launchpad” for emerging CPG companies to showcase new plant-based food products.