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

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.

At NOSH Live Winter 2022 on December 1 and 2 in Santa Monica, we’ll hear from Yasso CEO Craig Shiesley about how the frozen novelty company grew from a regional business to a national category leader, with over $200 million in annual retail sales.

Food companies and makers are finding varied success marketing functional ingredients and wellness-oriented products to consumers shopping in the better-for-you snacks and sweets categories.

Chitra Agrawal, the founder and CEO of Brooklyn Delhi, a brand of Indian-inspired pantry staples crafted for modern kitchens, spoke about why consumer education requires patience, how she leveraged the brand’s strengths to win over Whole Foods and why profitability has always been top of mind. She also explained how she created favorable contracts with co-manufacturers and how an omni-channel sales strategy has benefited the company.

Toronto-based food brand Wholly Veggie has launched a new three-SKU entree line, ‘The Good Lunch,’ at Whole Foods Market and Sprouts stores nationwide, marking the brand’s first foray into frozen entrees.