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

In this week’s Checkout: Nuts For Cheese raises $5 million to expand operations and production capabilities; Smallhold opens urban mushroom farming location in Los Angeles; and DouxMatok secures its second partnership for Incredo Sugar.

Mars is partnering with food tech company Perfect Day to launch a new chocolate bar made with animal-free whey protein. The bar, which will be released under a new brand called CO2COA, is the latest chocolate product launch featuring Perfect Day milk protein as the ingredient company tries to push further into the confection set.

In this distribution roundup: Blue Stripes Urban Cacao adds Whole Foods as retail partner; Moonshot Snacks launches nationwide at Target; Vermont Tortilla Company expands to Sprouts; Mary’s Gone ‘Kookies’ roll out to a range of new retailers and more.

There was a wide array of new products present at the Summer Fancy Food Show 2022, with many brands embracing globally-inspired flavors and plant-based iterations of traditional meat products. Checkout the roundup below for a selection of notable new products spotted during the show this week.

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show returned in-person to New York City this week for the first time since 2019. While more limited in its scope, energy and total attendees than mega-shows like Expo West, the biannual event represents an important showcase for CPG brands looking to grow in the specialty food market, which is expected to rise to $185 billion in 2022, according to the SFA State of the Industry report.

Sweet Loren’s CEO and founder Loren Castle announced at NOSH Live Summer 2022 on Wednesday that the better-for-you cookie dough brand will be launching a range of reduced sugar products in Publix next month.

Castle began her presentation by taking audience members on a journey through the history of Sweet Loren’s, which has grown from a frozen cookie dough sold at New York City farmer’s markets in 2011 to a multi-SKU brand of refrigerated cookie dough products available at more than 15,000 stores nationwide. Founded in 2011, Sweet Loren’s was born in Castle’s kitchen as she set out to pioneer a health-conscious sweet treat after beating cancer.

Adaptogenic brownie startup Ruani was crowned the winner of Pitch Slam 12 at NOSH Live Summer 2022 on Tuesday, with founder Anirudh Mamtora taking home bragging rights and a $10,000 industry awareness package.

An eclectic group of six startup food brands (will be moving on to the NOSH Pitch Slam 12 finals tomorrow afternoon to vie for the grand prize of an industry awareness package valued at $10,000.

Jeni’s CEO Announces Departure Speaking on stage during the opening day of NOSH Live Summer 2022 in New York City this morning, John Lowe, CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, announced he will step down from the role after 13 years. Lowe told the audience at the top of his presentation that he has instructed… Read more »

After three years in ecommerce, Magic Spoons grain-free, low-sugar cereals are spilling into retail. The company announced today its top three SKUs – Fruity, Cocoa and Peanut Butter – are rolling out exclusively to Target stores nationwide following the close of a star-studded, $85 million capital raise.

In this week’s Checkout: Everything Legendary and Live Nation announce investment partnership; General Mills invests $3 Million into Eco Harvest; Foster Farms sells to Atlas Holdings and names new CEO; Campbell’s reports Q3 earnings; and SCiFi Foods raises $22 million.

We have a cure for your FOMO. For those of you who can’t make it to NOSH Live Summer 2022 this week in New York City, we will be livestreaming the main stage presentations and Taste Radio Studio interviews this Monday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 14.

After buying out its former investment partner L2M Brands and reorganizing the company under a new name earlier this week, Oregon-based frozen foods brand Crispy Filled Inc. (formerly Rösti) is now preparing to expand its footprint across North America, according to co-founder and CEO Stephen Caldwell. Speaking to NOSH earlier this week, Caldwell said the… Read more »

This week’s new food launches saw brands collaborating with everyone’s favorite baby tree, Groot, launching better-for-you iterations of classic breakfast treats and spicing up the rice category with jalapeño rice cups.