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

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pocket Latte co-founder and CEO Chris Young took to LinkedIn to open up about the “prejudicial hurdles and preconceived notions,” his founding team has faced as “perceived foreigners” in the chocolate category.

Bioscience company Brightseed has spent years trying to identify bioactive compounds in plants proven to improve human health. Now, the company is ready to monetize its research by investing in a new ingredient manufacturing plant and bringing products to market later this year.

As leading mass retail chains Walmart and Target face excess inventory and margin pressures amid high inflation, food and beverage emerged as one of the strongest CPG sectors during the retailers’ Q1 earnings reports last week. How Did Mass Retailers Perform in Q1? Walmart grew global revenue 2.4% to $141.6 billion in its Q1 of… Read more »

The past two years have been arduous for most food brands — but it’s also trying for retailers. At NOSH Live Summer 2022 in New York City, attendees will hear from executives at leading natural products retailer Whole Foods Market who will not only reflect back on the past few years but also turn their gaze forward to share how brands can be successful on Whole Foods Market store shelves.

By focusing on quality, customer service and company culture, Jeni’s has gone from a local favorite to a super-premium national dessert brand, with close to 70 scoop shops to accompany its wholesale business.

This week’s new products saw brands releasing better-for-you versions of cozy weekend treats, jumping on the sheet pan meal trend and spicing things up with chili-infused honey. Check out this gallery for new items from Ben & Jerry’s and Vital Proteins as well as Jurassic Park-themed packaging from LesserEvil.

Food tech-focused company Tomorrow Farms is bringing its first product line to market with the launch of Bored Cow, an animal-free dairy milk produced in partnership with Perfect Day. Formally announced on Thursday, Bored Cow is made with Perfect Day’s animal-free whey protein, which is produced via a precision fermentation process that creates replicas of… Read more »

In this week’s Checkout: Motif Foodworks rolls out products and secures new investment partner, KIND announces progress toward almond sourcing goals, BOOMCHICKAPOP launches its most expensive product and Abbott Nutrition reaches an agreement with the FDA to resume infant formula production

How can a brand offer a unique personalized experience to an increasingly diverse consumer base if the people developing and marketing products aren’t also diverse? TaChelle Lawson, Founder and President of FIG Strategy & Consulting, examines the connection between people and product.

For about three years, the Los Angeles-based Uplifting Results Labs’ consumer brand Muniq has consisted of just a single product: a meal-replacement protein shake. But in a signal the company’s success and growth strategy, Muniq has launched two new products in the last month – Empowerfull Prebiotic Fiber Blend sticks and Muniq Bars – in hopes of reshaping how consumers understand the role of the gut’s microbiome and healthy eating.

There was concern among U.S. egg and poultry producers in January as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began to report cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the eastern half of the country. In 2015, an outbreak of H1N5 strain of bird flu ravaged the industry killing about 43 million egg-laying hens and pullet chickens, according to the agency.

In this People Moves: Keely Golden joins Haven’s Kitchen as Head of Ops, Brendan Foley promoted to McCormick & Company President and COO, Lucy Brady takes over Conagra’s Grocery & Snacks segment and Sarah Lowery joins Om Mushroom Superfood.

Project Potluck, an organization focused on helping “People of Color thrive in the CPG industry,” has taken the next step in its development: becoming certified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and bringing on Kathleen Cassanova as its executive director.

The Very Good Food Company still reported a significant drop in revenue in its 2022 Q1 earnings statement yesterday, despite net loss decreasing 37% to $13 million over the last quarter. The announcement comes as the company has continued to struggle with financial performance, seen turnover in key executive roles and needs to bring in new capital in order to survive beyond the next 30 days.