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

The Campbell’s Soup Company is more focused and a “much stronger company” today than it was three years ago, said President and CEO Mark Clouse during the company’s Investor Day event Tuesday.

Alt-dairy producer Oddlygood wants to be the next alt-dairy dynamo, and now it’s got the cash to do so. The Finnish company announced today that it had raised $28 million from Mandatum Asset Management (MAM) with plans to invest it into a U.S. expansion.

The J.M. Smucker Company continued to cull its CPG brand portfolio today with the announcement of an agreement to sell its natural and organic beverage and grains business to venture group Nexus Capital Management in a cash deal valued at around $110 million.

Plant-based diets are on the rise among multicultural consumers, according to a new study published last week by Danone North America. However, results suggest there is a gap in the market caused by a lack of culturally diverse plant-based food innovation, cultural stigmas and barriers to access including product affordability and education.

The company this week launched a line of coconut-based powder creamers available in three varieties: Think (Cacao Coconut with Lion’s Mane and MCT Oil), Gut Health (Vanilla Coconut with Probiotics and MCT Oil) and Balance (Original Coconut with Ashwagandha and MCT Oil).

Green Circle Capital Partners announced yesterday it has raised $13 million for its first fund in a new venture capital division, Green Circle Foodtech Ventures (GCFV), with an anchor investment from Hormel Foods’ VC arm 199 Ventures.

After receiving Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status earlier this month, Massachusetts-based food technology company Motif FoodWorks announced last week that its patented heme protein HEMAMI has launched for large-scale commercial distribution.

Alt-meat producer Global Village Fruit, producer of the Jack & Annie’s brand, formally announced today a $23 million funding round that closed this summer.

Maxine Kozler Koven, co-founder of LDR Ventures & Consulting, discussed the venture capital firm’s investment philosophy and portfolio, which includes stakes in Sweetgreen, Thrive Market and Shaka Tea, the importance of nurturing the development of early-stage founders, the relevance of innovation when evaluating new concepts and the historical lack of funding for female-led companies.

Like the viral speed of the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, TikTok is becoming one of the fastest-growing social commerce channels worldwide and is helping brands reach hundreds, even thousands, of new consumers via videos of skin care or vegan ice cream – if they can market themselves right.

Hain Celestial will acquire better-for-you food incubator That’s How We Roll, the owner of Proven Brands, Inc. and KTB Foods, Inc., from private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group in a $259 million deal, Clearlake announced today.

Alt-dairy ingredient provider Perfect Day has reached an agreement to acquire ice cream brand Coolhaus from investment group Sunrise Strategic Partners for an undisclosed fee, the company announced today.

In this week’s checkout: Capital City brings its Sweet Hot Mambo Sauce to KFC, The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance launch U.S. Identity Preserved Certification, Kraft Heinz to combine U.S. and Canada Businesses and Forever Cheese brings on specialty food veteran Tyler Hawes.

With everything from an angry and animated tortoise to a TikTok Tastemonial challenge, these latest activations have embraced a variety of brand building tactics including user-generated content and a unique group of brand ambassadors.