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

It’s time to reveal the players in the 11th installment of NOSH’s Pitch Slam, the leading business pitch competition for the food industry. Presented by 301INC, the venture capital arm of General Mills, the competition features 11 of the hottest startups in packaged food, all creating innovative products spanning a wide range of categories including confection, prepared meals, international, snacking and functional foods.

As a kickoff to NOSH Live Winter 2021, we welcome food startups attending NOSH Live to enjoy a quick dive into many of the most important tactical considerations that face CPG entrepreneurs with the release of the NOSH Live Winter 2021 Boot Camp Education Series.

Day two of NOSH Live will be just as ripe for networking opportunities and business lessons as day one promises to be. From industry leaders to retailers and emerging brands, attendees can expect to hear from the best and brightest of the natural products community at NOSH Live, held Dec. 2 and 3 at the Loews Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif.

After a challenging year that has seen the company grapple with supply chain issues and a manufacturing change, sorbet maker SorBabes is ready for a fresh start with a new focus on frozen novelties. To support this new direction, the company has also debuted rebranded packaging and a social media campaign emphasizing the importance of indulgence.

Plant-based meat maker Impossible Foods announced today that it closed a $500 million funding round, bringing the company’s total capital raised to over $2 billion since it was founded in 2011. The round was led by Mirae Asset Global Investments, which also led the company’s $500 million round which closed in March 2020, in addition to participation by existing investors.

NOSH Live is in just over a week and we’ve released our full agenda. Over two days in Santa Monica, attendees will hear from inspiring entrepreneurs, cutting edge brands shaking up the industry, the new retail guard and established experts in a whirlwind of content.

Collaborative community organization Naturally Los Angeles formally launched last week with the goal of increasing access to education, resources and capital for natural product companies based in Los Angeles in order to promote sustainable business practices and conscious growth.

For many consumers, the onset of autumn means one thing — pumpkin spice-flavored sweets and snacks. Brands put their own twists on the fall favorite flavor this season, with new limited edition launches from coffee and cereal to protein bars and peanut butter. Check out the gallery for this fall’s seasonal releases, including sweet potato granola from Jamie’s Farm and a charitable launch from Once Upon a Farm.

In this week’s Checkout: Sundial Foods Closes $4 Million Seed Round, Stryve Reports Third Quarter Earnings and Jameela Jamil Joins Oathaus as Investor and Social Impact Advisor.

Wholesale food distributor KeHE is rolling out a new look for its private label food brand Cadia in tandem with the debut of a new non-organic line under the banner. Cadia, which sells exclusively to independent grocers, is looking to establish a more eye-catching presence throughout the aisles while also offering price sensitive shoppers more options.

For just the second time ever, NOSH accepted nominations for the awards, resulting in 389 nominations spanning a wide field of brands, products, and campaigns that reflected the diversity and rich tapestry of our food industry.

Chobani Inc. filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday, listing the maximum size of the offering as $100 million, subject to adjustment. The yogurt and beverage company did not disclose how many shares it plans to offer and when the listing would take place.

Sales and marketing agency Acosta released a study last week that found that almost a quarter of online grocery shoppers in the U.S. believe they will increasingly use e-commerce platforms to purchase groceries over the next year. According to the survey results, which includes 1,447 respondents from Acosta’s proprietary Shopper Community located across the country, the majority of respondents cited convenience as the primary factor driving the adoption of online grocery.

Dairy alternative ingredient supplier Perfect Day announced on Tuesday it has entered the sports nutrition category with the launch of two new lines of protein powders that feature the company’s animal-free whey as the star ingredient.