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

In this week’s Checkout: 4×4 Capital acquires The Bountiful Company’s former sports and active nutrition unit; Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures partners with MeaTech; Nestlé tests “Vrimp” in Europe; and SnackMagic launches “Cardboard Vending Machines.”

Savencia Fromage & Dairy’s U.S. expansion plans have begun to take shape with yesterday’s announcement that the French dairy provider has acquired dip producer Hope Foods.

Online grocery platform Instacart announced yesterday it has acquired software company Foodstorm, which powers a catering order management system for grocery retailers. The move expands Instacart’s enterprise technology services while allowing its retail partners to grow ecommerce sales of their prepared food offerings.

Returning live and in-person this year, the NOSH Live Pitch Slam presented by 301 Inc. provides a stage for brand founders to share their stories, show off their products, and connect with the community. The competition is held during NOSH Live in Santa Monica, California on December 2nd and 3rd.

After years of effort by activists including multiple legislative attempts, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 45 into law yesterday, creating a regulatory framework to immediately allow for the legal sale of CBD-infused products.

In this People Moves: Bob’s Red Mill moves Trey Winthrop into the role of CEO, Mindy Grossman steps down from WW International, Kodiak adds new CMO position for Cory Bayers, Maxine’s Heavenly expands team with two new hires and more.

Mediterranean food company Afia this week announced its expansion into Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide and Publix in the Southeast. The launch brings the brand’s footprint to 1,775 stores nationwide, doubling its store count at the start of this year.

Animal-free protein maker Clara Foods announced yesterday it has rebranded, changing its name to The EVERY Company. The new brand identity, CEO and founder Arturo Elizondo said, will better convey the food tech company’s mission of providing sustainable animal-free proteins to “every human, everywhere.”

From chickpea snacks to Japanese barbecue sauce, innovative products from emerging brands are attracting investor interest as brands look to enter their next growth phases by increasing production, growing their retail footprints and expanding their teams.

Hormel Foods announced today that its venture arm, 199 Ventures, has entered into an exclusive partnership with alternative protein producer The Better Meat Co. In a release, the two companies stated they plan to bring new mycoprotein offerings to market, working to commercialize alternative protein products made from The Better Meat Co’s Rhiza mycoprotein ingredient.

Baby food manufacturers are under fire once again. A new staff report from the House Oversight Committee found additional infant and baby food products that contain high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury and that product recalls following a February congressional report disclosing the category’s toxic levels of heavy metals were insufficient.

When the onset of COVID-19 forced the majority of its independent retail partners to temporarily shut their doors last year, functional snack maker SMPL used the lull as an opportunity to rethink its product, ultimately discontinuing its line of bites at the end of 2020. Now, the brand is relaunching this month with a new bar line, fresh look, and the confidence it can now reach more consumers with a more approachable and affordable product line.

In this episode, we explored the respective paths of four early-stage and emerging brand owners, from brand ideation and early struggles to social strategies and retail planning. The conversations highlight the perspective of founders who are attempting to reframe legacy categories via next-generation brands and products.

The Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2021 was reintroduced to Congress last month and proposed sweeping changes to how nutritional information is displayed on food labels. Among the most significant would be a list of demands for the FDA including issuing guidance on a standardized symbol for calorie information on the front-of-pack and definitions for common terms such as “natural,” “healthy,” “artificial” and “synthetic.”