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

Alternative protein company SIMULATE, maker of plant-based chicken nugget and patty brand NUGGS, announced today it has raised $50 million to fuel new product innovation and grow its retail presence both in the U.S. and internationally.

With its use of egg whites as a protein source and front of pack “ingredient” list, RXBAR disrupted the bar category and inspired a slew of imitators. But now the Kellogg’s owned brand is saying so long to both signature elements for the launch of a new, plant-based line extension.

It’s with great excitement that we get to announce that BevNET Live, NOSH Live, and Brewbound Live are returning to the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel this December. After a year off, we’re just going to have to make up for it with more knowledge, more collaboration, and more fun.

After nearly a decade in business as a food manufacturer, direct-to-consumer snack brand NatureBox is taking on the role of retailer with the launch of Partner Market, an ecommerce store for wellness-focused food and beverage products. The move is designed to allow the company to offer more variety for both direct to consumer customers and for an expanding corporate business. It comes after the company received requests for more products beyond its current offerings.

Online grocery service Hungryroot announced today that it had closed $40 million in funding from the growth fund of venture firm L Catterton. The company projects it will have $175 million in revenue this year.

In this week’s Checkout, Post Holdings buys TreeHouse Foods’ private label cereal business; Ready, Set, Food raises $3.5 million; J.M. Smucker Co. reports fiscal Q4 earnings; and Stonyfield launches a Toxins Calculator alongside new sustainability commitments.

In May brands launched a range of new products, kicking off the summer season with a variety of new salty snacks, dips and sauces. In this gallery, we highlight a new product from NuttZo, plant-based meat, seafood and cheese innovations, product reformulations and a handful of brand refreshes including Khalsa, reThink ice cream and more.

New Barn Organics didn’t buy the farm, it sold it.. The company revealed today it had sold its assets to egg producer NestFresh earlier this quarter. It’s a move that will allow the two companies to offer retailers — and consumers — a larger suite of fresh items and allow New Barn’s shareholders to continue to hopefully see a greater financial upside.

Last year we adopted a paid subscriber model to continue delivering valuable content to our community. But we feel that you’re more than a subscriber: you are an Insider.

Bread & Table, the parent company of Virginia-based roaster and retailer Grit Coffee, has acquired specialty coffee brewer Snowing In Space.

The e-commerce grocery channel rapidly expanded home delivery options last year as the world entered pandemic lockdowns. As those restrictions start to lift, Instacart doesn’t want to let go of its gains: the company is launching a new Priority Delivery feature that promises to deliver groceries in as fast as 30 minutes.

With the summer months approaching, brands are gearing up for warm weather and school vacations with frozen offerings like Tillamook’s new custard line and kid-friendly on-the-go snacks from Hippeas and LesserEvil. Check out the gallery for May’s notable new product launches, including new granolas from 88 Acres and Purely Elizabeth and protein bars from No Cow, Lovely Day and Obvi.

Over the weekend meat producer JBS USA announced it had been the target of a cyber security attack with some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian businesses being taken offline. Over the past year meat supply chains have already been strained by the Covid-19 pandemic, so the cost of yet another interruption may be high, particularly for meat snack brands where margin has already been a struggle.

Lezlie Karls Saltarelli, Nick Saltarelli and Jake Karls, the co-founders of Mid-Day Squares, a brand of hybrid chocolate and protein bars, spoke about how the company has achieved its rapid start, the keys to its unique and compelling social strategy, how consistent communication with the brand’s consumers gave the brand a solid foundation on which to build and why a business therapist has been vital to their development.