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

Jason Wright, the co-founder and CEO of chicken- and pork-based chip brand Wilde Brands, explained how he was able to land investment without having a finished product, why he regrets working with a co-packer, how he collaborated with retail buyers to establish a new protein-centric segment within the snack category and why the keys to winning consumers over always begins with taste.

Vitamin “bites” brand GEM wants to make the store supplement aisle more tasty and transparent. The company, which makes functional, granola-esque bites, announced today it had raised $7.5 million in funding last month, an investment the largely direct-to-consumer brand will use to help launch into physical stores and expand its product line.

Plant-based protein brand Aloha is getting ready to become a more serious beverage player while also expanding its line of bars further into the natural channel.

For organic egg brand Pete and Gerry’s, it was time to expand the flock. The company announced last week that it had sold the majority of its business to Butterfly, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. The deal will allow the company to scale into adjacent categories and expand distribution.

Nestlé Health Science has acquired hydration tablet brand Nuun for an undisclosed fee, the company announced today. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2021.

Boot Camp, presented by BevNET & NOSH, will take place next month to help lay the foundation for early-stage food and beverage brands. The virtual education series will drop a new lesson each day from Tuesday, June 1st to Monday, June 7th and culminate with a live networking event on Tuesday, June 8th.

In this week’s Checkout, Renewal Mill closes a $1 million funding round; Impossible Foods clears a legal battle over FDA approval of its heme; and Kellogg’s and Hain Celestial report quarterly earning results.

Fair Trade USA and Chobani announced yesterday the formal launch of a certification program for dairy farms and cooperatives “that provides financial premiums to dairy farmers and workers, which will help protect and empower them while raising sustainability standards,” according to a press release.

In April during our Category Close-Up: Product Showcase we examined the trends and news — as well as evolving product strategies — that are currently shaping the confection category. In this special bonus segment, you’ll hear from three more brands, all producing chocolate treats, about the market dynamics that are currently shaping the category.

With a sudden pandemic-driven shift in consumer shopping habits leading to declining category sales, natural gum and mint maker Simply Gum saw last year as the perfect time to begin testing the extensibility of its brand through expansion into new categories and use occasions. With Smoothie Bites, a candy offering, the brand hopes to begin to establish itself as a confection platform.

Pour-over kit maker Copper Cow announced yesterday that it had closed an additional $8.5 million in funding. The capital will go towards helping the brand launch new online exclusive products, expand its presence in brick and mortar retailers and continue to build out a sustainable supply chain in Vietnam.

Plant-based food company Laird Superfood announced today it has acquired Bend, Oregon-based snack brand Picky Bars in a $12 million cash and stock deal. The transaction, which closed May 3, is the company’s first acquisition after its IPO last fall. The deal expands the company’s reach into new snacking categories while offering opportunities for growth into new retail channels.

Cannabis firms Tilray, Inc. and Aphria, Inc. announced Monday the completion of their previously agreed upon merger, creating what they say will be “the world’s largest global cannabis company.”

This week, we’re joined by Chris Fanucchi and Samantha Citro Alexander, the co-founders of Bitewell, a new startup platform that aims to make healthy purchasing decisions easier via curated options for grocery and restaurant delivery