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

After a week when companies, investment firms and trade groups sought clarity as to whether venture-backed companies can receive loans via the newly issued Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Small Business Association (SBA) issued further details on Friday. However, while the document does provide some clarification, many questions still remain unanswered.

Operations and inventory management are the backbone that supports your food and beverage company during this time. Today, April 6th, BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman leads a co-packing panel on the stresses and solutions affecting brands and their co-packers during the ongoing COVID-19 Crisis.

In COVID-19 news this week, the FDA ensured the food supply is safe and loosened label restrictions for eggs moving from foodservice to retail, while states and retailers set shopping restrictions to encourage social distancing.

As healthcare workers become today’s heroes, food and beverage brands across the country are banding together to give back and donate to New York City metro hospitals under a new initiative, FoundersGive. Founded by entrepreneur Cole Riley, the group has collected over a half million products from roughly 230 brands.

It’s not just what you sell that makes or breaks a brand, but where you sell it. That’s the thesis behind venture firm Coefficient Capital, which last week announced it had raised $170 million for its first fund. Coefficient’s two founding partners include Franklin Isacson, formerly of Verlinvest and UBS, and technology adviser and investor Andrew Goletka

On Monday, we’re presenting a special panel for entrepreneurial food and beverage companies on the stresses and solutions affecting the relationship between brands and their co-packers during the ongoing COVID-19 Crisis.

From baking mixes and frozen treats to pizza and plant-based pasta, March’s new product releases will offer consumers plenty of variety. Check out the gallery for the month’s notable releases, including new flavors from Veggiecraft Farms and Whisps alongside launches from Coolhaus and KIND in honor of Women’s History Month.

Typically, food and beverage represents only around 3.2% of total U.S. online sales. But through a combination of factors, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has accelerated the shift to web-based shopping.

The fifth round of food and beverage brands includes Poppilu, Vital Farms, Genius Juice and Cocoa Metro. We also have a special co-host this week, Dr. Sebastian Dreher, the Managing Director of Döhler Ventures, who will weighing in on the brands from an investor’s perspective and provide feedback.

Over the past two weeks, a series of emergency acts have increased the availability of loans to small business owners during the coronavirus crisis. But some growing food and beverage companies are concerned that they will be left out of a new set of loans designed to lessen the impact of the coronavirus crisis because they are backed by investment funds.

In a conversation with BevNET managing editor Martin Caballero, veteran natural CPG consultant Bob Burke, principal at Natural Products Consulting LLC, offered his insights and perspectives on how brands can manage their teams, relationships and finances to both survive this trying period and to thrive at its conclusion.

As COVID-19 rapidly transforms consumer behavior, data firms are closely monitoring patterns — and looking to past economic debacles to help predict an uncertain journey ahead.

In a webinar hosted by Rabobank yesterday, analysts at the multinational banking and financial services company offered an overview of the macro impacts of COVID-19 on the food and beverage industry.

As many foodservice operations cease or dramatically reduce their footprint, food products originally produced and packaged for restaurants, hotels, schools and other establishments are being rerouted to retailers and wholesalers. The FDA and USDA are aiming to expedite the labeling process for these products with new guidance published this week.