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

With consumers hungry for low-sugar, protein-rich options — a trend that has recently migrated into cold cereals, of all places — brands are bringing bright ideas to other breakfast staples. Pasture-raised egg brand Handsome Brook Farm is launching egg yogurt under a new brand, Chikaraka, while superfood brand The Osso Good Company is launching nutrient-packed waffles made with bone broth.

Dogged by key cancellations from retailers and big brands, followed by social media protests before yesterday postponing Natural Products Expo West, New Hope Network today put the big question front and center: “What’s next?” That question, posed in a statement from New Hope at 5:30 today, is being asked by the event’s exhibitors, attendees and City of Anaheim partners, showing the ongoing chain of uncertainty that remains.

Expo West is known as the viewing ground for rebranding and refreshing existing products and product formats. NOSH will continue to provide a look at those brands who planned to use the show to reveal their new branding or an updated look and feel.

Prior to the postponement on Monday, as much as 60% of attendees had informed New Hope they planned to skip this week’s event. But many others — including early stage entrepreneurs — were surprised by New Hope’s late decision. For many, the news came after they had already arrived in Anaheim, and for some — such as Pillars Yogurt CEO Eric Bonin — mid-flight.

Despite the show being postponed, BevNET and NOSH will continue to bring to the industry the brand initiatives — new products, line extensions, branding changes, and company launches — that are going to flow through this Expo season.

Ben Van Leeuwen, co-founder & CEO of super-premium brand Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, spoke about how the brand has bucked the trend toward healthy eating, promoting brand pillars through packaging and the synergistic relationship between its stores and wholesale business.

After several days of community feedback, which included calls for cancellation or postponement, New Hope Network announced this evening that Natural Products Expo West 2020, scheduled for March 4-8 in Anaheim, California, is officially postponed.

Sunk costs. That’s what a lot of food and beverage companies facing the potential of a Coronavirus-reduced Natural Products Expo West show were regretting over the weekend as they wondered whether they could do enough business with the show’s drastically-reduced retailer contingent to justify the money they had already laid out.

As food companies gear up for next week’s Natural Products Expo West conference, some of their conversation has moved from how many samples to bring to potential health and safety risks from the fast moving virus, COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus.

Coconut Bliss launches new, more affordable plant-based ice cream; FDA commissioner says agency can’t stop CBD products, and more in this week’s Checkout.

Fifteen years after submitting a proposed rule to the Federal Register to establish principles for food standards of identity updates, the FDA is extending its comment period, noting advances in manufacturing, food technology, market trends and nutrition science since 2005. Comments will be accepted until April 21, 2020.

The past 16 months have been a period of growth for super premium ice cream Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, and now the brand wants to fuel the fire. The company announced today the close of $18.7 million in funding, with the goal of increasing efficiencies and reclaiming its innovative heritage.

Premium pickle brand Grillo’s is entering the dip and beverage sets with a line of cold-pressed pickle vinegar drinks and new line of salsas launching next week at Natural Products Expo West 2020. Grillo’s founder Travis Grillo said the expansion into beverage is part of a larger effort to build a cross-category platform brand.

Courtney Gillespie is the president and COO of Life’s Grape, an upstart brand that features a unique grape variety, Selma Pete, as the star ingredient of its vine-dried fruit snacks. The company aims to bring millennials into the category by refreshing the classic raisin with quality grapes, unique processing and fun packaging.