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

Halal frozen meal, sauce and snack brand Saffron Road is mapping another category entry, launching shelf-stable meals this month. The new microwavable pouches come in two Indian-inspired flavors: Chickpea Masala and Delhi Potatoes.

Jake Kneller is the co-founder of Sweet Nothings, a startup company offering a lineup of frozen snacks designed to be enjoyed anytime of the day. The products are crafted to be eaten like an ice cream without dairy or added sugar, and instead highlight healthy and clean ingredients such as blueberries and beets.

To-date, the plant-based meat world has been largely dominated by sausage, burger and ground beef alternatives — Alpha Foods, however, sees a future in faux fowl. Investors are supporting this outlook, with the brand announcing today the close of a $28 million round of investment.

Sam Dennigan, founder of innovative plant-based brand Strong Roots, spoke about the company’s focus on making sustainable food that appeals to the next generation of health-conscious consumers, how thoughtfully planned demos can be the best path to trial, why Strong Roots is positioned as a “Consumer Packaged Good” and its “top down/bottom up” strategy for becoming a global brand.

Michigan-based food and beverage consulting group JPG Resources is growing its capabilities — and eyeing New York City’s entrepreneurial scene to help do that. After opening a new office last month, the company has an array of new offerings slated to launch this spring — fueled by seasoned food industry experts joining the team.

Kellogg and Tyson prep for plant-based launches; Yofix raises $2.5 million and more in this week’s Checkout.

Nona Lim spoke about the development of her namesake food brand and the importance of saying “no” to “top-line growth that isn’t in line with our profitability requirements.” She also discussed the ways in which she funded her upstart brand prior to accepting venture capital, how she negotiates favorable terms with suppliers and why she describes venture capital as a “double-edged sword.”

At the Winter Fancy Food Show, Aylon Steinhart, co-founder of plant-based dairy brand Eclipse, discussed the company’s path to market, having launched its soft serve ice cream bases and packed ice cream drums into San Francisco and New York restaurants and scoop shops in 2019.

Angelina McClean is the Vice President of Wake-N-Bagel, a frozen bagel brand that’s bringing the bagel shop experience to home kitchens. The company is targeting natural food consumers and specialty shoppers that want fresh baked bagels without spending hours in the kitchen.

Mondelēz International announced last week the appointment of Nancy Pak as CEO of premium cookie brand Tate’s Bake Shop. Pak succeeds former CEO Maura Mottolese, who is now CEO of hot sauce brand Cholula Food Company.

In a presentation at NOSH Live Winter 2019, Talia Halperin, head of brand management at BuzzFeed, explained how an online experiment became BuzzFeed’s Tasty — dubbed the “Internet’s favorite kitchen” — and evolved into a thriving e-commerce business as well.

Banking on consumer appetites for clean ingredients and responsibly-sourced meat, entrepreneur and investor Zubin Mehta launched Union Snacks into retail last week with two varieties: Charcuterie Crisps and Trail Mix Squares.

The new year kicked off with a slew of better-for-you treats hitting shelves, with new frozen desserts from Ben & Jerry’s and O’MY, keto-friendly confections from Halo Top and Birch Benders and limited edition Valentine’s Day offerings from LesserEvil and RXBAR. Check out the gallery for notable new products launched this month, which also includes the latest from Late July and Kiva Confections.

Specialty natural and organic grocery chain Earth Fare today announced it will close its 50 stores by the end of February, following similar announcements in recent weeks from Fairway Market and Lucky’s Market.