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

Robert Petrarca is the CEO and co-founder of Maxine’s Heavenly, a sweet snacking company that crafts cookies with better-for-you ingredients. Inspired by a beloved family recipe, Maxine’s aims to deliver a homemade taste for consumers seeking healthier options.

The USDA Agricultural Research Service has found that almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts all contain less calories than originally thought, according to a series of studies that began in 2012. This opens the door for brands with nut-based products to update their products’ nutrition panels — and potentially even position themselves differently to reach consumers who may be concerned with calories.

Gail Becker, founder & CEO of Caulipower, discussed the swift rise of her vegetable-forward frozen food brand, including why she left a successful career behind to start the company, the value of taking risks, how she identified and partnered with early-stage investors and why humility is critical for success.

What happens after you achieve the goal you’ve spent years chasing? In 2017 Peter Rahal sold his protein bar brand RXBAR. In 2019 he stepped down as CEO to be an advisor to the company and focus on his own projects. Now he’s busy investing in brands under his firm Litani and figuring out what his next play should be.

As younger consumers seek flexitarian diets, and are more open-minded about technology’s role in food innovation, both the plant-based and cell-based meat landscapes are growing and diversifying. In this week’s Checkout, Kroger and Tofurky launched new burger products, cultivated meat company New Age Meats raised $2.7 million, and plant-based brand Impossible Foods announced a new pork alternative.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Ancient Harvest bordered on the revolutionary for its use of quinoa. But much changed and not only was quinoa no longer the exotic grain it once was but the pasta and grain categories shifted too, with gluten-free callouts no longer rare. But 2020 will kick off a “new era” for the brand, CEO John Becker believes, starting with a relaunch of the line, a reformulation of products and the acquisition of the Pamela’s line of gluten-free baked goods, pastas and mixes.

In this episode, Matt Weiss, founder/CEO of RIND Snacks, discussed his approach to incubating the skin-on dried fruit brand while maintaining his full-time job. Weiss spoke about how he assessed the financial and opportunity costs of entrepreneurship, the importance of open and honest communication with his employer while incubating RIND and why he believes in “relentless networking.”

In a session at NOSH Live Winter 2019 in Santa Monica, Bentley Hall, CEO of online grocery service Good Eggs, explained how a focus on quality took the platform to new heights — from near bankruptcy to a $50 million raise.

Jenny Heman is the founder of Honeycut Kitchen, an upstart brand crafting nutritious snack cakes with a balanced macro profile. Focused on fitness enthusiasts and health-forward consumers, the company is offering a fresh take on the famous indulgent treat using natural and organic ingredients.

88 Acres is growing beyond the seed, launching a line of protein bars online on Tuesday, January 14, and as an exclusive offering in Whole Foods Market globally next month.

Josh Zad, founder of trendsetting cafe chain Alfred Coffee, spoke about how the brand’s appeal is derived from its foundation as “a creative platform” focused on customer experience, why he believes that Alfred isn’t “doing anything groundbreaking” and how he’s attempting to replicate Alfred’s success with Calidad Beer, an upstart brand of Mexican-style lagers.

Fueling a future in the snack bar set requires an innovative product, a sound strategy and the right timing. In a panel discussion at NOSH Live Winter 2019 in Santa Monica, Bill Keith, founder and CEO of Perfect Snacks; Peter Burns, president and CEO of ONE Brands; and Janica Lane, managing director at investment bank Piper Jaffray, discussed the art of deal making.

Plant-based beverage maker OWYN has raised $7.5 million in a financing round led by Powerplant Ventures, the company announced today. Powerplant co-founder and partner Mark Rampolla will join the brand’s board of directors.

The FDA’s new Nutrition Facts label regulations went into effect January 1 for companies with over $10 million in annual sales, and the agency issued final guidance to address questions submitted by the industry.