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

In this video, BevNET CEO John Craven and NOSH Editor Carol Ortenberg sat down to review notable trends and brands from this year’s Expo East, including developments in plant-based dairy items, the reframing of meal kits as “meal solutions” and advances in sustainable animal protein offerings.

When moringa-based food and beverage brand Kuli Kuli launched onto the market in 2014, its founder and CEO Lisa Curtis claims “virtually no one” had heard of the superfood plant. Today, Kuli Kuli launched in 2,500 Walmart locations, a significant gain in its ongoing efforts to make this lesser known ingredient appeal to the mainstream consumer.

Kaari Foods is bringing cleaner, healthier versions of salad dressings and sauces to market. Amanda Johnston is the co-founder of the start-up brand, which highlights plant-based ingredients without the use of gums, stabilizers or preservatives.

At Natural Products Expo East 2019, brands young and old alike debuted products that will take them into new parts of the store. These moves are aimed at exposing them to new shoppers as well as bringing their existing customer base along for the ride.

Here are a few recent developments in the past week on the U.S. government’s plans to regulate hemp and CBD.

At this year’s Natural Products Expo East trade show in Baltimore, Katie Paul, VP of category management and growth solutions for distributor KeHE, sat down with NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg to discuss how KeHE has evolved its internal team and processes to best meet the changing needs of its retail and supplier partners, and also shared her thoughts on popular trends such as CBD and plant-based eating.

Online grocery service Good Eggs strives to connect conscious consumers to quality, locally sourced produce, mission-driven food brands and healthy meal kits. Through same-day delivery and a curated list of produce and products, the tech platform is pioneering a new way for consumers to feed their families. This December we’ll have the pleasure of hosting Good Eggs CEO Bentley Hall on the NOSH Live Winter 2019 stage.

Influential natural foods entrepreneur and investor Steve Hughes reflected upon his roles as the founder of Boulder Brands and co-founder of investment firm Sunrise Strategic Partners. As part of our conversation, he explained why he believes the funding environment for natural CPG brands is “capitalism at its absolute best,” and what he sees as the most exciting development for the industry.

At Expo East, several brands unveiled new packaging featuring brighter colors, added nutritional callouts, new logos and slogans, and revamped flavor names.

One of the veteran nice guys of the natural products business, Josh Kohnstamm, has sold his eponymous public relations firm to another Minneapolis-area marketing agency, broadhead.

Last year’s Expo East demonstrated growth in the keto space, and we continue to see that proliferating through this year’s Expo East 2019 show. While some brands like Once Again, Kiss My Keto and Know Brainer are showcasing new products, others like Toronto-based Unbun are aiming to enter the U.S. market.

Today cereal brand Magic Spoon announced that, five months after launch, it has closed a $5.5 million round of funding to help propel its growth. The $10 a box cereal is sold direct-to-consumer and targets the carbohydrate-avoiding consumer, often associated with the Keto or Paleo diets.

Vital Proteins is ready to go beyond beauty. The collagen-focused company announced today the launch of a line of bars, sports drinks and a liquid creamers, moves CEO and founder Kurt Seidensticker told NOSH are designed to help the brand target a wider array of shoppers and expand beyond its core wellness enthusiast.

Keith Belling is a serial food entrepreneur, focused on taking household staples and elevating them via flavor and functionality. In 2007 he shook up the chip aisle as co-founder and CEO of Popchips, which quickly became a multimillion dollar brand and inspired a new category of salty snacks. Following Popchip’s success, Belling embarked on a new food venture, and at NOSH Live Winter 2019 this December he will share his views on food innovation, business strategy and entrepreneurship.