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

As cannabis entrepreneurs, Willie Mack, co-founder and president of boutique cannabis brand Think BIG, and Rashaan Everett, CEO of vertically integrated cannabis startup Good Tree Holdings, have made addressing systemic issues a fundamental part of their respective business plans.

During Tyson’s third quarter earnings call yesterday, the future of both meat and meat-free items was on the table, as the company reported strong sales in beef and pork and prepares to launch a new meatless chicken line, Raised & Rooted, into retail next month.

Speaking at Cannabis Forum 2019, held on June 14 in New York City, attorney Larry Sandell of Mei & Mark LLP discussed how emerging cannabis brands can avoid the mistakes and pitfalls involved with protecting intellectual property.

At NOSH Live Winter 2019 natural food startups will continue to push the industry forward, bringing fresh ideas to the table. Returning for its seventh edition, the NOSH Live Pitch Slam presented by 301 Inc. provides a stage for brand founders to share their story and connect with the community. A key piece of the immersive NOSH Live experience, the competition is held during the conference in Santa Monica, Calif. on December 4th and 5th.

In this video from NOSH Live Summer 2019, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams founder Jeni Britton Bauer and CEO John Lowe discuss using thoughtful communication to take their ice cream business to even sweeter heights.

Sprouts, Beyond Meat and more brands report Q2 earnings in this week’s Checkout.

Keeping your books in order is a good practice for brands of all kinds, but for companies looking to gain a foothold in the cannabis space, it’s a particularly critical component of running a healthy business.

Venture firm PowerPlant Ventures announced yesterday the close of its second fund. At over three times the size of its predecessor, Fund II, which closed at $165 million, will allow the company to further refine its deal structure, co-founder and partner Mark Rampolla told NOSH. He added that the firm “[wants] to change this mindset that capital only cares about return.”

All presentations from Cannabis Forum Summer 2019 are now available to stream on our NOSH YouTube channel. Held in June in New York City, the industry conference brought together hundreds of cannabis curious food and beverage founders and executives to discuss and explore the present and future of the emerging market.

David Gotlib is the founder and CEO of Savorly, a brand delivering innovative frozen appetizers in a fun and interesting way. The company’s puff pastries, Belgian croquettes, mini bagels and other bite-sized foods were developed for millennial consumers that are looking to entertain guests and connect over hors d’oeuvres.

Plenty of new products hit the shelves this July, including several treats to beat the summer heat. This month saw ice cream launches from McConnell’s, Oatly and Perfect Day and on-the-go smoothie options from Stonyfield, Buddy Nutrition and Charles & Alice. Check out more of July’s new products below, which also includes launches by Barilla, Chobani and Green Giant.

Meatless burger brand Impossible Foods is two steps closer to entering supermarket retail following FDA approval of a key ingredient and a new co-packer. The brand told NOSH it plans to enter retail in September.

It’s time to pull the curtain back on our first set of NOSH Live Winter 2019 speakers, revealing two of the leaders from Mondelēz International’s team focused on ways innovation, investment, and imagination can change the snack business.

Tyson is gearing up to launch a line of functional snacks later this year under a new brand called Pact. The line will launch with four varieties of Snack Bites — Gut Instinct (cranberry kombucha with probiotics), Gut Ahead (turmeric ginger with prebiotics), Vibe On (matcha blueberry “energizing”) and Glow With It (cocoa/coconut with collagen). Each bag of bites will be sold refrigerated, but last at ambient temperature for up to a week.