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

A Friendly Bread is pivoting away from retail to target growth within a niche region of foodservice nearly a year after diversifying its base business with a cold storage and commercial kitchen facility in its home city of Baltimore.

Despite the controversy surrounding these “demonized” ingredients, only 36% of North American consumers describe their approach to healthy eating as limiting ingredients that are “bad” for them.

Growth equity firm SEMCAP Food & Nutrition announced a “large minority investment” in Canadian meal subscription service Fresh Prep. Founded in 2015, Vancouver-based Fresh Prep delivers zero-waste meal kits across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Kirk Tanner, the former chief executive of PepsiCo Beverages North America, is returning to the CPG industry as president and CEO of The Hershey Company, effective Aug.18.

Consumers are becoming increasingly mindful of the ingredients in their food, and interest in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and synthetic dyes has grown significantly over the past year. Brightfield Group’s Q2 2025 Wellness Report explores the evolving conversation around these topics and what it means for brands, retailers, and product developers.

Caulipower has joined forces with Pizza Hut, landing its gluten-free cauliflower crust in 250 restaurants for a limited test, deepening the brand’s foodservice presence.

IQBAR has intentionally carved out space in categories that don’t cannibalize each other as it has expanded from ecommerce into over 12,000 retail doors.

Sunnie is on a hot streak. The clean label snack brand announced it has secured $1 million in funding from Santatera Capital, just weeks after hiring its first full-time employee.

Amidst bankruptcy proceedings, Rite Aid has found a buyer for its Thrifty Payless subsidiary, which houses the Thrifty Ice Cream brand, as part of a $19.2 million transaction that also includes KPH Healthcare Services.

Nombase, the digital platform serving professionals across the food, beverage, and beer industries, just launched the Nombase Data Hub, a centralized destination for exclusive industry reports from trusted partners including CGA powered by NIQ, Agrowgate, 3 Tier Beverages, FABID, SPATE, Brightfield Group, and others.

Blue Sky Hemp Ventures has exited the food business. The company has sold its hemp ingredients division to Fresh Hemp Foods, the parent company of legacy grower Manitoba Harvest, which is owned by Tilray Wellness, for an undisclosed sum.

Joe Tea is expanding globally while building on its core base of iced teas, lemonades and chips to bring innovation to snacking and beverages.

Within a few months of its late-April launch, Khloé Kardashian’s snack brand Khloud Protein Popcorn has expanded into more than 2,500 retail doors nationwide, including Target and Sprouts Farmers Market stores. Additional distribution is planned for Wegmans, Raley’s, ShopRite and CIBO Express this month. The products also are available online on Thrive Market, GoPuff and the brand’s direct-to-consumer website.

Turkish-owned confections manufacturer Kervan USA is charging up its American production capabilities, investing $20 million into a new facility in Lehigh Valley, Pa.