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

Meat snack producer Stryve doesn’t just want to be the country’s leading biltong brand; it wants to be the manufacturer of choice for the growing category. The company last week announced the close of a $16.5 million round of funding to not only grow its own brand but to grow its manufacturing facilities as well.

Former Anheuser-Busch InBev chief marketing officer Miguel Patricio has been tapped to lead The Kraft Heinz Company as its next CEO. Patricio, who will supplant outgoing Kraft Heinz CEO Bernardo Hees on July 1, 2019, spent about two decades with A-B InBev.

In the rapidly evolving industry of better-for-you food, companies must always be ready to embrace change or risk being left behind. And regardless of company size, those shifts can cause growing pains or result in turmoil if not handled with care. At NOSH Live Summer 2019 Jane Miller, the CEO of Lily’s Sweets, will equip attendees with ways to manage that change, whether that’s dealing with downsizing or rapid growth.

The company initially announced its IPO in November 2018; over the past month it has submitted updated filings that provide more insight into the company’s sales and progress to date, as well as its plans for the future.

Despite its long association with diet food, two legacy dairy brands think cottage cheese is ready for a comeback. To modernize the snack, they’re looking to non-traditional, savory flavors.

In the land of the cannabis entrepreneur, the size of the approach varies wildly, with play ranging from small providers to industrial operations. Michael Hayford, the CEO of Lighthouse Strategies — the company behind Cannabiniers — will be joining the Cannabis Forum, Presented by BevNET and NOSH, to speak about an operation of audacious size.

Plant-based protein, dairy’s efforts to regain relevance, and the continued ascent of CBD and hemp were a few of the major trends to emerge from Natural Products Expo West 2019, according to a show recap presented yesterday by market research group SPINS.

Just over a month after taking a stake in Uplift Foods, Mondelēz announced today its second investment in Hu Master Holdings, the parent company of both CPG brand Hu Products and fast-casual restaurant concept Hu Kitchen. Hu Chairman and Co-Founder Jason Karp told NOSH the investment will allow the emerging brand to scale and increase accessibility of its products.

Back to the Roots this week announced the launch of its Organic Hemp Starter Grow Kit. The kit allows consumers to grow five hemp plants that can be used to produce hemp oil, hemp tea or hemp hearts.

Brenden Schaefer is the Founder & CEO of Bright Foods, a line of refrigerated bars made with whole organic fruits and vegetables, adaptogens, probiotics and prebiotics. The brand’s clean label, vegan and gluten-free HPP products launched less than a year ago in Whole Foods.

Clayton Christopher, the founder of Sweet Leaf Tea and Deep Eddy Vodka, told BevNET that he’d left an active role within the CAVU organization earlier this year, although he is continuing to work as a board member and advisor to the brands in his portfolio from CAVU’s first two investment pools.

Organic food producer Tessemae’s is ready to move on to the next stage — a warmer one. Today the brand announced it will begin selling shelf-stable products with the launch of Tessemae’s Pantry, a new line of salad dressings. The company is also reformulating its condiments line to be shelf-stable.

Conagra, America’s fourth-largest food company, revealed upcoming product innovations, homing in on healthy and sustainable solutions for snacking and mealtime.

The NOSH Live Summer 2019 audience will learn how to break through the digital clutter and resonate with consumers that are increasingly turning to e-commerce. Guided by Arthur Sevilla, Pinterest’s Head of CPG Strategy, conference attendees will explore how they can go beyond a simple transaction and create authentic experiences that engage inspired buyers.