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

Talk about a bar brawl. What constitutes a “healthy” product has long been contested in the snack industry, but a recent back-and-forth on the issue between KIND Snacks and Clif Bar has expanded the debate.

During the company’s annual investor meeting, Starbucks Coffee today announced the launch of Valor Siren Ventures L.P. (VSV), a new $100 million fund to support “the next generation of food and retail start-up companies.”

With only seconds to capture consumers’ eyes on shelf, a product’s packaging is vitally important. At this year’s Natural Products Expo West brands rolled out new packaging, logos and branding that emphasized product attributes such as better ingredients, taste and heritage.

This year’s annual Natural Products Expo West drew over 85,000 attendees to view the latest products and innovations in natural food. In this video, BevNET editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman and NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg go beyond new products to discuss some of the key themes that could be deduced from the show floor; they talk about the move of CBD into food, the uptake of a variety of plant-based products, and where the ketogenic diet is taking new product development.

Kodiak Cakes CEO Joel Clark will be the first to admit that entrepreneurship isn’t a part-time job. For years, he tried to run the pancake mix brand as a side business while pursuing a graduate degree and a consulting career. In this episode, Clark spoke about how commitment, innovation and swimming in the “Shark Tank” played into the evolution of Kodiak Cakes, which eclipsed $100 million in sales in 2018.

While there were plenty of buzzy, ketogenic, CBD-enhanced, cauliflower-based products lurking in Expo booths, if you looked deeper, several larger themes within the natural food industry emerged — including retail channel strategies, the effects of integrated sets and sleepy categories seeing new attention.

Boulder Food Group, a venture capital firm that recently launched a $100 million fund, is looking to invest in early-stage and innovative food and beverage brands. So how do you get their attention?

Despite the already wide array of choices in the set, the bar category continues to see new entrants thanks to growing sales. To learn more about some of the bar launches, redesigns and new flavors seen on the Expo West show floor, view the gallery below.

Last year CPG giant Mondelēz tasked its innovation and venture arm SnackFutures with the goal of generating $100 million dollars in growth by 2022. At Expo West 2019 NOSH Editor Carol Ortenberg sat down with SnackFutures’ head of innovation Brigette Wolf to discuss the group’s mandate and how it hopes to achieve that goal.

Michael Pan is the founder of Panco Foods, the maker of Pan’s Mushroom Jerky. The plant-based snack is based on a family recipe from Malaysia that utilizes umami shiitake mushrooms to create a meat alternative.

Last fall cookie manufacturer Lenny and Larry agreed to settle a suit that alleged it’s protein-enhanced cookies only had 4 to 9 grams of protein, versus the 16 grams of protein stated on the nutrition facts panel. Although the settlement had moved forward, with a fairness hearing scheduled for this month, last month the U.S. Department of Justice’ Consumer Protection Branch urged the courts to reject the reject the settlement deal.

It can take a little ingenuity to get consumers to buy a new product. Over the past decade, that’s the (sometimes hard) lesson Jonathan Wolfson and Mark Brooks, have learned. Last week the duo launched their new brain health-focused company, Ingenuity Brands, and its first product line, Brainiac Kids.

Justin’s founder Justin Gold spoke about his decision to stay with the brand following its $286 million acquisition by Hormel Foods. Along with a discussion on how a new take on a familiar snack and a key hire were game-changers for the brand, Gold also explained his belief that making a lot of money and having a mission to change the world are not mutually exclusive.

Since its launch in 2016, Sonoma Brands’ Zupa Noma has refined its packaging, sales strategy and messaging. Now they’re trying for a new name and product approach, rebranding as Medlie and launching a line of vegetable “mashes” which are vegetable blends that can be eaten as a snack or used as a spread or dip.