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

Internationally inspired nuts, better-for-you booze and a sesame surge are among the several emerging food and beverage trend predictions for 2019 that were highlighted in a webinar hosted by data technology company SPINS on Wednesday.

Call it the Starbucks effect, but consumers now want their meals and snacks to be customized to their unique needs. As a result, brands offering these solutions found themselves as targets for acquisition and investment this week.

Despite consumers’ insistence that they want to eat healthier, classics like Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts have remained popular. Earnest Eats is hoping to offer consumers a better-for-you take on the classic with the launch of Toasties, a breakfast pastry that it believes can bring health benefits to the category.

Wanna Date? founder Melissa Bartow aims to satisfy consumers’ sweet tooth with a a line of all-natural and innovative date-based spreads. The product is allergen and vegan friendly with half the calories of nut butter, offering a healthy alternative that still feels indulgent.

As creative thinkers, chefs are filled with an infinite amount of ideas for new dishes and flavor combinations. What they don’t have is the time needed to execute on all of these ideas. Enter Render Provisions, a chef-driven line of food and beverages that partners with some of the hottest chefs in the country.

One of America’s greatest chefs, Nancy Silverton spoke about her approach to cooking and food innovation. She also explained why “having a business is not a hobby,” why she’s always trying to create food that is craveable, and how she navigates the challenges of modern marketing… aka making your restaurant bathroom “Instagrammable.”

Mexican-American family-owned food brand Siete Family Foods announced today the close of a $90 million minority investment from Stripes Group in order to help fulfill the company’s growth plan, co-founder and CEO Miguel Garza told NOSH. The brand hopes the news of the investment will inspire other firms to invest in other minority-owned and female-owned brands.

At NOSH Live, Siete co-founder and CEO Miguel Garza sat down with NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg to discuss how the family-owned business developed its own set of values, while at the same time it maintained focus and forged a new path: “living in the hyphen” as a Mexican-American brand.

In recent people moves, private equity firm VMG announced this week that Angad Hira has transitioned from his previous role of vice president to that of CFO and snack brand KIND announced that president and COO John Leahy will retire from the company.

The shift from bars to bites and bark in the confectionary space is becoming more frequent, and now another classic candy maker is joining the fray. This month 35-year-old Lake Champlain Chocolates announced it would be launching Snack Bites — a line of chocolate disks available in resealable pouches.

Jafflz founder and CEO Meryl Van Der Merwe is disrupting the frozen handheld category with a new concept, toasted sandwich pouches filled with premium ingredients. The company aims to make this unique cuisine approachable, giving mom’s a healthy and convenient alternative in the freezer aisle.

Walk any aisle at the grocery store and three trends are inescapable: protein, plant-based and snackability. Although these are staple callouts in the natural set, they’ve yet to enjoy broad adoption by specialty food providers — until now. At this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show, NOSH spotted several specialty food providers embracing these product attributes in a quest to tweak their classic specialty lines to better meet today’s consumer needs.

In January meat snack brand Field Trip announced the launch of Everything Bagel seasoned jerky. Now the new flavor will launch nationwide. Consumers also can expect to see new brands in the Whole Foods granola category.

Plant-based superfood mix brand Your Super announced today the close of a $5 million series A round of funding. Led by PowerPlant Ventures, the round also included Doehler Ventures and several angel investors. The company differentiates itself in the crowded supplement category by both focusing on ingredient sourcing and direct-to-consumer sales.