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

Food and beverage industry lobbying groups filed comments with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today, ahead of this afternoon’s deadline for public response on the use of dairy terminology for plant-based products.

Oregon Ice Cream has been around for a long time, so maybe it was time to make some changes. The company announced this month a rebrand, a new pint line and the consolidation of its entire branded portfolio under its bestselling Alden’s line.

Icelandic-style yogurt brand Smári is branching out with a new line of “Icelandic Protein Coffee” drinks set to launch in March and a lower priced line of yogurt cups. Smári founder and CEO Smári Ásmundsson said the products are designed to tap into a growing consumer interest in international products.

Kiss My Keto co-founder Alexander Bird aims to make living a ketogenic or low-carb lifestyle easy for consumers. The company’s line of supplements, nutrition bars and sugar-free chocolates are designed to offer the proper macronutrient ratio to meet the needs of the keto community.

It’s time for Lily’s Sweets to blossom. So hopes the team of top industry investors and executives backing and working with the no- or low-sugar added line of chocolate. This week the confectionary brand announced the launch of new snacking products as well as a rebrand — both of which follow an investment last year by VMG and the addition of CPG veteran Jane Miller as CEO.

After two years on American shelves, snack brand The Good Crisp Company is planning to increase its stateside presence. The brand of chips, formally known as the ABC North America LLC, announced today that it has closed a round of funding by CircleUp Growth Partners, the fund managed by technology company CircleUp. The company plans to adjust its operating structure to delve further into the American market.

Tofurky CEO Jaime Athos discussed the origins of the plant-based meat brand and how it has evolved over its nearly four decades on the market. Athos also spoke about current challenges in the plant-based meat category/market, executing and learning from a brand revamp, the reason that Tofurky has resisted acquisition offers and why he believes that plant-based ham has to taste great, but doesn’t have to taste exactly like… ham.

Roughly one year after joining Forager Project as the company’s chief marketing officer, Alex Matthews has departed the plant-based food and beverage brand to launch Here Studio, a multi-faceted branding, design and CPG product development house in Los Angeles.

In this video, shot at the Winter Fancy Food Show 2019 in San Francisco earlier this month, Farmhouse Culture CEO Scott Lerner shared the company’s 2019 growth strategies with NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg.

At NOSH Live Winter 2018, Leslie Miller, Unilever’s Director of Ice Cream North America, shared how she approaches product development and category analysis for one of the top players in the ice cream set. At the heart, she said, must always be the consumer and regardless whether your company is big or small, it’s that focus that will lead a brand to succeed.

At the first-ever Cannabis Forum for Food & Beverage, a panel of four speakers — Adam Miron, co-founder and chief brand officer of HEXO; Hesaam Moallem, president and CEO of Charlotte’s Web; Errol Schweizer, co-founder and partner in mood33; and Evan Eneman, founder of Sands Lane Capital — came together to examine how cannabis is developing into a cooperative industry even at an early stage.

Less than a month after the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corporation has announced plans to invest up to $150 million to establish its first U.S. production facility in New York state. Earlier this week, Canopy announced that the Empire State had granted it a license to begin processing and producing hemp. In a press release, Canopy said it would invest between $100 million and $150 million to build a U.S. operation in New York’s Southern Tier.

This week two emerging brands — Kalahari Biltong and Ancient Nutrition — announced the appointment of new CEOs. At both companies, the executives will assume the role from founders that previously held the position.

Countertop’s mission is to bring functional ingredients and great flavor to everyday cooking. Jamie Kantrowitz, the co-founder and CEO of Countertop, aims to make it easier for consumers to elevate their meals with her line of seasonings, honeys and butters that are minimally processed and incorporate ingredients like turmeric, ginger, tulsi and moringa