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

Less than six months since its debut, the gold-wrapped, high-protein David bar is rolling out a new recipe featuring artificial sweeteners and flavors. The brand’s co-founders, Peter Rahal and Zach Ranen, claim the new formula improves the taste, texture and shelf life and cited studies showing the safety of ingredients now used in the bars.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is already making his mark on the food system just days after his confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services. The CPG Week team discusses the big industry issues to watch during his tenure and some of the fallout already underway at the FDA.

Canadian chocolate bar brand Mid-Day Squares announced on social media it has begun buying cocoa from international suppliers using Bitcoin, with co-founder Nick Saltarelli stating that traders in many countries now “trust this method of payment more than fiat” currencies issued by governments.

A pair of California convenience stores – Alqosh Enterprises Inc. and NMRM Inc. – sued Frito-Lay and its parent PepsiCo for illegally favoring large retailers over indie shops when selling its salty snacks.

Each year, Nosh recognizes the companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas, and trends shaping the packaged food industry through our annual Best Of Awards, presented at Nosh Live. This year’s winners will be announced live on December 5 in Marina del Rey, CA.

Jim Jones abandoned his post at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, just 18 months since he took the helm as Deputy Commissioner of the agency’s Human Food program.

Private equity firm Ahimsa Companies is growing its portfolio of plant-based food brands. The company announced on Friday it has acquired frozen pizza and wings purveyor Blackbird Foods.

Food policy has undergone a major shift in recent years but as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. takes charge as the country’s top medical official, things look more uncertain than ever.

It’s Valentine’s Day and there’s some new LTOs from Ben & Jerry’s and YumEarth. We also showcase partnerships between Once Upon a Farm and A Dozen Cousins, and Perfect Bar and Jason Mraz, among other new food launches for the week.

Kraft Heinz’s top four segments each underperformed against category averages as net sales fell 4.1% and organic net sales dropped 3.1% in Q4, according to an earnings report released Wednesday. Full-year sales fell 3% alongside a 3.5% drop in volume even as the company bumped pricing up 1.4%, on average.

On this episode of CPG Week, the team explores how the convenience channel is offering fresh opportunities and new challenges to food and beverage brands.

Food technology company Oobli has aligned with ingredient supplier Ingredion in a deal that will help scale its operations and client base and support new product development.

Oatly CEO Jean-Christophe Flatin predicted that the Swedish plant milk business will have its first year of profitable growth since going public in 2025, praising the company’s efforts to improve its supply chain and overhead structure during its Q4 and full year 2024 earnings report this morning.

The latest episode of Elevator Talk features leaders from Breakin Snacks, Little Latke, Pink Salt, beituti and Smoodies. Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates. Our special co-host is Caroline Grace, the founder & CEO of Product & Prosper, who shared her thoughts, questions and feedback with the participants.