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

Emphasizing environmental and nutritional transparency for the labels and ingredients in both its chocolate and snacking lineups, the confectionary giant announced a sweeping set of changes from sourcing to packaging that the company hopes will give consumers more choices.

Getting kids to eat their vegetables can be a tricky proposition, even for venture capitalists. Recognizing this challenge, some investors are betting on brands, like Kidfresh, that help parents make mealtime a little easier. Kidfresh announced Monday it’s taken in a roughly $10 million Series B equity round for its line of frozen foods with hidden vegetables.

Earth Day is observed each year on April 22 to raise awareness about climate issues spanning from technology and energy to agriculture and food. But for some companies, one day a year isn’t enough. These seven brands — like others in the industry — exemplify what Earth Day is about the other 364, too.

The Illinois-based brand introduced its new line of USDA organic powdered bone broth on Wednesday. The launch comes less than two weeks after the company announced its expansion into over 790 Vitamin Shoppes nationwide.

Few consumer brands have gone from zero to $1 billion as fast as Chobani yogurt. Kyle O’Brien led the sales charge at Chobani, leading its revenue growth and transformation into the largest yogurt brand in the U.S. — and he’ll lead a discussion on fast growth at NOSH Live, taking place in Manhattan on Monday, June 12.

PowerPlant Ventures has looked to coconuts, greens, pea protein and algae, and now the private equity group is betting on beans — and rehabilitation. The venture fund announced today it had acquired Beanfields, a line of rice and bean-based chips. The brand was acquired by a coalition of investors including Zico founder Mark Rampolla, media and CPG investor Bruce Friedman and PowerPlant Ventures, where Rampolla is a partner.

When Mark Ramadan and Scott Norton, the co-founders of high-end condiment company Sir Kensington’s, were introduced to Kees Kruythoff, President of Unilever North America, they went into the meeting with the mindset that their company was not for sale. Five months later, the seven-year-old company announced today that it had been purchased the CPG giant, which owns some of the largest brands in the world — including erstwhile competitor Hellman’s, as well as Ben & Jerry’s, Lipton and Breyer’s.

Now armed with cash and plans for growth, plant-based nutrition bar company D’s Naturals is taking the next step in its “no cow revolution” with the hiring of health and wellness veteran Chris Hickey as CEO.

With consumer desire for healthy and natural items firmly solidified, Hy-Vee announced it is ready to expand its HealthMarket to a wider array of its stores. The expansion is part of several corporate restructuring efforts at the company’s West Des Moines headquarters.

Amplify Snack Brands, the company behind SkinnyPop Popcorn, and snack giant Snyder’s-Lance began a legal battle over the word “skinny” last week. Amplify filed a federal trademark infringement and unfair competition lawsuit against Snyder’s over the company’s plans to start selling its newly acquired popcorn brand, Metcalfe’s Skinny, in the U.S.

While traditional dishes at the Passover Seder table may stay the same from generation to generation, food brands don’t have the luxury of remaining complacent. As consumer dietary trends shift and new brands come to market, stalwart brands must also adjust their Passover offerings to remain contemporary.

Specialty represents nearly 15 percent of all food sales at retail, and, for the first time, this sector’s sales in multi-unit grocery and mass merchants outpaced the growth of sales in natural and specialty chains, according to the Specialty Food Association’s annual State of the Industry report released Wednesday.

Natural brands are on the hunt to replace the mainstream confectionary in consumers’ Easter baskets this year. As the desire for cleaner, better-for-you products has become more mainstream and gained traditional retailer support, natural candy companies have hopped to capitalize on seasonal holidays.

Financing growth takes money. Here is a look at four companies — Love Grown, Kar’s Nuts, Custom Made Meals and Passport Food Group — that have all been acquired or launched strategic partnerships in the last month to further grow and scale their brands.