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

Organic high pressure processed (HPP) baby food company Pure Spoon may be focused on tot-sized consumers, but its business received a boost — and some advice — after closing a financing round earlier this month. The Texas-based company received substantial investment from both Keen Growth Capital and Veritas Family Partners.

Like so many aspiring brands, The Soulfull Project made its national debut at the Natural Products Expo West show last week. Though the company wore its social mission as a badge of pride, occupying a lower-rent space in the ballroom of the Hilton rather than on the more expensive floor of the Anaheim Convention Center, it did little to flaunt the roots of its founding team. The four-person company is actually a part of a CPG giant: The Campbell Soup Company.

Processed cheese — think “pasteurized processed cheese food,” like Velveeta — is coming to the natural channel. Calling it a clean label cheese solution, Kerry is allowing customers to remove all unrecognizable ingredients from their cheese products or menu items that offer the familiar appearance (i.e. light orange), aroma and taste of processed cheese products — without the artificial ingredients and coloring. Kerry showcased the product at Natural Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., last week.

During a discussion at the 2017 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., both longtime leaders and rising entrepreneurs spoke about how they’re positioning their companies to not only be successful financially, but also as part of a raised social consciousness.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is looking to equivalency trade arrangements as a way to increase more organic options on shelves. During a Natural Products Expo West event last week in Anaheim, Calif. Monique Marez, the OTA’s director of international trade, said it is just a question of standards.

Darren Tristano, president of restaurant research and consulting firm Technomics, talked to NOSH during this month’s New England Foods Show in Boston, Mass. about the ways food service can be a profitable space for CPG companies and how brands can better position their products as ingredients in restaurants, be it limited service, fast-casual or full service.

Several notable natural food brands accepted investment to help secure its place in the future of the food. This month, Wild Friends, Chia Viva! and Incredible Foods announced investment from industry legends to help scale each of its own products and growth.

Modern Table is ready to take center plate with a reformulation and rebranding of their protein pastas and meal kits, as well as the launch of a new line of mac-and-cheese.

The branded frozen fish meal kit company announced Wednesday that actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has joined the team as an investor and advisory board member.

Two generations of food company executives have come together in a new fund whose purpose is to help build the next set of natural food brands.

One of natural food’s newest parent-brand companies is adding to its tribe. Tribe 9 Foods announced this week that it will now house RP’s Pasta Company, Yumbutter and Ona under its company umbrella. To finance the merger, the company raised $2 million in growth capital from Natural Food Partners, LLC.

When it came time for meat snack company Wilde Brand to make the leap from its first product (a line of roasted, lean meat bars) co-founder and CEO Jason Wright wanted to take a different, crunchier path. At this year’s Expo West the brand will launch a unique chicken-based chip.

The fruit-and-grain pouch leader, Munk Pack, is making its first foray into protein with a shelf stable prepackaged cookie. Meanwhile, Flapjacked, which has always focused on protein within its range of pancake and muffin lines, is positioning its cookie in the baking mix space.

In this NOSH Voices Zachary DeAngelo looks at the historic valuations the industry is seeing and why, in his opinion, high valuations aren’t good for anyone because they set unrealistic expectations for how success is defined.