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

While the winter holidays are usually a cheery time for retailers, a spate of publicized woes might be giving natural grocery chain Whole Foods Market the grumps.

Millennium Products, Inc., the parent company of GT’s Kombucha, has acquired Tula’s CocoKefir, the maker of coconut-based kefirs and yogurts that are fermented with vegan probiotic cultures. The transaction took place earlier this year, according to Millennium Products founder GT Dave, who told BevNET, Project NOSH’s sister publication, that he has long had a fondness for Tula’s products.

The Hershey Company announced today that current EVP and COO Michele Buck will succeed John Bilbrey as the next President and CEO of the company. Other brands including Sonoma Brands, Hip Chick Farms and Yesway also added new talent to their teams.

Evoke Healthy Foods is officially launching a new line of single-serve muesli packs on January 2, according to founder Ian Szalinski.

In an effort to reduce food waste nationwide, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a new recommendation to food and beverage companies to use the term “best if used by” in their date coding. But how will this shift change consumer and retailer habits?

Over the past two months, several retail and consumer data providers have announced programs and partnerships to help manufacturers with decision-making.

At a time when even the most routine of ingredients is required to have a “clean” aura, a leading ingredient company has glommed up some clean-label gums.

It’s been two months since celebrity-backed baking mix brand Foodstirs announced that CPG veteran Greg Fleishman would be joining the team as COO and stepping back from a full time role at Purely Righteous Brands, the management consultancy and marketing firm he co-founded with longtime friend Andrew Aussie in 2013. But even with Fleishman working as the COO at Foodstirs, he will still be involved in client projects, he and Aussie told NOSH during a recent interview.

It’s like playing Russian Roulette. With food. At least, that’s the opinion of one scientist.

FOODMatch is raising the bar on its Mediterranean diet offerings. FoodMatch, which produces, imports, and distributes a variety of Mediterranean products, including olives, antipasti, and other ingredients, is stretching further into the realm of the so-called “Mediterranean Diet” via a partnership announced with Austin, Texas-based Wella Bar.

Just five months after a shakeup that led to the appointment of a temporary CEO, Hail Merry has filled the job full time. The vegan, dessert-centric, snack brand Hail Merry announced the hire of CPG veteran Andy Malloy as CEO today.

After a year spent in development and design, Los Angeles-based Cabo Chips is launching a line of fresh tortillas and a rebrand of its line of chips. It’s a move that the brand hopes will help it capitalize on the rising popularity of Hispanic foods with American consumers.

The chickpea brownie company that launched at Expo East in 2015 is changing its name to Rule Breaker Snacks on January 1, according to founder Nancy Kalish.

When longtime friends Gwen Burlingame and Katy Flannery launched their lactose-free ice cream, Minus the Moo, at Boston’s South End Open Market in 2015, the duo never expected that in less than two years they’d both be working full time to expand their passion project.