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

This week natural products retailer Whole Foods Market received a warning letter from the FDA for numerous “serious violations” of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations for manufacturing, packing or holding food.

Last week, Healthy Skoop, which produces plant-based nutrition powders, announced a $1.1 million dollar raise from new investment group Seurat Capital (a division of CPG consulting brand The Seurat Group). Skoop, which was founded in 2013, is the brainchild of beverage entrepreneurs Dr. James Rouse and Greg Stroh.

In this interview with Errol Schweizer, a strategic advisor for natural product companies and new member of the Board of Directors for Demeter, Project NOSH explores the growing popularity of biodynamic products. Schweizer discusses why he joined the organization (which is the U.S. certifying body for biodynamic farms and products), why he wants to see more biodynamic products and what challenges the movement faces.

At the Project NOSH event in Brooklyn next week, growing entrepreneurial food brands will have the opportunity to consider all manner of investment partnerships, as well as the merits of avoiding them altogether.

At this year’s Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago, both natural and conventional brands highlighted their natural, organic, sustainable or healthy confections.

At this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago, there certainly was a bonanza of candy, confections and chocolate to be had. But the other half of the equation, the snack industry and brands, weren’t about to take a backseat. While there certainly was a sweet bent to many of the snack products, salty had its place as well. Click through to see some of the snacks we crunched our way through at the expo.

A key part of Project NOSH Brooklyn is that attendees are harvesting a rich opportunity for networking with speakers, fellow entrepreneurs and suppliers, which is why we’ve teamed up with our friends at Food Force to add a cocktail reception at the end of the day.

As the summer picks up, several natural, organic, sustainable and healthy brands have been picked up by major retailers to round out their sets and appeal to consumers seeking cleaner options.

Kite Hill, which produces plant-based alternatives to dairy products, closed an $18 million investment today led by General Mills’ venture arm, 301 Inc, and CAVU Ventures, a partnership between Clayton Christopher, Rohan Oza and Brett Thomas. The brand, which is only three years old, produces yogurt, cream cheese, aged cheeses and cheese-filled ravioli, all made with almond milk.

First Lady Michelle Obama – who has played an active role in efforts to update the Nutrition Facts panel since 2014 – said the label changes “make a real difference in providing families across the country information they need to make healthy choices.”

Demonstrating the ongoing interest in next-generation food brands, CPG giant Hormel today announced the acquisition of natural nut butter and snack maker Justin’s for $286 million. Justin Gold, Founder of Justin’s, told Project NOSH that the brand admires Hormel’s success and looks forward to learning from the larger company.

R.e.d.d, a Portland, Maine-based company, announced today it had added two flavors to its superfood energy bar line and raised $1 million dollars from investors including Dan Nordstrom, CEO of Outdoor Enthusiast, and Greg Hanson, Founder and Managing Partner. Nordstrom and Hanson will both hold seats on R.e.d.d.’s Board of Directors and the capital will go towards marketing, production and distribution.

The food and beverage industry hasn’t been one to shy away from crowdfunding models to date, either via donations on sites like Kickstarter or investment platforms like CircleUp.

The Project NOSH conference in Brooklyn has added some significant food for thought with the addition of an inspiring conversation with Krave Jerky and Sonoma Brands founder Jon Sebastiani and a special presentation from retailing information provider SPINS on the snack category.