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

Influencers and celebrities have been entering the alcohol and coffee markets at a rapid pace over the past few years, and now, they’ve set their sights on snacks.

A Dozen Cousins announced today it has been acquired by rice and bean manufacturer Verde Valle Foods, the U.S. subsidiary of Verde Valle.

Leading U.S. kefir brand Lifeway Foods had its 22nd consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth, with net sales up 3.3% to $46.1 million, in its Q1 2025 earnings report this morning.

From an expansion of mini-meal occasions to a prioritization of better-for-you options, SNAC International’s annual state of the industry report dug into the trends shaping sales growth in the snack industry.

VMG Partners closed its sixth fund at its “target and hard cap” of $1 billion, the growth equity firm announced today. VMG Partners VI, L.P. (VMG Consumer VI) is backed by returning and new limited partners, according to general partner Robin Tsai.

Opollo Farm is the first partnership project between food tech startup OnePointOne and robotic warehousing company AutoStore to automate and scale vertical farming.

The chocolate category is consolidating. Today, branded and private label chocolate manufacturer Chocolate Works announced its acquisition of 150-year-old Thompson Chocolate, which produces specialty and foil-wrapped chocolate novelties.

Whether you’re walking the show floor or tracking updates from your phone, Nosh has you covered for all things Sweets & Snacks. Ahead of the show, which opens tomorrow, we’re tracking two of the biggest trends in the candy space: protein and freeze-dried.

Danone has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Kate Farms, makers of a range of plant-based nutrition products for both medical and retail channels.

Though avian flu cases have steadily declined over the past few months, there’s still no relief in sight for egg prices. Vital Farms, the largest U.S. producer of pasture-raised eggs, announced upcoming price increases in its Q1 2025 earnings report yesterday.

The quarterly reports continue to roll in and our team has had an ear to the conference calls all week, parsing out profits from puffery. Here’s a rundown of what we’ve learned about the state of CPG over the past week (or so):

In this week’s notable new products roundup, Bachan’s kicks up the flavor with Karate Kid: Legends, Cheez-It dives into the frozen pizza space and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams embraces a more convenient form factor.

In this reviews roundup, we take a bite out of Two Spoons’ no-sugar-added ice cream, Harken Sweets’ Lil’ Ones and Sour Blobs low-calorie candy.

Mary’s Gone Crackers, a manufacturer of organic gluten-free snacks founded in 2004, has been acquired by Rosseau Incorporated, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Canadian food conglomerate Dare Foods Limited.