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

A congressional hearing on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s department budget became a flashpoint for protestors, including 74-year-old Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen, who was arrested after interrupting the proceedings to denounce the war in Gaza.

On the show floor at Sweets & Snacks Expo 2025, discussions ranged from injecting new life into classic snack categories to addressing looming tariffs.

Whipnotic is rolling into Target this month, as the mass retailer expands its whipped topping set beyond private label. The startup – founded by sisters Lori Gitomer and Tracy Luckow – is slated to join store brand Favorite Day on shelves at 250 locations initially with plans to triple that footprint by year-end.

On this episode, the CPG Week podcast team digs into the declines of two prominent plant-based brands before discussing the acquisitions of Mary’s Gone Crackers and Kate Farms. Next, the hosts highlight the latest celebrity to launch a coffee brand. (Maybe a hot sauce would have been more appropriate?).

Today, the plant-based dairy creamery is rolling out its latest innovation – an Unsweetened, plain Greek-style yogurt – as proof it is possible to balance high levels of plant-derived protein while maintaining a product’s palatability.

It started with a simple bag of grain. Later that grain was processed into chips. But the fun really ramped up when Yolélé turned fonio into a limited-edition beer.

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.