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

Today we are diving into the anticipated appointment of Florida attorney Kyle Diamantas as the new FDA Human Foods deputy commissioner.

In this week’s notable new products roundup, organic açai bowl franchise OAKBERRY makes its supermarket debut, Japanese food tech company BASE FOOD launches in the U.S. and Daily Harvest reimagines its Bites line.

New sales channels don’t emerge often, but when TikTok Shop hit the scene two years ago, entrepreneurial CPG brands knew it was something worth paying attention to. However, as the platform has evolved, some growing pains have begun to pop up.

Less than six months since its debut, the gold-wrapped, high-protein David bar is rolling out a new recipe featuring artificial sweeteners and flavors. The brand’s co-founders, Peter Rahal and Zach Ranen, claim the new formula improves the taste, texture and shelf life and cited studies showing the safety of ingredients now used in the bars.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is already making his mark on the food system just days after his confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services. The CPG Week team discusses the big industry issues to watch during his tenure and some of the fallout already underway at the FDA.

Canadian chocolate bar brand Mid-Day Squares announced on social media it has begun buying cocoa from international suppliers using Bitcoin, with co-founder Nick Saltarelli stating that traders in many countries now “trust this method of payment more than fiat” currencies issued by governments.

A pair of California convenience stores – Alqosh Enterprises Inc. and NMRM Inc. – sued Frito-Lay and its parent PepsiCo for illegally favoring large retailers over indie shops when selling its salty snacks.

Each year, Nosh recognizes the companies, brands, individuals, products, ideas, and trends shaping the packaged food industry through our annual Best Of Awards, presented at Nosh Live. This year’s winners will be announced live on December 5 in Marina del Rey, CA.

Jim Jones abandoned his post at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, just 18 months since he took the helm as Deputy Commissioner of the agency’s Human Food program.

Private equity firm Ahimsa Companies is growing its portfolio of plant-based food brands. The company announced on Friday it has acquired frozen pizza and wings purveyor Blackbird Foods.

Food policy has undergone a major shift in recent years but as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. takes charge as the country’s top medical official, things look more uncertain than ever.

It’s Valentine’s Day and there’s some new LTOs from Ben & Jerry’s and YumEarth. We also showcase partnerships between Once Upon a Farm and A Dozen Cousins, and Perfect Bar and Jason Mraz, among other new food launches for the week.

Kraft Heinz’s top four segments each underperformed against category averages as net sales fell 4.1% and organic net sales dropped 3.1% in Q4, according to an earnings report released Wednesday. Full-year sales fell 3% alongside a 3.5% drop in volume even as the company bumped pricing up 1.4%, on average.

On this episode of CPG Week, the team explores how the convenience channel is offering fresh opportunities and new challenges to food and beverage brands.