Innovation

Brands exhibiting at Newtopia Now, held Aug. 21 to 22 in Denver, are embracing gut health across various product claims from “low-FODMAP” to “high-fiber” to “heartburn-friendly,” and in a broad range of product applications. “Gut-healthy” chili crisp, anyone?

It seems that mushrooms are in everything these days, from coffee to chocolate bars. But after years of innovation and expansion, are consumers any closer to truly embracing functional shrooms as their snack of choice?

No bones about it – bone broth has been gaining steam for about a decade now, championed as a natural source of collagen, amino acids and minerals. Although bone broth has evolved into a well-established category on its own, several exhibiting brands at Newtopia Now this week in Denver are moving beyond the bottle – or jar or carton – to bring bone broth’s benefits to snacks and other applications.

The frozen meal maker is introducing its “most ambitious brand refresh” in its 15-year history, according to founder and CEO Adnan Durrani, as it aims to align with today’s consumer trends, including the growing anti-seed oil sentiment and an insatiable appetite for protein.

A new wave of better-for-you ice cream is filling up the frozen aisle, aligning with trends to high-protein and clean-label formulations.

Premier Protein’s stronger-than-expected ecommerce performance helped drive growth at BellRing Brands in Q2, as net sales increased 6% to over $540 million, according to an earnings statement from the company released Tuesday morning.

Schuman Cheese and GOOD PLANeT Foods have entered into a joint venture, GPV Foods, to scale their respective plant-based cheese businesses.

On the CPG Week podcast, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard discuss Keurig Dr Pepper’s acquisition of Dyla Brands, the legal drama surrounding veteran-owned Black Rifle Coffee Company, and formation of a new collective advocating for higher standards across the food system, and the challenges and triumphs of dehydrated fruit company BranchOut Food.

On the CPG Week podcast, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Brad Avery discuss the acquisitions of Tia Lupita and Health-Ade Kombucha, new directions for the biggest beverage makers, and how Hero saved the day when Whole Foods ended its supply agreement with BetterBrand.

In this reviews roundup, we gobble up a fishy new addition to the David protein bar line, Jams’ high-protein take on Uncrustables, and Crisp Power protein-packed pretzel snacks.