Innovation

The specialty food industry said “aloha” to a handful of Hawaii-based brands during the Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas this week. A cohort of exhibitors from the University of Hawaii Leeward Community College’s ‘Āina to Mākeke program showcased locally produced and heritage-inspired snacks and pantry staples.

Purely Elizabeth Cookie Granola was the biggest new product line launched in the granola category last year, creating new eating occasions for a segment traditionally tied to the morning meal and propelling the brand’s sales up 85% year-over year, according to SPINS data. This week, Purely Elizabeth expanded the cookie-inspired granola line with the addition of a peanut butter recipe, crafted with organic oats, coconut sugar, coconut oil, chia seeds and maple syrup.

What’s in and what is on its way out for packaged food in 2025? A panel of industry experts weighed in on what trends are hot, which are simmering and which ones are cooling off.

With the “Ozempic Era” in full swing, an increasing number of U.S. consumers are using appetite-suppressing GLP-1 drugs and, overall, eating less, particularly sweets, sugary drinks, carbs, and dairy products. But is this paradigm shift temporary, or does it signal a lasting impact for the packaged food industry? And how are manufacturers and retailers responding to the trend?

Be weird, be fun, and remember “buyers are people, too.” That’s the message shared by Jen Zeszut, co-founder and CEO of Goodles, and Genevieve Gilbreath, co-founder and managing partner of Springdale Ventures, during a discussion at Nosh Live Winter 2024.

The CPG Week team is capping the year with a discussion about BevNET and Nosh Best of 2024 Awards, which were announced during the live events in early December.

Mesquite may be best known for barbecue, but the plant also produces nutritious pods that can stand in for cocoa beans in chocolate recipes. Enter Mez Foods, a Chicago-based startup that is championing the ingredient in a line of premium tablet bars that are made with mesquite bean flour, plus illipe butter, chufa flour, pea and rice protein fermented by shiitake mycelium, sugar, carob powder and oat fiber.

It’s no secret that the plant-based meat category has faced some strong headwinds of late. But Somerville, Mass.-based startup Tender Food believes it has developed a lower-cost, more animal-like product that it says can disrupt the space and help right the ship for meat alternatives – and it’s brought on former Oatly president Mike Messersmith to lead the charge.

Nosh talked to new snack brand Little Latke about launching a culturally significant food into a recognizable category and how learning is the most important part of the process.

Daily Crunch Sweet & Spicy Sichuan Sprouted Cashews & Edamame is debuting at Whole Foods Market. The snack mix features sprouted cashews and crispy edamame seasoned with Fly By Jing Mala Spice Mix, which has Sichuan chili pepper, coconut sugar, salt, garlic, mushroom powder and spices.