Innovation
Featured Innovation Content
Beyond CEO Brown: Protein Drink Pivot Hopes to Flip the Script for Brand
When Beyond Meat announced in January that it had developed its first ever beverage product, a protein drink line called Beyond Immerse, it was a move that appeared to come out of left field.
Harken Sweets Scores Major Kroger Expansion Backed by Selva Ventures
Harken Sweets, armed with new capital from Selva Ventures, is readying a major retail expansion with Kroger, adding roughly 2,000 doors and bringing its total retail footprint to around 7,500 stores.
How Manufacturing Is Fueling Jackson’s ‘Rocket Ship’ Growth
Seed oil-free snack brand Jackson’s is using its manufacturing structure to fuel innovations and new distribution channels.
Additional Content
Target Takes Ten Brands for Accelerator Cohort
Target announced its Takeoff Food and Beverage Accelerator program class of 2023. The mentorship program will help 10 emerging food and beverage brands successfully improve branding and marketing strategies.
Moving into Meals, Omsom Takes a ‘Saucy’ Approach to Instant Noodles
Omsom is taking its unique branding approach to the quick-ready meal category with a 4-SKU line of Saucy Noodles, marking the brand’s first major line extension since the company hit the market in May 2020.
Kraft Heinz Enters U.S. Spice Biz In Search of Incremental Sales
Seeking to add $2 billion in incremental sales from North American innovation efforts, Kraft Heinz Company announced plans to enter a new category in the U.S with the stateside launch of Just Spices.
In Bloom: Influencer-Led Nutrition Brand Launches Protein Bar
Los Angeles-based wellness brand Bloom Nutrition is branching out from powdered supplements with a four-SKU line of protein bars marking the influencer-driven company’s first foray into snack foods.
From Granola to Bars: How Forij Is Doubling Down on Cognitive Health With “A More Palatable” Position
After three years spent working to generate awareness for its adaptogen-infused granolas, Forij is now looking to develop a wider-reaching platform with the release of a line of meal replacement bars.
Mind Blown Plant-Based Seafood Charts Course for Foodservice Expansion
As the market for plant-based seafood outpaces the overall meat alternatives category, The Plant Based Seafood Co. – maker of Mind Blown – is setting sail for national expansion this year with new innovation and a focus on foodservice.
ADM Partners With Believer Meats To Help Scale Cultured Proteins
After previously investing in the cultured meat company Believer Meats, Archer Midland Daniels has entered a new partnership with the Israel-based food tech company to help develop and commercialize cell-cultured protein products.
Concentrated Growth: Brands See Future in New Alt-Dairy Format
The alt-dairy industry has staked a claim among nearly a third of American consumers and within that new wave of plant-based milks, a handful of brands are hoping to disrupt conventional thinking around how such products are packaged and sold.
Brewing a Broader Audience: Influencer-Fronted Coffee Brands Seek to Make Specialty Coffee More Accessible
Over recent years, influencer-fronted brands like Chamberlain Coffee and Top of The Mornin’ Coffee, among others, have made inroads with younger coffee drinkers that may find the space intimidating or unwelcoming. New entrants continue to emerge: In November, sports podcast Pardon My Take host and Barstool Sports star Dan “Big Cat” Katz launched Stella Blue Coffee, named after his rescue dog. Three months later, TikTok star Chris Olsen introduced Flight Fuel.
PepsiCo Seeking Hispanic-owned F&B For Greenhouse Accelerator Juntos Crecemos Edition
PepsiCo’s first ever Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition is intended to help drive growth for startup Hispanic-owned food and beverage businesses. This is the first time that the program has focused specifically on a social equity cause.