Investment

In an industry where cash is hard to come by, but insights and experts are plenty, one expert makes a case for part-time hiring as a strategy to scale up.

NielsenIQ has joined forces with FoodHealth Co. to integrate their respective datasets, enabling brands to spot and craft pitches around the incrementality their products could bring to a retailer’s set on the basis of price, health and how those factors affect consumer purchasing habits.

Cleveland Kitchen is preparing for a period of high growth following a few years focused on consolidating manufacturing and expanding operations at its Ohio production facility. The sauerkraut slinger recently raised $2.9 million that will support brand-building initiatives as its founders aim to capitalize on heightened interest in digestive wellness and fermented flavors.

Conagra is selling off more brands, this time moving its Van de Kamp’s and Mrs. Paul’s frozen seafood brands to their co-manufacturer, High Liner Foods, in a $55 million cash deal. According to an announcement today, the deal only divests the intellectual property rights and inventory for the two brands, but does not include employees or manufacturing facilities.

Are plant-based cheese alternatives having an existential crisis after one of the biggest cheesemakers refocused its approach to the category?

Creator-backed candy company Joyride (formerly Project 7) has raised a $30 million round, per a Form D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday.

This week, the podcast team discusses the merger of two legacy cheesemakers and the exit of a major beverage alcohol distributor from a key spirits market. Next, the hosts dig into the debut of digitally-native supplement brand AG1 in physical retail and explore why the news of an energy drink startup’s new investor brings fresh opportunities for its growth goals.

There’s a new-ish manufacturer in town. After Flavor Reddy Foods grew its food manufacturing footprint via M&A in the past two years, the company is bringing the combined businesses together under one new entity, Trillium Foods.

Dr. Bronner’s has transferred ownership of its 10-SKU chocolate bar line to Magic Chocolate Inc., a new entity formed by the brand’s long-term partners to help scale the line independent of Dr. Bronner’s business.

Commerce agency Harvest Group is strengthening its position in the club channel with the acquisition of Next Step Club Solutions, a Costco-focused brokerage firm. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.