Manufacturing

Snack manufacturer Maine Crisp Company is eying new baked goods categories as it seeks to scale with the support of a new production facility, distribution gains, updated packaging and an expanded leadership team.

After a recent $2.5 million raise, packaging platform Impacked is bringing the trade show to CPG brands 365 days a year by building the industry’s first one-stop digital marketplace in an effort to fix an antiquated and fractured sourcing model.

In this roundup: KIND is cleared in ‘All-Natural” class action suit, Kashi sued for misleading consumers with pear-filled, strawberry-flavored bars, Kellogg’s served for not putting enough whole grains in crackers and Sabra sued to remove its Kosher mark.

Meat companies are making blended meat and vegetable burgers and sausages catering to the flexitarian lifestyle but the success of the niche category depends a lot on how brands strategize their marketing to health and sustainability-minded consumers.

Plant-based food and beverage maker Laird Superfood introduced a new format to its portfolio with the goal of giving consumers a plastic-free approach to single-serve functional coffee. Today, the company announced the launch of Bright Cups, a proprietary Keurig-compatible pod format made from BPI-certified compostable materials and filled with Laird’s Focus Mushroom Coffee.

Frozen entree and appetizer brand Real Good Foods (RGF) announced today the opening of its second production facility in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The move comes after the publicly traded company has brought the majority of its manufacturing in-house in an effort to improve its cost structure, margins and profitability.

While it’s been a tumultuous path for Thrive Oil, it seems the road goes no further — Its current owner, ingredient company Corbion, announced the algae-based product line has been discontinued.

An innovative, novel ingredient — such as a fermented protein found inside volcanic rock — can be difficult to explain. As a result, ingredient suppliers often find themselves creating or evolving into CPG brands to showcase their unique ingredients before outside brands are willing to commit. It’s a move that can help drive ingredient sales, but also requires new capital, skills, labor and time to execute.

The small but mighty chia seed has increasingly moved beyond beverages, bars and the bulk bin toward savory snacks and breakfast food as consumers seek added function from everyday foods. But after a temporary boom in attention during the middle of the last decade, under brands like Health Warrior, the Chia Company, and Mamma Chia, the ingredient still hasn’t fully reached the masses.

Sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make a plant-based omelette. When JUST — then known as Hampton Creek — started up roughly a decade ago, founder Josh Tetrick wanted to shake up the food industry. While his goal has remained the same, the path has changed. The company has expanded its strategy beyond its own branded products to form strategic partnerships with a focus on ingredients as the way forward. To start, the company announced this week a new food service partnership with Michael Foods, a subsidiary of Post Holdings and one of the largest processors of egg products in the world.