Manufacturing

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.

As CPG e-commerce grows, and new brands need to quickly scale, siloed, manual supply chains create a huge issue — one that software hub Anvyl is looking to simplify for brands and suppliers.

Earlier this week NOSH Live Summer 2019 kicked off in NYC with a “boot camp” for food businesses. Attendees absorbed tips and strategies from a team of business experts, ranging from navigating e-commerce and branding to understanding how to build teams.

For a natural remedy meant to ease anxiety, the CBD market has become a place of confusion — not calm. On Friday, the FDA held its first hearing on cannabis products, including CBD food and drink products.

For the first time small companies with revenues under $1 billion make up more than half of IRI’s New Product Pacesetters report, which was released yesterday. The research firm’s 23rd annual Pacesetters report lists 2018’s most successful new food and beverage product launches in both major retail and convenience stores, as well as non-food by multi-outlet dollar sales.

During its recent 2019 annual shareowners’ meeting and its 2019 first quarter earnings call, Kellogg, the largest cereal company in the U.S., shared details of its financial performance following a challenging year for the category.