Rebranding

In the 1980s and 1990s, Ancient Harvest bordered on the revolutionary for its use of quinoa. But much changed and not only was quinoa no longer the exotic grain it once was but the pasta and grain categories shifted too, with gluten-free callouts no longer rare. But 2020 will kick off a “new era” for the brand, CEO John Becker believes, starting with a relaunch of the line, a reformulation of products and the acquisition of the Pamela’s line of gluten-free baked goods, pastas and mixes.

Gluten-free breakfast brand Love Grown wants to wake up the tired cereal aisle. The brand, which first launched its better-for-you take on the breakfast staple in 2008, sees a bright future fueled by beans and other novel, nutritionally-dense bases and is launching new packaging — a key move as it prepares to expand into Walmart early next year.

As part of a sprawling branding update, PeaTos this week debuted new packaging, a bolder design and new Crunchy Rings as it prepares to expand its distribution in the coming months.

Biscuits are well-loved — and not only in the South. Ayeshah Abuelhiga, founder and CEO of frozen better-for-you biscuit company Mason Dixie Biscuits, is globalizing the gospel of better biscuits, most recently doubling the brand’s reach into 4,200 stores throughout the U.S.

Former Shark Tank winner Pipsnacks is growing its family of heirloom corn snacks, launching new cheese balls and corn chip dippers into retail this month. The Brooklyn-born company is also rebranding its image, pivoting away from its artisanal roots as it seeks to expand.

Farmhouse Culture has gone back to basics in order to grow. Over the past eight months new CEO Scott Lerner has revamped the fermented food business — including a new look, new headquarters, and a shift away from in-house production — in an attempt to move beyond its natural channel roots. “We’ve totally retooled the business,” Lerner told NOSH.

At this week’s Summer Fancy Food Show, Schuman Cheese debuted an updated look for its Bella Rosa line of cheeses. The hope is to expand the brand nationally and attract new consumers with brightly colored new packaging and a new snackable format.

Meat snack producer Stryve doesn’t just want to be the country’s leading biltong brand; it wants to be the manufacturer of choice for the growing category. The company last week announced the close of a $16.5 million round of funding to not only grow its own brand but to grow its manufacturing facilities as well.

Conagra, America’s fourth-largest food company, revealed upcoming product innovations, homing in on healthy and sustainable solutions for snacking and mealtime.

Latin-inspired food manufacturer Teasdale Latin Foods, which says it had about $20 million in retail sales last year, is trying to rethink its offerings for the next generation of shoppers and bring more differentiation to a typically commodity-priced category.