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In the latest episode of Elevator Talk, we feature leaders from Creamalicious, Wellious, Wildland Coffee, Graza, and Kahenmei. Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates. This week’s special co-host is Brandon Partridge, a principal with 202 Consumer Ventures, who shared his thoughts, questions and feedback with the participants.

While the CPG community is making its way back to Anaheim for the first in-person Natural Products Expo West since 2019, many brands are geared up and plenty of new product launches are already rolling in. Here’s an early preview of some of the new products debuting at the show you should check out.

Over the past two years visibility and support for mission-driven companies has been on the rise as consumer demand for purpose-forward products increases. To further support these interests, CPG companies and retailers both large and small have introduced a range of opportunities to help jumpstart emerging brands for long-term success.

Something is brewing and it isn’t just sauerkraut. A new company, Fermented Food Holdings, Inc. (FFH), has big plans for the fermented foods set, announcing Friday it had acquired two stalwarts of the category, Katalina Holdings (the makers of Bubbies) and Wildbrine, as it seeks to build out a larger platform of fermented products

In this distribution roundup: Clio Snacks rolls out to Kroger stores, adding three new SKUs; Mason Dixie brings breakfast sandwiches to Sprouts; CHKN Not Chicken expands retail reach; and more.

Though sugar may be consumers’ “Public Enemy Number One” in the move towards healthier eating, high calorie oils and fats are not far behind. However, a new industry group is hoping to change that perception and further educate consumers about the benefits of healthy fats – such as ghee, avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil and nut oil – in their own products.

Better-for-you sweets and format innovation were the dominant themes among this week’s new products. While Honey Mama’s branched out of chocolate bars, Outshine looked to the shelf-stable category for its newest snack product. Check out the roundup for the latest new offerings from brands including Fly by Jing, Tea Drops and Kashi.

In this week’s Checkout: Misfits Market Expands to all lower 48 states; The United Nations commits to addressing plastic pollution with a new treaty by 2024; Flashfood closes a $12.3 million funding round and 7-Eleven adds a grab-and-go plant-based burger to its menu.

Nutrition, health and wellness financings increased 25% in 2021 as M&A activity returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest Healthy Living Consumer Products webinar by advisory firm Whipstitch Capital and SPINS today.

To help our audience of retailers, investors and brands find our BevNET and NOSH Insiders that are exhibiting, we’ve produced a special pre-show Expo West 2022 Booth Guide featuring the company names and booth numbers of our Insiders, both alphabetically and numerically.