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After a year filled with uncertainty, Nestlé reported strong organic sales growth in its full-year earnings results for 2021, particularly in its coffee, health and wellness and plant-based food segments.

In this week’s Checkout: instant coffee and tea maker Waka jumpstarts growth with pre-seed funding; California Cultured receives investment from food tech investment platform CULT Food Science Corp; Kodiak partners with Pro Athletes Joe Burrow, Travis Kelce, among others; and ice cream manufacturer recalls dozens of SKUs due to Listeria contamination.

Although the trend of low-sugar foods continues to gain momentum, that does not mean consumers are willing to forgo sweets altogether. Check out the latest from brands including Cocomels, Ruby Jewel and Highkey.

Whether it’s for the good of the planet or for a specific health benefit, consumer demand for animal-free proteins continues to increase, according to food company ADM. Here are a few updates from the alt-protein market this week.

The Colorado-based brand is one of dozens of emerging players dealing in super-premium recreational cannabis, including flower, pre-rolls and extracts. But in forming a partnership with specialty coffee roaster Intelligentsia to collaborate on new products – the first being a cannabis-infused chocolate bar with espresso shavings, which began rolling out at dispensaries in Colorado, Nevada and California last month – the self-styled “luxury cannabis” brand is aiming to distinguish itself as a leader in boutique, artisanal edibles.

Snack brand Beanfields has been acquired by Vancouver-based Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc.. The deal, which was announced last week, officially closed on Wednesday.

GrandyOats is now GrandyOrganics, a move the 47-year-old snack and cereal maker said will allow it to better move beyond its flagship line of granola.

The total U.S. CPG industry grew 2.7% to $962 billion in 2021 as pandemic-related shifts in consumer behavior and routes to market began to cement themselves, according to the latest CPG Growth Leaders report by market research firm IRI. The 52-week sales growth reflected an anticipated slowdown from 2020, when sharp spikes in retail sales… Read more »

Plant-based meat maker No Evil Foods introduced a new look, updated its packaging and entered the alt-beef category this week with the launch of a line of vegan beef strips called “Best Life.” These changes arrive after a year of financial challenges for the North Carolina-based company.

Despite launching during the COVID-19 pandemic, plant-based protein brand Next Gen Foods isn’t slowing down. The Singapore-based company announced today it has raised $100 million, in part to finance the launch of its plant-based chicken brand TiNDLE into the U.S.