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Over the weekend meat producer JBS USA announced it had been the target of a cyber security attack with some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian businesses being taken offline. Over the past year meat supply chains have already been strained by the Covid-19 pandemic, so the cost of yet another interruption may be high, particularly for meat snack brands where margin has already been a struggle.

Whether it’s taste or growing costs, consumers have long had to consider sacrifices in order to protect the environment. Now a brand is sacrificing precious label space for the same goal, even minimizing its own brand name and other front-of-pack callouts to promote sustainability. With its bold new packaging for its plant-based burger hitting retailers this month, alt-protein brand Tofurky is effectively putting its branding on the line to ask sustainability-minded consumers to take the next step beyond plant-based purchases, encouraging environmental advocacy through civic engagement.

In this week’s Checkout, keto-friendly bar brand Keto Krisp closes a funding round and adds an RXBAR alum to its team; Instacart charts international expansion and looks back at shopper trends over the past year; and Whole Foods releases its first ever plant-based trend predictions.

We’re featuring innovative brands that produce frozen entrees during our Product Showcase portion of Category Close-Up, examining the trends and news — as well as evolving product strategies — that are currently shaping the category.

Waste from single-use shipping packaging continues to be one of the most notable barriers in the CPG industry’s push toward sustainability, and the recent pandemic-driven ecommerce boom has only made the problem more urgent as demand for and cost of cardboard boxes surge. While taking on this challenge may seem like a “crazy idea,” with a new round of funding for support, reusable shipping box maker Boox believes it has what it takes to give corrugated cardboard boxes a run for their money.

Though jerky brand Krave helped create the meat snacks craze, in the years since its launch in 2009 the brand lost some of its cache and faced increased competition. Now rejoined with its original owner, the company announced today new packaging and product innovations designed to hopefully reclaim its premium positioning.

In this month’s Category Closeup: Expert Analysis, we’ll hear from a group of industry leaders about the tactics, trends and efforts successful frozen food brands must embrace, exploring both the unique dynamics of the frozen entree set as well as the opportunities within the category.

Protein remains a major force of attraction for consumers, as is evidenced today by the sale of protein enhanced baking mix and snack brand Kodiak Cakes to private equity firm L Catterton.

Just nine months after raising $8 million in funding, plant-based meat brand Daring Foods announced last week that it had closed a subsequent $40 million in funding. The round was led by D1 Capital Partners with existing investors Maveron and Palm Tree Crew, along with musician Drake, also taking part.

Vermont Smoke & Cure CEO Tara Murphy has announced she will depart the meat snack maker to lead Vermont-based sustainable food storage brand Bee’s Wraps, effective June 1. Murphy’s successor has yet to be named.