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If you’ve ever wondered what might happen if “Costco met Whole Foods and had an ecommerce child,” the result might look something like Bitewell. The new dietitian-curated CPG marketplace, which launched last month, offers a platform for emerging food and beverage brands while providing consumers with a weekly menu of better-for-you products offered at lower prices.

Following the ongoing relaxation of GMO labeling laws by the USDA, a coalition of industry members led by the Center for Food Safety last week sued the agency, noting that a lack of regulation over the growing biotech industry is threatening the ability to provide transparency in food and beverage products — something consumers increasingly want.

In the latest distribution news, Mason Dixie Foods expands into Whole Foods nationally and enters Wegmans, RollinGreens debuts at Kroger and Walmart, and Tone It Up launches new protein bars and powders in Kroger stores.

The frozen section saw several notable new entries this month, with Fairlife’s first foray into frozen desserts and meal kit brand Purple Carrot’s new single-serve packaged meals. Check out the gallery for more of July’s notable new releases, including Tia Lupita’s new tortilla made with upcycled flour and limited edition summer flavors from ONE Brands and Perfect Snacks.

In this week’s Checkout, New Age Meats raises $2 million to develop cell-based meat, biotech company Geltor raises $91.3 million for alternative protein ingredients, and the Hartman Group studies how consumer values are evolving.

In this video interview, Emily Elyse Miller discusses the launch OffLimits, of her new quirky cereal line, including her creative process and where she feels mainstream CPG products are missing the mark. Miller also discusses what the process of raising venture funding was like for a new, entrepreneur who isn’t worried about making a product that’s “going to please everyone.”

This afternoon the National Association of Convenience Stores announced that it would cancel its planned October trade show, which was to be held in Las Vegas. The event was one of the few remaining food- and beverage-heavy trade shows in 2020 that had yet to announce its cancellation.

In earnings updates this week, Kraft Heinz, Kellogg and Nestle all detailed the recent surges they’ve seen as consumer habits have drastically changed toward eating more meals (and snacks) at home.

Since launching with a humble fruit-and-nut bar in 2004, KIND has evolved into a “global health and wellness platform” offering over 80 snack varieties. Now the brand is taking a step further, betting its success in bars and granola can translate to a successful extension throughout the grocery store.

On Wednesday, more than two dozen brands took to Instagram Live for a series of discussions on racial equity and the Black experience in the food and beverage sector as part of the #OnTheMenuNow Initiative. The series of video conversations paired Black founders and CEOs with white brand leaders and covered topics including job opportunities, the pandemic and systemic racism.