Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

Vejii acquires Vegan Essentials and announces CAD$10m capital raise: 'We anticipate going public'

16-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Vejii Holdings, an online retailer of plant-based products, has acquired VeganEssentials.com and announced a C$10m capital raise, becoming the largest online marketplace in the US that exclusively sells vegan products, says Vejii CEO Kory Zelickson.

Sesame food allergen labeling bill passed by US House of Representatives, heads to President Biden for sign off

15-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The US House of Representatives has voted on and passed a piece of legislation -- the FASTER Act -- that would make sesame the ninth ingredient subject to mandatory allergen labeling in the US. The bill now heads to President Biden to be signed into law....

PepsiCo Q1 sales clear last year’s pandemic-inspired surge with innovations in snacks, energy drinks

15-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

PepsiCo sales during the first three months of the year sailed passed the high bar set last year when the pandemic inspired pantry loading, despite challenges during the quarter, including temporary business disruptions due to the severe winter storms...

Meat… from mycelium? Fungi fueled startups Meati Foods and Atlast Food Co raise cash to make Holy Grail of alt meat: whole cuts

15-Apr-2021 By Elaine Watson

Meati Foods and Atlast Food Co - two fungi-fueled startups blazing a trail in the alternative meat market with ‘whole cut’ products made from mycelium, the fibrous root structure of mushrooms – have both announced significant funding this week as they...

New CEO: “HIPPEAS has all the tenets to become a household name and a true lifestyle brand”

15-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

With this week’s appointment of industry veteran Paul Nardone as the new CEO of HIPPEAS, the organic chickpea snack brand is building an all-star executive team with a strong track record of high-profile exits to help it leverage pandemic-inspired shifts...

Chickapea closes CAD$9.3m Series C funding round fueling additional US expansion

14-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Canadian chickpea pasta brand Chickapea has closed a CAD$9.3m Series C funding round co-led by District Ventures Capital, InvestEco Capital, and Export Development Canada (EDC) to support new product innovation and the brand's distribution growth...

Register now: Free webinar next Wednesday exploring snack bar trends

14-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While a downturn in sales for snack bars in the past year suggest consumer demand has softened, snacking behavior has hit a fever pitch and innovation in this set is hotter than ever as brands evolve to meet shifting consumer demands.

Territory Foods closes $22m funding round to expand chef-crafted, nutritionist-designed meal delivery service

13-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Territory Foods, a fresh-prepared direct-to-consumer (DTC) meal delivery service that partners with local chefs to create flavorful nutritionist-designed dishes, has closed a $22m funding round led by US Venture Partners.

‘Blockbuster year’ for snacking innovation on horizon after product launches slowed during pandemic

13-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

This year promises to be a “blockbuster year” for snacking innovation after 2020 saw drastically fewer new products hit stores than previous years, but of those that did launch the best sellers catered to Americans’ pandemic-influenced demands – portending...

Conagra benefits from sustained and elevated at-home demand in Q3 2021

12-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Still benefiting from a sustained consumer shift to at-home eating over a year past the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Conagra has registered a nearly 10% increase in organic net sales for Q3 2021 compared to the same period last year.

Retailers using Apeel invisible edible skin have experienced a 50% reduction in avocado waste, claims firm

10-Apr-2021 By Elaine Watson

Apeel Sciences – the Santa Barbara-based firm behind an invisible plant-based edible skin proven to dramatically extend the shelf-life of fresh produce - has announced an expanded partnership network made up of 20+ avocado industry leaders in the US,...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Sun-Maid recruits kids to provide product development feedback

09-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Raisin snack brand Sun-Maid - which has just acquired baby food brand Plum Organics - has recruited six kids from across the US to be part of its first "Board of Imagination", a new feedback and decision-making group.

Tiny Human Food founder on the future of baby food: 'I think there’s going to be a new standard set'

09-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

In the aftermath of the recent Congressional report investigating heavy metals found in baby food, brands that follow stringent protocols for heavy metals and other contaminants set by The Clean Label Project are experiencing ignited consumer interest,...

AppHarvest acquires Root AI and its 'game-changing' robotic harvester

08-Apr-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Kentucky-based agtech and vertical farming company AppHarvest has acquired artificial intelligence firm Root AI and its robotic universal harvester Virgo to maximize its sustainable harvesting methods.

Should FDA require front of pack disclosures for sweeteners, juice content on children’s beverages?

08-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Public health advocates are calling on FDA to require all children’s beverages to clearly label on the front of pack the amount of added sugar, non-nutritive sweeteners and juice in each product after research published today in Pediatric Obesity revealed...