Next steps for Mars’ $20m climate-smart rice initiative
Mars Food & Nutrition invested $20 million to help rice farmers adopt climate-smart practices that reduce water usage and greenhouse gas emissions while protecting yields
Investing & fundraising
Coca-Cola eyes return of bolt-on deals, but is there a viable pipeline?
CEO James Quincey says bolt-on M&A will become a ‘bigger feature’ for Coca-Cola and the larger industry, but the timing hinges on innovation cycles and the beverage giant’s prolonged IRS dispute
Candy Kittens owner in talks to buy Unilever snack brand Graze
Unilever is set to offload Graze for a fraction of its 2019 purchase price. Can Katjes revive the struggling snack brand?
Hershey’s salty strategy
The confectionery giant’s latest move – snapping up LesserEvil – pulls it deeper into the everyday snacking landscape it’s been circling for years
The top 100 hottest global F&B start-ups
Exclusive data analysis carried out by FutureBridge on behalf of Food Manufacture has identified the top 100 hottest food and drink start-ups worldwide.
Pucker mania is spicing up snack shelves … and powering pickle sales
Pickles are big business and experiencing rapid growth through savvy startups and private-label expansion
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
What will the M&A landscape look like in 2026 for CPGs?
Seasoned deal advisors share the emerging trends shaping valuations, investor expectations, and what founders must do now to stay competitive
Startup Spotlight
Yough! scales gut-friendly frozen pizza with clean ingredients and specialty retail strategy
From Greek yogurt crust to store shelves, Yough! is navigating the hurdles of scaling a healthier frozen pizza
Fruitist continues expanding packaged fresh fruit business with $150 million capital raise
The fresh fruit producer plans to invest in fruit genetics and AI to boost its positioning in the healthy snacking segment
The Every Company closed $55 million in Series D to make alt proteins ‘accessible to everyone’
The producer of animal-free egg whites and egg white proteins plans to scale to the mass market, starting with Walmart
Justin Gold’s second act: Back at Justin’s after Hormel sell-off
Nut butter pioneer hopes to recapture the entrepreneurial spark that made his snack company a category trailblazer
Hormel sells Justin’s brand to private equity firm
Founder Justin Gold and former CEO Peter Burns return to lead next phase of growth
Acme Smoked Fish champions sustainability and climate action across the seafood supply chain
From traceable sourcing to employee engagement, Acme’s Citizens of Seafood initiative and Climate Awards demonstrate how seafood companies can align business success with environmental responsibility
Bettani Farms bets on its star ingredient to scale allergen- and animal-free cheese
The company’s proprietary ingredient Caseed mimics dairy casein without the allergenic effects of dairy, nuts and soy for B2B partners
Powdered beverage brand TRUWILD’s growing pains and path forward
Rapid growth and supply chain hurdles prompt the outdoor-focused brand to consider new strategies and possibly investors
Tech startup raises $3.8m to modernize the food supply chain with agentic AI
By layering an “AI watchtower” over existing enterprise resource planning systems, startup Burnt claims to automate tedious order management in seconds without forcing distributors to change how they work
Chickapea raises CAD$4.25M, appoints AGT Foods CEO to board of directors
The Canadian organic dried pasta company is scaling rapidly in Canada and the US
‘Craft flour’ mill teams with local tribe to revolutionize food system and restore the health of planet and people
Founded on regenerative farming and community collaboration, Skagit Valley-based Cairnspring Mills is scaling its “craft flour revolution” with a new Blue Mountain facility, investor enthusiasm and strong demand from bakers and foodservice operators
Mars-Kellanova Deal: Commission restarts the clock
The EU has resumed its investigation into Mars’ $35.9bn merger with Kellanova, following a stop in July
Sustainable September
Agricultural sustainability grants up for grabs
The USDA, National Geographic Society and Growing Justice Fund offer funding to strengthen food production
Sustainable September
Papacks bets on fiber bottles as plastic alternative
German company looks to US collaborators to scale compostable bottles
Major PepsiCo investor launches campaign for overhaul
Elliott Investment Management, with a $4bn stake in the company, wants to shake things up
Celsius buys Rockstar Energy Drink from PepsiCo
The deal also includes a $558 million investment from PepsiCo and distribution of Celsius’ Alani Nu
Positively Groundfish’s Catch+Create Accelerator seeks startups to scale sustainable west coast seafood products
The new accelerator empowers early-stage seafood innovators to develop and launch value-added products that meet growing consumer demand for sustainable, traceable West Coast seafood
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Investors return to CPG, but with caution and only for the right kind of growth
Pitchbook reports a modest rebound in private equity deals in Q1 of 2025, and JPalmer Collective’s Jennifer Palmer sees reasons for optimism for mission-driven brands and women-owned and -led brands. But both warn the current uncertainty is the new norm
2025’s biggest food & drink M&A deals so far
From billion-dollar beverage buyouts to bold wellness bets, 2025’s food and drink M&A deals reveal what’s shaping the future of the industry
From GLP-1 to gut health: Real California Milk Excelerator 2025 seeks dairy disruptors
Start-ups behind scalable dairy innovations stand to benefit from financial, mentorship and marketing support to bring their products to market
Mealogic’s white labeled meal programs offer ‘convenient compliance’ for healthcare and wellness brands
The food delivery program aims to expand its personalized and diet-compliant meals using local chefs across the US
Sojo Industries secures $40M to scale modular packaging and automation platform for multi- and variety-pack food products
Sojo Industries will use the funds to improve CPG supply chains with fast-deploy modular packaging robotics and blockchain-enabled logistics software
Eat Happy Kitchen taps owned channels to accelerate retail growth
The company leveraged Founder Anna Vocino’s podcast and cookbook audience, clean-label products and Startup CPG momentum to expand into 479 more Kroger banner stores
When should a start up sell?
A thoughtful, well-timed exit begins not with the market, but with a company’s internal readiness
Positive Nutrition
How can plant-based brands bridge the gap between innovation and adoption?
As inflation continues to strain household budgets, consumers are zeroing in on grocery staples that offer clear nutritional and economic value, which often exclude plant-based foods
Why reproducibility is the next big hurdle in sustainable protein innovation
As sustainable protein companies scale, reproducibility is foundational – and the future of alt protein depends on shared scientific standards, from lab upgrades to collaborative testing.
CPG reset? Beyond Meat’s new moves, gut health education and FDA’s dye crackdown
Beyond Meat expands amid sinking category sales, consumers show a growing but shallow interest in gut health and FDA’s focus on dyes signals a potential distraction from larger regulatory tasks
Allergen-free foods: Why clear labeling is crucial to tapping into trend
Food and beverage manufacturers must know the difference between voluntary and mandatory allergen labeling to ensure consumers understand their exposure risk
Tariff ‘whiplash’ causes ‘paralysis’ among CPG businesses and retailers
President Trump’s ‘pause’ on higher reciprocal tariffs may have relieved stock market investors, but industry insiders say CPG manufacturers, retailers and grocery shoppers remain uncertain about the future
Natural Products Expo West
Ignite20 Ventures seeks 20 CPG startups for inaugural fund
Emerging CPG startups have until May 4 at 11:59 PM ET to apply for Ignite20 Ventures’ first funding round and accelerator program
Natural Products Expo West
State of VC in CPG: ‘Marquee acquisitions’ kick off Q1 2025
Major acquisitions like PepsiCo purchasing Siete Foods and Flower Foods buying Simple Mills is providing liquidity to venture capitalists, laying the groundwork for capital to flow back to emerging brands hungry for funding
Beyond Meat aims for a resilient 2025 with cutbacks and investments
The company explores recapitalization options to secure growth and restore market confidence
Nestlé dials in on coffee and health sciences to boost profits
The company is betting big on high-growth categories to boost sales and cut costs
Startup Spotlight
Tips to survive a failed crowdfund campaign
Choosing a funding model that aligns with a brand’s growth trajectory can be just as crucial as the product itself
Startup Spotlight
Loopini’s pizza is packed with nutrition – but that’s not the selling point
Frozen pizza startup Loopini crafts premium pizzas enriched with protein and fiber from lupini beans — prioritizing taste over ingredients
VC funding 101: Habitat Partners discusses strategies to secure capital
CPG founders seeking venture capital funds in 2025 should prioritize capital efficiency and how they uniquely tackle business challenges to woo prospective investors
Potato power: Americana Foods and Farm Frites to ramp up MENA expansion with new US$100m plant
Americana Foods and Farm Frites have built a new manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, as part of strategic growth plans in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Misha’s expands dairy-free cheese portfolio with Vertage acquisition
The plant-based cheese brand emerges out of lean operations with the acquisition of dairy-free brand Vertage
Vertical farming’s path to profitability, long-term planning and M&A shifts
Vertical farming success hinges on planning, economics, consistency and capital allocation
Flowers Foods to acquire Simple Mills for $795 million
The 2025 merger and acquisition starting bell rings as Flowers Foods is set to acquire the natural snack brand
Founders' Fundamentals
What CPG startups must know about debt financing in 2025
CPG startups searching for funding in 2025 should steel their nerves in the face of inflation and possible tariff increases
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
M&A ‘frenzy’ in specialty ingredient industry could mark 2025 following multi-year lull
The specialty food and beverage ingredient industry is on the precipice of a “frenzy of M&A activity” after a multi-year lull with private equity and smaller companies leading the charge and larger, strategic players taking a backseat, predicts strategic...
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
Letter from the editor: What to expect for packaged food & beverage in 2025
As 2024 ends and a new year begins, many US consumers are looking for control and comfort from the foods and beverages they buy as they continue to navigate rising prices, mounting food safety concerns and general discord from a divisive presidential...