In this episode:

The CPG Week team is taking a break from the studio for the Fourth of July holiday. Be sure to tune in next week for the latest food and beverage industry news, and in the meantime head over to BevNET and Nosh to read about a new hydration beverage brand, TikTok's entry into alcohol ads, and a special-edition series on the trends shaping the industry.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

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In this episode:

In a jam-packed episode, the CPG Week podcast covers a lot of ground from cannabis to kava with a healthy recap of the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show from earlier in the week.

To start, senior reporter Brad Avery explains the big news out of the cannabis industry as Curaleaf announced it was entering hemp-derived THC with edibles and beverages available in a new DTC store. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard review some of the innovative products and trends they saw in New York City this week at Summer Fancy Food. The team wraps up talking about kava beverages and why the category’s future seems to be intertwined with the slightly more controversial kratom ingredient.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Curaleaf, marijuana cultivator and dispensary company, is moving into the hemp-derived THC market by launching a new DTC website: thehempcompany.com. Not only could this shake up the regulatory environment but is a statement by a leading cannabis industry stakeholder.

3:30 - Amid the cheese and hot sauce, Monica and Lukas discuss what they saw and tasted while wandering the aisles of the Summer Fancy Food Show. Lukas talks about a brand pairing savory biscuits with adult beverages while Monica snacked on the latest entrant in the freeze-dried trend.

7:10 - The team discusses how texture and experiential snacking are driving innovation by many brands across a multitude of categories including jerky, frozen desserts, sweets and convenience meals.

13:30 - Lukas explains what he learned while reporting on the kava category and why its future as a functional, non-alcoholic alternative is linked to another mood-altering ingredient, kratom.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

Fresh off of BevNET Live in New York City, the CPG Week team shared the best parts of the summer conference. The group goes on to talk bottled water after two category powerhouses, BlueTriton and Primo Water, announce plans to merge and create the largest producer in the country. In the second half of the show, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous explains the Omsom’s acquisition by DayDayCook and what it means for how Americans consume Asian-inspired CPG brands.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - What happened at BevNET Live last week? Brad enjoyed trying new products like Uncle Waithley’s Ginger Beer, Lukas ate mushrooms and chatted with various hemp-derived THC brands like BRĒZ, Flyers and Upstate Elevator Supply Co., and Monica went on an expensive shopping spree with BevNET community director Melissa Traverse.

3:20 - Brad explains the implications of the proposed merger of bottled water giants BlueTriton and Primo. The group discusses how this might become not only the largest bottled water conglomerate in the country but also impact politics and policy through its scale.

6:15 - Missed the acquisition news for Omsom? The podcast team dives into how the Pham sisters created something special in their brand of cooking sauces and noodles and how it fits into DayDayCook’s aspirations of becoming the “General Mills of Asian food.”

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

This week, the podcast team of Monica Watrous, Brad Avery and Lukas Southard is joined by BevNET and Nosh reporter Adrianne DeLuca to unpack UNFI’s recently implemented new supplier policy and some less-than-favorable industry reactions.

Show Highlights:

0:50 - Adrianne explains UNFI’s Simplified Supplier Approach (SSA), and she and Lukas share early industry reactions to the policy.

4:35 - Brad ponders whether this is simply a cash grab by the distributor. Who stands to benefit from the new flat rate?

5:50 - Monica reviews highlights from UNFI’s third-quarter earnings report.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

This week, the podcast team gets ready for BevNET Live in New York City by sharing what they are looking forward to at the summer conference. Then the CPG Week hosts jump into all the legal drama in the industry from the past week. Senior reporter Brad Avery shares the latest from the family power struggle over kefir brand Lifeway Foods. The group talks about gut health claims after Poppi is hit with a class-action lawsuit, and, lastly, the team wades into the claims that General Mills allowed a discriminatory workplace in one of its manufacturing facilities for over two decades.

Show Highlights:

1:40 - Brad explains the legal drama between family members at leading U.S. kefir maker Lifeway Foods and why the most recent development centers on a yet-to-be launched kefir brand created by the Lifeway CEO’s brother.

6:00 - Better-for-you soda maker Poppi has entered the “class action club” as it has been slapped with a lawsuit alleging that the brand’s “gut-friendly” claims are not backed by scientific research on prebiotic fiber benefits.

10:10 - The podcast team discusses the unsettling claims made against General Mills regarding an alleged decades-long environment of racism and discrimination existing at the food giant’s Covington, Ga., production plant.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

How does artificial intelligence fit into the CPG industry? Senior reporter Brad Avery walks the podcast team through A.I.’s impact on everything in food and beverage from product ideation and formulation to streamlining operations. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous shares data on the granola segment and the CPG Week group discusses how recent product launches speak to enlivening a staple category. Lastly, the team examines the news that Suja Life has acquired the trademark for former Pepsi soda brand Slice.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - After reminiscing about the ‘90s era game show “Supermarket Sweep,” Monica quizzes Brad and Lukas on CPG trivia from the show (with a little help from BevNET CMO Mike Schneider).

5:20 - Brad talks A.I. machine-learning, how it is being implemented in CPG food and beverage, and why having a human touch is still important to brand-building. 

10:30 - Monica shares what she found when looking more closely at the granola category.

15:00 - The team discusses the news that Suja Life has acquired soft drink brand Slice and might be relaunching it as a new functional, gut-health soda. The group goes on to throw out some other nostalgic beverage brands they would like to see resurrected.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

This week, the podcast team digs into the growing trend among major retailers to invest in new modern white label programs. The CPG Week crew discusses why retail chains from CVS to Walmart to Grocery Outlet are launching expanded private label programs and what these next-generation brands might mean for consumers and independent CPG businesses.

Later, the group dives back into the GLP-1 diet trend after the news that Nestlé is set to launch Vital Pursuit, a 12-SKU line of frozen meals specifically positioned toward semaglutide drug users and consumers looking to manage their weight.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - After sharing his pre- and post-half marathon food and drinks from this past weekend, senior reporter Lukas Southard finds out that Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous has been known to imbibe some interesting alcoholic beverages over the years running 25 marathons.

2:30 - The team dives into the recent slew of private label brands that have been launching this year with senior reporter Brad Avery explaining the new line that was announced by CVS.

4:10 - Monica shares what we know so far about Walmart’s new store brand bettergoods and how it aligns with other mass retailers moves in the category.

6:15 - The team discusses what this says about the changing formula for private label strategy in major retailers and how this exemplifies what has happened in grocery post-pandemic.

11:20 - Lukas goes through what we know so far about Nestlé’s expected Q4 release of a GLP-1 positioned frozen meal line. The group talks about how this is not the first – and likely not  the last – weight management brand to come out of the “Ozempic Era.” 

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

What did the CPG Week team think of Netflix’s “Unfrosted” movie? The group dives into Jerry Seinfeld’s Pop-Tarts biopic and why it is a (partially) accurate portrayal of the R&D process of creating a CPG food product. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous shares some of the latest snack trends as related to the Sweets & Snacks Expo happening this week. Senior reporter Lukas Southard goes on to unpack the unfolding cocoa pricing crisis and what that means for chocolate producers. Finally, senior reporter Brad Avery talks about the latest update from Foxtrot’s sudden dissolution and what happened at the asset auction.

Show Highlights:

1:40 - Monica takes the temperature of Brad and Lukas’ opinions of Netflix’s “Unfrosted” movie. They discuss their personal takes on the comedy centered on Pop-Tarts and discuss how the CPG industry is interpreting its representation of the R&D process in packaged food.

7:00 - In light of the Sweets & Snacks Expo happening this week, Monica talks about the latest trends in the categories released by the National Confectioners Association in conjunction with the food show.

8:10 - What’s happening with cocoa pricing, and how that might impact chocolate producer margins as waning supply continues to push pricing up? Lukas explains what has happened in the last six months and how food tech innovation might be a growing solution to the problem.

12:05 - Brad updates the team on the latest from the abrupt closure of Foxtrot including what happened at the asset auction for both Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

In a first for the CPG Week podcast, the team records all in-person. The group kicks off the roundtable discussing senior reporter Lukas Southard’s reporting on ketone beverages. The Nosh and BevNET team go on to talk about mergers, acquisitions and restructuring by first exploring the news of Bolthouse Farms splitting its agriculture segment from its CPG business.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous walks the team through the newest acquisition for snack maker Our Home and why scaling production capacity appears to be the focus for CPG brands presently. Senior reporter Brad Avery talks about the merger between two snack bar makers. The group finishes up the episode talking about the OWYN acquisition and another protein company’s new ownership.

Show Highlights:

0:40 - How do you celebrate the first CPG Week episode recorded in-person? Toast some ketone-enhanced beverages and debate the evolution of this niche category of functional drinks.

3:20 - It might seem obvious to restructure a company’s agriculture business from its CPG juice and salad dressing segments, so why did it take Bolthouse Farms over 10 years to do it? Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains the history and strategy behind the move.

7:30 - Our Home has added even more manufacturing muscle to its network with another new acquisition. What does this say about the better-for-you snack brand’s long-term ambitions?

10:00 - Brad explains the recent merger of two protein bar co-manufacturers and how it relates to The Simply Good Foods new addition to its portfolio. Monica relates it to the acquisition of legacy sausage maker Klement’s by Amylu Foods.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

In this episode, the CPG Week team is joined by BevNET and Nosh Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman, who shares some insights from his trip with senior reporter Brad Avery to the Beverage Forum conference in Los Angeles this week. The two discuss celebrity beverage brands, why industry stakeholders are high on next-generation drinks and how big companies are diversifying.

The group moves on to discuss how the recent news that marijuana is expected to be rescheduled by the Department of Justice could impact the cannabis industry. Later, Jeff explains what is happening at CPG credit provider Ampla and how it is impacting brands large and small.

Show Highlights:

0:35 - Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous kicks off the show asking if the team would live in a Skittles-inspired micro-apartment for a year.

2:00 - Brad and Jeff share their insights on what happened at Beverage Forum this week highlighting how celebrity culture is evolving in drinks and “lessons learned” from one big producer-distributor.

6:00 - Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains the latest news out of the federal government that marijuana will be downgraded to a Schedule III drug. The team debates what this could mean for the cannabis industry in terms of regulation and opportunity.

13:15 - Jeff shares his most recent story on the troubling signals coming out of fintech consumer brand lender Ampla and his thoughts on the repercussions throughout the CPG world.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts