In this episode:

This week, the Nosh and BevNET team discusses recent food and beverage funding news. In this capital-constrained environment, startups are tapping conventional options like investment firms as well as celebrities, consumers and distributors to rake in extra cash. 

Show Highlights:

0:35 - Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous shares the latest twist in the Kellogg cereal drama. HumanCo founder and CEO Jason Karp filed an activist letter urging the company to follow through with its previously stated commitment to remove artificial dyes from such brands as Froot Loops sold in the U.S.

4:15 - Senior reporter Lukas Southard discusses snack pack maker Sunnie’s unique approach to securing funding, inviting some of its consumers to participate in its recent round. 

7:25 - Senior reporter Brad Avery unpacks Liquid Death’s $67 million funding round that involved some of its distributors, as well as celebrities and investment firms. 

9:15 - Monica dishes details of organic baby and toddler food company Serenity Kids’ $52 million Series B funding. Brad offers perspective on how an already profitable company can benefit from such a significant cash injection. 

11:10 - Monica, Brad and Lukas highlight additional brands that have recently raised money.

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 Nosh and BevNET team gear up for Natural Products Expo West, the so-called Super Bowl of the packaged food and beverage industry. With a special appearance for BevNET Editor-In-Chief Jeff Klineman, the group discusses their various strategies for the big show. What’s the best attack plan for hitting all the booths on a show planner? What items should (or should not) make it into an Expo backpack to stay prepared for long days on the floor? Learn how to keep an eye out for good “Expo Etiquette” and why you might spot a BevNET or Nosh team member interviewing this year’s celebrity-du-jour.

Show Highlights:

0:35 - Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous asks Editor-In-Chief Jeff Klineman how he prepares for Expo West. Senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard chime in on how they are planning for efficient trips to the Anaheim Convention Center. 

6:30 - Jeff outlines helpful hacks for exhibiting brands seeking to capture a buyer’s attention on the show floor and why building pirate ship crow’s nests for spotting important people is frowned upon.

9:15 - Brad reflects on his celebrity interviews at previous Expos, including a particularly memorable conversation with a pop star about apple cider vinegar.

11:30 - Jeff, Brad, Monica and Lukas each share the trends they are watching at Expo West.

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 Nosh and BevNET team talks about how a marketing campaign to boost cereal sales might be imploding for Kellogg’s and what it means for the greater food maker’s empire as it moves into a new era as Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co. Senior reporter Brad Avery takes the temperature of the performance energy category through the most recent quarterly reports of Monster and Celsius. The team talks about two plant-based companies’ financial losses and finishes up discussing Whole Foods Market’s new smaller-footprint store concept.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Is cereal a viable option for dinner? WK Kellogg’s attempt to bring the breakfast staple to other day occasions has led to some unexpected social rancor. Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains how the recent outrage on social platforms over the “cereal for dinner” campaign is related to the first standalone earnings calls for both Kellanova and WK Kellogg.

6:20 - Senior reporter Brad Avery discusses what the most recent quarterly reports from Celsius and Monster tell us about the state of energy beverages and why workout enthusiasts are driving growth in the category.

8:20 - What’s the state of plant-based? Two of the biggest plant-based meat and beverage brands posted losses in their most recent earnings. Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous pointed out, as revenues were up for one company and stock prices soared for the other.

10:35 - The team talks about the news that Whole Foods Market is launching a smaller store concept (again). Is this a reaction to other small-footprint retailers like Foxtrot or Erewhon, or a play for juicing sales of its 365 branded products?

About The Podcast:

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’s it like to stay in a Eggo-themed pancake house in rural Tennessee? Why is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) challenging the Kroger/Albertsons merger? What is yaupon? Why is Mason Dixie betting consumers want more clean comfort food? This week the BevNET and Nosh team dive into all these topics and more. 

Show Highlights:

0:45 - It might look like the setting for a bad horror movie, but Eggo’s short-term rental “pancake house” marketing stunt is probably a satisfying place to spend a weekend.

2:20 - In the latest wrinkle in the potential mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons, the FTC this week sided with nine attorneys general on the grounds that the deal would reduce competition in the grocery landscape. The team discusses the implications of the federal government’s involvement and why this will slow the possible merger down.

6:00 - Senior reporter Brad Avery explains why yaupon is one of the newest clean caffeine ingredients and how pre-launch beverage brand Sacred Energy is banking on its proprietary mix of the plant-based extract to carve out a niche in energy drinks.

10:00 - Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous tells the team about her recent conversation with Mason Dixie founder and CEO Ayeshah Abuelhiga on why the brand is going deeper on breakfast comfort 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 BevNET and Nosh team discusses Poppi acquisition rumors, the investment landscape, and consumer adoption of functional mushrooms.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Monica starts the episode challenging Jeff and Brad to a hypothetical pistachio cracking competition that devolves into a semantical discussion about “nut meat.” 

3:25 - Brad highlights prebiotic soda brand Poppi’s big week, which included a highly-watched Super Bowl ad and a Bloomberg article speculating about a Coca-Cola takeover.

7:00 - Why haven’t any of the biggest soft drink companies created their own version of Olipop or Poppi? Jeff draws comparisons to Coke’s short-lived, stevia-sweetened cola, and points out why large players are wary of snapping up small brands today.

9:00 - Monica notes probiotic soda brand Culture Pop’s recent $21 million funding and points to other beverage brands raising capital recently. Jeff shares what investors are looking for in potential targets.

11:15 - The team considers whether consumers understand functional mushrooms and shares examples of brands entering the space. Brad asks whether psychedelic imagery on packaging confuses shoppers.

15:05 - Jeff poses the question that should be on every product developer’s mind: What’s the next big health grail consumers are seeking, a la the antioxidant? “Is it prebiotic, psychedelic or adaptogenic?” 

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 BevNET and Nosh team talk about Subway speed dating, cell-cultured meat’s many challenges, why unrealistic investment might be dragging down food tech companies, and why the alternative meat and dairy industry is a good comparison point for realistic market demand. 

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Monica starts the episode asking Brad and Lukas how they feel about Subway’s recent Valentine’s Day speed dating stunt.

2:00 - After a series of stories in recent weeks explaining the struggles of the cell-cultured (or lab-grown) meat industry, Lukas kicks off the conversation highlighting his recent newsletter column exploring why the industry is falling short of its claims of creating a more sustainable food system.

5:05 - It all comes back to the money. Monica brings up some of the recent companies that have shuttered or had to restructure as a result of investment in the category drying up. 

7:35 - Why has the industry fallen short of getting products to market? Brad makes comparisons to the failures of the plant-based food industry as a good example of how food tech struggles to gain market share.

9:45 - Does food tech’s challenge come from financing or from consumer adoption? The team debates how brand messaging plays a role but maybe less expensive food alternatives have an easier path to 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 the first episode of CPG Week, Nosh Managing Editor Monica Watrous and reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard sit down to discuss the various M&A deals seen so far in the first month of the year.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - The team discusses their various Super Bowl meal plans with Monica explaining what a “ham sandwich” translates to at her local bar.

3:15 - The first month of the year is in the books, and there have already been a lot of mergers and acquisitions. Lukas starts by explaining broadly what some industry watchers are expecting this year.

5:00 - Brad talks about how one publicly traded company is looking to become the “General Mills for Asian food.” Then, Monica talks about what Moosehead Brands has been cooking up with Beanfields and Caveman Foods.

7:00 - Finally the team dives into why a newly formed Texas-based investment vehicle with roots in the oil and gas industry decided to buy Alter Eco, Tessemae’s rebirth post bankruptcy and Our Home’s big manufacturing buy.

10:00 - Finishing up the discussion, Monica shares a couple insights from BevNET and Nosh Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman about what he is looking out for in M&A markets this year.

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 special dispatch from Las Vegas, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and reporter Adrianne DeLuca spoke with Specialty Food Association trendspotters Jenn de la Vega, chef and cookbook author, and Drexel University professor Jonathan Deutsch about the latest food and beverages on display at this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show.

Show Highlights:

2:30 - Global flavors have established a foothold in food and beverage. The group discusses innovation they saw with ingredients like yuzu and chilis as well as new formats of familiar products from bobas to sprayable soy sauce.

9:45 - Is the line between sweet and savory in snacking blurring? How might fermentation in food and drink be making its way into the mainstream? The group discusses some of the brands they tasted that were tackling these questions.

15:30 - Monica asks the trendspotters to name some of their favorite sips and bites from the show.

About the Nosh Podcast

The staff of Nosh.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the Nosh Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food.

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

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s episode of the NOSH Podcast, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Lukas Southard and Adrianne DeLuca talk about Thanksgiving traditions and what to expect at NOSH Live. Then the trio dives into influencer disclosures on social media (or the lack thereof) after the FTC warned a group of registered dietitians who were paid to post by industry lobbying groups.

Show Highlights:

1:00 - Thanksgiving is here so the NOSH team talks about holiday traditions at the table, the hierarchy of dish delegation and how to keep it interesting when menu planning.

8:45 - With NOSH Live around the corner, the group runs down all of the great event speakers coming to Marina Del Rey on November 30 and the on-stage discussions that are in store.

13:30 - The team talks about how the FTC’s crackdown on influencers promoting the safety of aspartame is representative of the larger problem with influencer marketing and social media-derived medical advice.

About The NOSH Podcast

The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food.

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

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and the founder and CEO of Zack’s Mighty, Zack Gazzaniga, dive right into a corny discussion on the origins of Zack’s Mighty’s, and the special corn variety behind its unique taste and texture. The duo grind through the brand’s supply chain journey and how different audiences respond to the details of that sourcing story. 

Show Highlights:

02:03: Building a tortilla chip that doesn’t break in guac starts with good corn. For Zack’s Mighty, that pursuit of the perfect corn had its founder venturing to different continents and through the 10,000 year history of the iconic cobs. 

14:12: Growing a brand with a complex supply chain sometimes requires compromises. Zack talks through the choices he had to make and why these decisions have ultimately  allowed the brand to scale. 

15:49: How did consumers respond to the brand’s corn history lesson? Zack explains how the brand narrowed in on its best selling feature and dialed in its marketing messaging.

22:46: Profitability remains key and Zack explains why different steps along the company’s supply chain appealed to investors. 

“If something is easy to make, then it's probably not that special. When something is hard, it just means that there's not an existing supply chain for that and I think that can help you be unique.”

-Zack Gazzaniga

About The NOSH Podcast

The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food.

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

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts