U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jim Risch (R-ID) last week reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would ban plant-based dairy alternative products from using dairy-related terms on their labels.
Yerba mate brand Guayaki has named former Red Bull North America CEO Stefan Kozak as its new chief executive officer.
Hoplark Water is the latest line extension from Hoplark, a Boulder, Colorado-based company that has made a name for itself selling hop-infused sparkling teas.
White Claw Hard Seltzer and Mike’s Hard Lemonade maker Mark Anthony Brands has filed a lawsuit against Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bang Energy LLC alleging copyright infringement in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York.
In a move that signals that the company is considering a variety of financial options including a potential acquisition or IPO, Kitu Life Super Coffee announced today that it has hired former Whole Foods finance VP Rosanna Godden as CFO and board secretary.
Yesterday CPG conglomerate Unilever announced it would acquire Onnit, a producer of food, beverage and supplement products designed for fitness-focused consumers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Unilever stated the brand will maintain its Austin headquarters and continue to be led by CEO Jason Havey.
Breakout Boston-based pickle brand Grillo’s Pickles has been sold to bakery company King’s Hawaiian in a deal that closed earlier this year. While exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, the Boston Business Journal reported that the company will remain in Boston, albeit with changes to the leadership team: CEO and founder Travis Grillo has left the company.
After a two-year hiatus from launching new products, Texas-based brand Picnik is charting a path forward in retail and online beyond its roots in “butter coffee” with the release of Vanilla Oat + Collagen Adaptogen Creamer. The new addition is the brand’s first SKU with flavor, founder Naomi Seifter noted, which leans more into the brand’s message to “Make Your Morning Count.”
Honest Tea co-founder and Beyond Meat chair of the board Seth Goldman discussed how his latest venture, mission-driven platform Eat The Change, fits into the context of his career and why the company led with mushroom jerky for its debut product line. He also addressed criticism of Beyond Meat products as being overly processed, the evolution of Honest Tea as a Coca-Cola-owned brand and why he occasionally eats Pringles.
With a growing portfolio of natural products companies, New York-based investment firm Room 9 announced its first lead investment last week, participating in Madre Mezcal’s $3 million Series A round. Room 9 Creative + Venture is a venture capital investment firm and branding design house founded by managing partner Anish Bhatia.
Seeking to broaden its consumer base beyond coconut fans, Genius Juice announced this week a brand refresh that places more emphasis on distinct flavors and plant-based functionality; Ascent Recovery Water has partnered with four new retail chains in the Midwest and Northeast, the company announced this week.
Monster Energy Company saw a boost in year-over-year sales for the period ending April 10, alongside other brands in the energy category, as the industry laps the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an analysis of Nielsen data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research, Monster reported dollar sales growth of 31.2% to $5.87 billion in the two-week period.
Developed by a former New York Knicks trainer and backed by Los Angeles Lakers star Kyle Kuzma, Barcode is a new plant-based sports drink launching online this week.
Foodtech company Perfect Day, which produces a whey protein isolate from non-animal sources for use in dairy alternative food and beverage products, announced this week the formation of its Sustainability & Health Advisory Council, intended to consult the company on environmental concerns and health and wellness issues.
