Ryan Daily

Creating a successful alternative protein company is not just about developing an innovative ingredient or product, but it also is about scalability — from building the right size facility in budget to hiring the right personnel and meeting regulatory requirements, Next Rung Technology President John Ellersick told FoodNavigator-USA at the 2024 Future Food-Tech Alternative event in Chicago.

Chile-based ingredient company Alianza Team revealed its AI platform Oleum, which is designed to speed up the development process of tailor-made lipids, at the 2024 IFT FIRST event in Chicago, the company's Chief Growth Office Maria Mashali told FoodNavigator-USA.

Act Bar is on a mission to reduce food waste and nutrition insecurity with its line of snack bars, which were created with the help of ingredient and product development company Upcycled Foods, brand Founder Amelia Allen told FoodNavigator-USA.

Complete-protein pantry staple brand EQUII expanded beyond the frozen bread category with several pasta products — featuring refreshed branding — as the company explores ways to innovate finished products and alongside other CPG companies through its business-to-business (B2B) channel.

Ancient Drinks is taking its first major step beyond its direct-to-consumer roots and into retailers on the West Coast and the Southwest, including natural retailers Lassens and Good Earth Markets, as it tries to rewrite the sports drink branding playbook by leaning into history and humorous marketing, brand CEO and Founder Josh Rogers told FoodNavigator-USA.

Better-for-you pasta brand Goodles is moving beyond the dry-mix mac and cheese category with its deluxe line, as the brand seeks to double its revenues by innovating in the squeezable pouch segment, brand Co-founder and CEO Jen Zeszut told FoodNavigator-USA.

To create a sustainable business, early-stage CPG companies must be prudent in how they spend their limited capital — being cautious on how much they pay in slotting fees — and ensure they maintain authenticity and their disruptor mentality when hitting financial milestones, Managing Director at Greenwich Capital Group, Andrew Dickow, shared during the third episode of the Founders’ Fundamentals Podcast.

Consumers show increased optimism about inflation cooling as food security improves, with many shoppers reporting greater diet satisfaction and some turning to local food sources like farmer's markets and home gardens, according to a recent Purdue University report.

Whipnotic is releasing two new holiday flavors of its whipped cream, as the company hits business milestones ahead of schedule with the help of its patented nozzle technology, the two co-founders shared with FoodNavigator-USA.

With summer winding down, falls flavors — including the infamous pumpkin spice — are returning to store shelves and CPG products in coffees, cookies, yogurts and more as consumers seek new seasonal taste experiences.