Food Entrepreneur

Cultivated meat company Mosa Meat has raised $42.9 million in funding. The company plans to use the funds to scale up its production process, drive down the cost of production and prepare for market entry. "The overall macroeconomic landscape has been rough in the last two years, which has culled the herd of companies and forced us to be even more strategic and focused on achieving our mission," said Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat. "As such, we are humbled and honored to welcome both public parties and conventional meat producers to join this critical journey." Read more 🍔▶️ https://ow.ly/CHea50REyhG #foodentrepreneur #investment #venturecapital #cultivatedmeat

Four shifts in consumer behavior are driving snack trends, including health, global flavors, sustainability and intentional indulgences. Read more about key snack trend details from Scott Dicker, market insights director of SPINS, at the recent Food Entrepreneur Experience webinar. More here 🍴▶️ https://ow.ly/X8pr50RBWCs #foodentrepreneur #snacks #trends #sustainability #flavors

Barney & Co has invested in a second manufacturing facility in Fresno, Calif. The facility will enable the company to expand beyond its current offering of almond butter with a range of nut butters. "We're excited to take our expertise and innovation beyond almond butter and venture into the broader nut butter category," said Dawn Kelley, chief executive officer of Barney Butter, Barney & Co. California. "Our goal has always been to provide consumers with the highest quality nut butters but only if we can maintain our peanut-free promise for our almond butters, and this expansion allows us to bring that same level of excellence to peanut butter and other varieties." Read more 🥜▶️ https://ow.ly/ctay50RzBIw #foodentrepreneur #operations #manufacturing #peanutbutter

Entrepreneurs in the snacking space are utilizing sustainable ingredients and inclusive formulations to stand out among their competitors. Read how brands like Confetti Snacks - Marvellous Veggie Chips and THEO's Plant-Based Jerky are tapping into the trend with upcycled vegetables, along with diet-inclusive innovations from Absurd Snacks and Good Journey Foods. More here 🍽️▶️ https://ow.ly/k1w050RxqBz #foodentrepreneur #snacks #emergingbrands #sustainability

"The salty snack category is full of the absence of negatives," said Jason Wright, founder and CEO of WILDE CHIPS. "When you think about it it’s grain free, gluten-free; they’re promoting an absence of a negative. For Wilde, we deliver protein, and that’s a positive." Read how the brand is infusing protein into the snack aisle with its chicken, egg whites and bone broth formulation. More here 🍴▶️ https://ow.ly/eJlh50RvSR9 #foodentrepreneur #snacks #emergingbrands #startup

WunderEggs was named the winner of Albertsons Companies' second annual Innovation Launchpad at Natural Products Expo West. The plant-based hardboiled egg maker competed against 60 participants and took home $163,000, along with services and industry recognition. "This win means that conventional retailers like Albertsons are ready to bet on a niche product," said Hema Reddy, founder and CEO. "It’s not just a win for WunderEggs, it’s a win for the entire category to continue marching forward." Read more 🏆▶️ https://ow.ly/zPbG50RtHE1 #foodentrepreneur #startup #emergingbrands #plantbased

Nobell Foods, a maker of dairy proteins, including casein, from soybeans, is transitioning into a new master brand called Alpine Bio, The Biology Design Co. Alpine Bio will spearhead the scale-up of its proprietary plant-based casein and drive the expansion of its ingredient pipeline, while Nobell Foods will become a unit within Alpine Bio focused on its mission of manufacturing animal-free cheese. "This change aligns better with our expanded capabilities and vision, reflecting our evolution from focusing solely on dairy proteins to becoming a leader in full spectrum biomanufacturing," said Magi Richani, founder and CEO. Read more 🧀▶️ https://ow.ly/FL5A50RqZl2 #foodentrepreneur #operations #plantbased #dairyfree

The Emerging Food Brands Lab Food Brands Lab accelerator program has selected its 2024 cohorts. The multi-week hybrid program, held from May 7 until June 11, helps women founders in the food and beverage spaces grow their brands by scaling production, optimizing distribution networks and raising capital. "We look forward to the opportunity to leverage the strength and expertise of our practice to help support the women leading companies in our sector, and we are thrilled to be working with clients and industry experts to help these founders get the support they need to take their company to the next level," said Meghan Moran, partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and member of the firm’s Food + Beverage practice. Read more ▶️ https://ow.ly/zuE150RpgmR #foodentrepreneur #startup #accelerator #emergingbrands

Barilla Group is stopping the production of its minimally processed legume-based pasta brand, Tolerant Foods. Barilla acquired the Tolerant brand in 2018 as part of its acquisition of MXO Global Inc. "In a rapidly shifting marketplace, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the Tolerant brand and its products," a spokesperson for Barilla said. "We’re focused on prioritizing pasta options that offer a variety of different nutrition benefits under our Barilla brand." Read more 🍝▶️ https://ow.ly/58Ig50RnjmU #foodentrepreneur #operations #pasta

Confetti Snacks, a vegetable chip company that uses upcycled ingredients, has won the SNAC Tank Pitch Competition at SNAC International's SNX 2024. "How can we solve two major problems (starvation and food waste) facing the world today?" asked Betty Lu, founder and CEO of Confetti Snacks - Marvellous Veggie Chips. "We take 'ugly' produce, upcycle them to delicious and crunchy baked snacks and season them with award-winning seasonings inspired by cultures of the world." Read more 🏆▶️ https://ow.ly/ptI950RlcZg #foodentrepreneur #snacks #pitchcompetition #upcycling