Member News & Headlines Blog

It’s no secret that e-commerce has changed the landscape of B2C retail- but the ripple effect this evolution has wrought on supply chains, including those of B2B shippers, may be less apparent.  

On June 18, GlobalTranz and the Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network hosted a panel discussion titled, The Future of Ecommerce: Delivering on New Consumer Expectations According to the “New Rules” of Retail to address the challenges for shippers of today’s online and offline marketplaces.  

Our panelists included Adam Root, Chief Operating Officer at Blake’s Seed Based, Maureen Cherwin, Director, e-commerce and digital media at Simple Mills, Kris McDermott, Senior Vice President, e-commerce at Edelman, and Brian Winshall, Executive Vice President at GlobalTranz. 

Read the full article from GlobalTranz here 

The food company unveiled Thursday a new line of smoothie products called Fruitlove, which come in small cups and contain a spoon. The Kraft Heinz press release touted five flavors, each containing at least three fruits or vegetables, and provide a source of calcium, protein and other nutrients.

The new smoothie line can be seen as an attempt to add more health choices to company's offerings, as Kraft Heinz has been hurt by the public's turn toward healthier foods over processed ones. Kraft Heinz has also acquired several healthy food brands this year, such as Primal Kitchen.

Read the full article here

Today poultry giant Tyson Foods announced Raised & Rooted, its new brand selling alternative proteins. Raised & Rooted’s first products will be plant-based “chicken” nuggets (made with a pea protein blend) and blended burger patties (which combine beef and pea protein). The products have lower calories and saturated fat than traditional chicken nuggets and beef burgers, respectively.

In addition to the new Raised & Rooted brand, Tyson is also introducing new alt-protein products through its existing Aidells brand, which sells meaty sausages, burgers, and meatballs. Aidells Whole Blends’ new sausages and meatballs contain a blend of chicken and protein-heavy plants such as quinoa, black beans, and lentils.

Read the full article here

Today’s market focus on “clean label” requires reviewing all the ingredients in a product. Often, this means considering replacing the corn syrup in confectionery. But unlike many food items that use corn syrup to stretch the product and reduce cost, corn syrup in candy is highly functional. Replacing corn syrup with tapioca syrup, brown rice syrup, oat syrup, or other grain syrup is not a simple task. Knowing the basics of corn syrup, what it’s contributing, and how it’s interacting with other ingredients is the key to understanding how to replace it.

Read the full article here 

FreightWaves and Convoy teamed up to present the first annual Shipper of Choice Award to a top-notch manufacturer, distributor or retailer. The Kellogg Company K 1.33% took home the first place trophy during Transparency19 earlier this year.

The first-of-its-kind award was created to recognize shippers committed to eliminating inefficiencies from the supply chain and aiming to be excellent partners for their carriers.

"The Shipper of Choice Award is all about increasing transparency as we highlight innovative best practices that keep freight moving and contribute to a healthy freight community," FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller said.

Read the full article here 

Impossible Foods, which makes a meatless plant-based burger and is backed by celebrities like Serena Williams and Katy Perry, said on Monday it has raised $300 million in the latest round of funding ahead of a possible initial public offering.

The fundraising underscores the growing appeal in plant-based food that tries to taste like meat with fewer environmental or health risks. Shares of competitor Beyond Meat Inc, which debuted on Nasdaq on May 2, have more than tripled.

Read more from MarketScale here

Are you working on a truly innovative food or agriculture product or technology? Are you disrupting a large market with a focus on sustainability and / or social impact? Then FoodBytes! is calling your name!

The leading food and agriculture discovery platform and pitch competition is making its Chicago debut on September 18 and 19, and applications are now open. Startups focused on animal health, sustainable production, soil & water conservation, precision agriculture, robotics, food safety, food waste, food as medicine, sugar alternatives and novel healthy ingredients are especially encouraged to apply. However, global innovators working across the entire food value chain are always welcome. 

Learn more in the handy FAQ and apply here by Sunday, June 23.

Watch this short trailer, for a look inside FoodBytes - coming to Chicago September 19, 2019.

Click here to watch.

We’re kicking off Q2 with an overview of press from our recent FoodBytes! SF pitch competition, as well as a rundown of news across CPG, Food Tech, and Ag Tech. From in-depth profiles on startups like GEM and Hargol FoodTech, to seed round funding news from Augean Robotics, April’s roundup is full of fruitful news.

FoodBytes! San Francisco 2019

1. FoodBytes! SF 2019 mentors share tips on how to protect your IP, pick the right investor, and more (Food Navigator).
2. FoodBytes! SF sees winners in agtech app, upcycled beer and sustainably-sourced tea (Drinkpreneur).
3. BREAKING: Precision Grain Elevator Tech, Beer-Focused Food Waste Reduction, and an Innovative Beverage Startup Claim Top Prizes at FoodBytes! SF (AgFunder). 
4. Shaka Tea, Bushel, and Toast Ale Take Top Prizes at FoodBytes! San Francisco 2019 (Food Navigator).

CPG: Seaweed jerky startup Akua featured in The New York Times

1. Seaweed jerky company and FB! SF 2017 alum Akua is included in a NY Times article chronicling the myriad ways in which seaweed snacks are ‘filtering’ into the market (NY Times).
2. The Worthy Company continues to gain traction for their blendie bowl, a new on-the-go creation that combines fruits, veggies, legumes, and chia (Food Navigator).
3. GEM, the ‘anti-vitamin vitamin’ geared towards the modern millennial woman, is changing the way we think about the supplement industry. Learn more about their mission in this in-depth profile (Food Navigator). 
4. FB! NYC Alum Sweetie Pie Organics is selected to participate in FoodX’s 9th Cohort – one of 5 women-led startups in this cohort (AgFunder News).

Read the full article from FoodBytes here 

There’s an alarming dichotomy around food and waste in the US and statistics show the problem is escalating year-on-year.

In 2018, one in seven Americans – around 50 million people – used food banks to avoid going hungry. In the same 12-month period, almost 40 percent of food in the US was wasted, with 35 million tons of fresh produce and pre-packed foods going straight to landfill, 90 percent of which was thrown away while it was still perfectly safe to eat.

Food Tech innovators are working harder than ever to reduce food waste across the supply chain, targeting processes that are ripe for reinvention. From 2016 to 2019, the number of waste-related applications across Rabobank’s innovation platforms FoodBytes! and TERRA has tripled, from 8 to 22 percent of total applications. This year, we’ve been able to see which trends are gaining the most traction, from farm to fork.

Read the full article from FoodBytes here