Member News & Headlines Blog

As part of our celebration of Black History Month in the United States, we wanted to take a look at just a few of the many African Americans who helped shape the food industry and the science of food profession.

"It is very important that we promote and leverage the many extraordinary contributions of African-American men and women to the science of food, if in fact we intend to attract students of color to the field," says IFT Fellow Larry Keener. "The life stories and accomplishments of American food scientists such as George Washington Carver, Norbert Rilleux and Percy Julian are compelling in this nation's history. Their life stories are simply amazing, and their accomplishments and innovations in food science and technology are inspirational for students desiring careers in science and technology. It’s exceedingly difficult to see one’s self in a place or a position in which there are no images nor history of people of similar background having succeeded previously. History can also be a portal to the future."

Here are four African American scientists and inventors who changed the food industry. Read about them here 

On Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Curion Deerfield was featured on Chicago’s very own WGN Morning News segment Around Town with Ana Belaval! During this segment, Curion’s world class facilities, sensory processes, data insights and talent were showcased. Check out the video below to see how Curion is not only able to provide consumers with a fun way to try new products, but also how valuable consumer feedback is provided to clients. Click here to see the WGN clip.

Since starting the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network almost two years ago, one thing has been constant: the number of food and beverage entrepreneurs we come into contact with. These are smart, motivated people with great ideas and boundless passion.  It is truly a pleasure to speak with them, provide advice/counsel/direction, and learn about where these pioneers are taking the food & beverage industry. (I also find myself energized after these meetings--it’s impossible not to feel this way given their energy and enthusiasm).  But why now? Check out this Industry Week article here.

“Businesses that understand emerging “influence points” will have a significant strategic advantage...driven by the needs of ever more demanding customers, position [1] will matter more than ever.” - The Future of Manufacturing, Deloitte Insights, John Hagel et al.

“Influence Points,” or as we know commonly identify them – “Top Trends” - were the focus of Tuesday’s SPINS event , Natural  Foods Forecast 2019:  What are the top trends in the market's hottest category?  Specifically, speakers Molly Hjelm, Jessica Hochman, and Brent Coons  addressed the trends that are quickly emerging to dominate the Natural Foods category. 

The Top trends emerging in the category are all starting to take up significant shelf space across all aisles of the grocery store.  From clean beverages, to better for you booze, kids snacks to adult snacks, new imaginings behind the seafood or “no fish” seafood spaces, and beyond - every area of our daily eating and drinking habits are seeing new innovations, product sources and approaches. We all consider know that  trends are worth monitoring, as they can be either a jumping-off point or potentially tie into something of deeper value to consumers - Tuesday’s event provided a great analysis of the trends with real market impact for 2019!

Founders from 3 Chicago-based start-ups were on hand to sample their products. All of which, matched the trends being discussed.   Hope & Sesame provided a non-dairy milk alternative - the “sesame” trend that marketers are watching closely.  Social Sparkling Wine had a gluten-free sake cocktail and Drink Stout , a new CFBN member, brought their smoky, spicy non-alcoholic Bloody Mary base - both great examples of the “better for you booze” trend.

Missed out on this awesome event? Check out the CFBN LiveStream of the event! Take a look at this recording from SPINS’ recent Trends Predictions webinar for a recap of the great content mentioned during the live event. Don’t forget that you can discover more trends & research from SPINS Natural insights experts!

As the leading wellness-focused data technology company, SPINS uniquely empowers brands, retailers and investors with powerful insights to uncover growth opportunities and stay ahead of the competition. If you’re interested in learning more about how they can help you, connect with a member of the SPINS team here.

We're finding new ways to bring you the best CFBN content! Search 'chgofood' on the Periscope app to access footage from our latest Natural Foods Forecast event with our member Spins. You can also click here to be navigated to our Periscope profile. Don't forget to give us a follow!

Over the past few years, Chicago has established itself as one of the most popular U.S. cities for natural food companies — move over Austin, Texas and Boulder, Colo. Several Windy City-based food startups have recently achieved big-dollar acquisitions like Home Chef, RXBAR, and SkinnyPop, to name a few. The Midwestern hub has all the ingredients for food startups to thrive: talent, resources, and space. Read on as we explore four natural food companies and the teams behind them that are worth keeping an eye on.

Read more from ForceBrands here

A Chicago startup developing a new way to grow edible protein has raised a large round of funding from top investors, including Bill Gates.

Sustainable Bioproducts, a Chicago biotech startup making a fermentation process to produce lab-grown protein, announced Monday that it has raised $33 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Silicon Valley venture firm 1955 Capital. Also backing the startup is Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1 billion fund led by Bill Gates that aims to invest in companies that are combating climate change. Breakthrough’s other investors include Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg and Richard Branson.

Other backers in Sustainable Bioproducts’ round include ADM Ventures, the venture arm of Archer Daniels Midland; Danone Manifesto Ventures, the venture arm of yogurt company Danone; Lauder Partners; and the Liebelson family office.

Read full article from Chicago Inno here

A percentage of sales from Spinning Wheel Brands' Mozaics chips funds scholarships at Chicago Mosaic School

Article by Crain's Chicago Business

By the end of this year, a line of snack chips called Mozaics is expected to generate enough sales to fund scholarships for 16 students at Chicago Mosaic School, the only professional mosaic school in the country. It's based in Edgewater, as is Spinning Wheel Brands, the creator of Mozaics. Eventually a portion of sales from all Spinning Wheel brands will benefit nonprofits, says Julia Stamberger, the company's CEO and co-founder.

Mozaics, which come in five varieties, has bits of vegetables embedded in each chip, making them look like tiny mosaics. And Anne Curley, the late wife of Spinning Wheel co-founder James Curley, was a mosaic artist; those two facts made the school a natural recipient of the chip brand's fundraising. The chips are available at Hudson newsstands, Target, Freshii fast-casual restaurants and other locations. The 3.5-ounce bag sells for $3.99. By the end of this year, Stamberger expects sales of $5 million; a donation of 0.5 percent (about 2 cents a bag) will fund introductory classes and materials for 16 Chicago Mosaic School students. 

Up next: Finding appropriate nonprofit partners for Spinning Wheel's other brands, all of which are focused on nutrition and taste and are gluten-free, and where possible, vegan and kosher, Stamberger says. Those brands include Hope & Sesame, a line of sesame-seed-based milks that will launch this quarter; Handfulls, which are nut-based snacks and trail mixes; and Copious Brands, a line of individual-portion packed shelf-stable hummus, olives and other Mediterranean-influenced snacks.

Stamberger and her co-founders launched Spinning Wheel in 2016, bootstrapping the startup and then assembling a team of investors, most of whom are Chicago-based.

(Bloomberg)—Scott Shellady, known in the trading pits of Chicago for his trademark “cow jacket,” isn’t going to let a historic blast of Arctic freeze on Wednesday keep him away from the options pits at the world’s largest derivatives exchange, even though many of the city’s workers are planning to hunker down at home.

“I come from a family of farmers,” said Shellady, who commutes into the city from northwest Indiana. “And there’s a word in English that describes the weather we’re having. Winter.”

That may be a bit of Midwest meteorological bluster. The brutally cold weather is expected to make temperatures warmer above the Arctic Circle than in Chicago. It’ll be 21 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in the Windy City on Wednesday and minus-24 on Thursday, according to forecasts. The city’s all-time record low is minus-27, set in 1985.

Read the full article on Crain's Chicago Business here

Scott Shellady, known in the trading pits of Chicago for his trademark “cow jacket,” isn’t going to let a historic blast of Arctic freeze on Wednesday keep him away from the options pits at the world’s largest derivatives exchange, even though many of the city’s workers are planning to hunker down at home.

“I come from a family of farmers,” said Shellady, who commutes into the city from northwest Indiana. “And there’s a word in English that describes the weather we’re having. Winter.”

Read the full article from Bloomberg here.