Start-Up Snack Company Debuts Flagship Product Made From Sprouted Almonds

Calif.-based plant-based snack start-up AKA Snacks has launched its flagship sprouted almonds product. Palmonds are soy–free, gluten–free, dairy–free, paleo, and vegan, made from sprouted – not roasted – almonds that are dehydrated and flavored with organic spices, coconut sugar, and coconut aminos, a condiment typically used as a savory alternative to soy sauce. Palmonds, which deliver 10 grams of plant–based protein per serving, are available in salty sweet, cinnamon sugar, sweet barbecue, and spicy nacho flavors, each containing between 250 and 280 calories. AKA Snacks is named for founder and CEO Ashley Kathleen Allyn, who created the brand after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

"New plant–based snack company launches its first product", Food Business News, June 23, 2020

Three Wishes Adds Cocoa Flavor To Line Of Plant-Based Breakfast Cereals

New York City-based Three Wishes cereals, founded in October 2019 by a husband-and-wife entrepreneurial team, has launched a new flavor, cocoa, which joins cinnamon, honey, and unsweetened flavors. Three Wishes cereals are high protein (eight grams per serving) and low sugar (three grams from monkfruit and cane sugar). The grain-free breakfast cereals are made with chickpeas, pea protein, and tapioca, are gluten–free, and free from wheat, dairy, soy, oats, corn, rice and peanuts. The cereals are available on the company website and on Amazon, and in select retailers across the country. 

"Three Wishes Cereal Launches New Cocoa Flavor, Original 1971 Willy Wonka Cast is Obsessed", PR Newswire, June 23, 2020

Blake’s Seed Based Broadens Market Reach Beyond People With Food Allergies

Chicago-based snack company Blake's Seed Based’s niche market is consumers with food allergies who need snack bars free from the top eight allergens. It’s a big market: more than 32 million people in the U.S. live with food allergies, 90 percent of whom are affected by the top eight allergens. But company founder Blake Sorenson is positioning his company to attract more than people with food allergies, so he is now focusing marketing on the general health benefits of seeds, while appealing to those looking for an alternative to nut–based and granola bars. Consumers are getting more savvy about seeds, which "are still trending," says Sorensen, and his seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, and flax) pack a lot of nutrition per serving (i.e., healthy fats, protein, and fiber). Launched as an online brand, the products can now be found in 1,000 brick–and–mortar stores nationally, often positioned next to category giants such as KIND. Still, the new pandemic-driven stay-at-home lifestyle has forced ...  More

"Blake's Seed Based founder: 'It s important that we re not just an allergen brand'", FoodNavigator–USA.com, June 17, 2020

As The Pandemic Grinds On, Coke Believes Even More Strongly in Innovation

Coca-Cola is committed to innovation as a growth engine, especially now during the coronavirus pandemic. By staying local, by reacting quickly to developments, by staying tuned to consumer needs, and by determining “what behaviors are short-term versus those that may stick” as the pandemic drags on, the company will be able to turn challenges into opportunities. An example is hygiene, a particular concern of consumers now. "Building touchless solutions in the away-from-home channel is a big opportunity we need to tap into,” says Coca-Cola CFO John Murphy. In Australia and New Zealand, for example, Coca-Cola vending machines have started to accept bitcoin to reduce the number of contacts consumers need with the machine. 

"What does innovation look like in a coronavirus era? Coca-Cola reveals its strategy", Beverage Daily, June 16, 2020

Nestlé Health Science To Buy Majority Stake In Vital Proteins

Nutritional science company Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) announced it will acquire a majority stake in Chicago-based Vital Proteins, a collagen brand and lifestyle/wellness platform offering supplements, beverages, and food products. Vital Proteins will continue to operate as a standalone business, but will become part of the Nestlé Health Science portfolio, giving it access to “a variety of resources to scale their reach and innovation in pursuit of global wellness.” Vital Proteins has 150 SKUs across 35,000 retail stores in North America and Europe, including Whole Foods, Costco, Target, Walgreens, and Kroger. NHSc said Vital Proteins’ products complement its own vitamin, mineral, supplement, and wellness brands, including Atrium Innovations, Garden of Life, Pure Encapsulations, and Persona. Founder and CEO Kurt Seidensticker will remain the head of the company. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval.

"Nestlé Health Science agrees to acquire majority stake in Vital Proteins", Nestlé, June 10, 2020