♻️ What’s Up With Upcycling

Upcycled industry stakeholders remain optimistic about its long-term potential despite slower-than-expected consumer adoption. 

“We’re seeing a lot of great trends in the right direction,” said Upcycled Food Association CEO Amanda Oenbring, who is the third leader of the trade organization in less than two years. “Is it slow growth? And is that growth going to take time and nurturing to get there? Yes.”

Late last year, The UFA sold its Upcycled Certified (UCC) verification program to Where Food Comes From, a third-party certification company that also operates a range of other popular verification programs. There are about 100 companies in the program with over 530 UCC products, “a 110% increase” since the beginning of the year, according to Where Food Comes From.

Globally-inspired gummy candy brand Better Sour announced today that CPG veteran Steve Wangler has come out of a brief retirement to join as SVP of sales.

⏪ Wangler, who stepped down as VP of sales at The Good Crisp Company approximately six months ago, said he was inspired to come out of retirement and join Better Sour based on its “incredible” data story and rapid retail acceleration. It probably didn’t hurt that Wangler had retired to Hawaii, where Better Sour is based.

👀 At Better Sour, he plans to utilize a four-tier system of brand, broker, distributor and retailer to enhance the brand’s go-to-market strategy.

💭 “By the end of the year, we’re trying to get brokers lined up and then slip into the review schedules as they come about. That will provide the best opportunity for us to engage with retailers through our broker partners and sets us up for a very robust ‘25,” he said.

Check out the full story on Nosh.

The CPG Week team gathers all in-person for the first time ever first, to taste some ketone beverages, and then to talk about the slew of M&A activity seen throughout the CPG industry in recent weeks.

🥕 Senior reporter Lukas Southard kicks it off with a deep dive into Bolthouse Farms’ decision to split its agriculture business from its CPG brands as it frees up debt to eye new acquisitions.

💪🏾 The team talks about Our Home’s most recent addition to its better-for-you snack brand portfolio and why manufacturing capacity is becoming a theme in CPG.

🏭 Did you say manufacturing? Senior reporter Brad Avery walks the team through his reporting on the merger of two snack bar makers and why brands are still selling high on protein.

Listen now on Nosh.com and subscribe to get a fresh episode every week.

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