💉 How The “Ozempic Era” Could Steer CPG Innovation?

Pittsburgh-based TruFood Manufacturing and California-based Bar Bakers, LLC announced the closing of a merger between the two specialty foods manufacturers last week.

🍫 Both manufacturers specialize in nutritional foods. TruFoods focused primarily on bars, chocolate and baked granola while Bar Bakers makes all the snacks.

🦾 Steve Young, managing partner at growth equity firm Manna Tree (which invested in the newly combined company), said the timing for the deal is ripe, citing continued growth of the better-for-you foods space and a regular influx of new brands.

🍴 Young told Nosh on Friday: “It feels like there is more and more activity in this nutrition bar and nutritional baked goods space every day. Every day there’s a new brand that crops up with a unique twist on the consumer needs.”

Insiders can learn more about the marriage of these two co-manufacturers in the full story on Nosh.

In this episode, the CPG Week team talks about Beverage Forum insights, the state of the cannabis industry after the drug is potentially rescheduled, and the troubling signs from fintech consumer brand lender Ampla. 

🥤 BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman and senior reporter Brad Avery discuss celebrity beverage brands, why industry stakeholders are high on next-generation drinks and one big producer’s thoughts on future diversification.

🪴 What would it mean if marijuana went from a Schedule I to Schedule III drug and how might it impact emerging cannabis products and the broader marketplace?

😬 What is going on with CPG credit provider Ampla and how does the state of lending for food and beverage brands relate to its woes?

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• Details on the closure of a California-based CPG brand discovery platform

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