After an Exit, What CPG Exec Is Starting a New Brand? FDA Warns Water Company About Mold Issues

Plus Natalie's Acquired; Tea with Donald Trump; MaryRuth's New CEO; and Sol-Ti Goes Shelf Stable

Happy September, everyone! I’m back from some quality time with family and exploring the “wilds” of Bethel, Maine. Besides the amazing bakery scene, I was thrilled to find two natural food stores and discovered a local hot sauce brand, Morning Glory Farms. What, you thought I’d go on vacation and not geek out over food?

Now, let’s dive into the news. There’s a lot to catch up on!

Kodiak Cake Execs Ready to Start a Fire in Snacking

When it comes to second acts for successful CPG CEOs, the spotlight may be on RxBar founder Peter Rahal and his new protein bar brand David. But there's another CPG exec-founded brand brewing that you should have on your radar as former Kodiak Cake President Cameron Smith and former VP of Marketing Brandon Porras gear up to launch a new snack brand in Q4. 

Quick recap: After Kodiak’s expansion from baking mixes into frozen breakfast and snacks, the company was sold to L Catterton in 2021. Smith and Porras left in January and July 2023, respectively.

Porras teased on LinkedIn that the new brand will “[fill] a gap in the category,” while Smith highlighted their ambition to create something that can “make a real impact.”

So, what’s this new venture called? Trademark filings suggest the name is “Kindling,” which fits nicely with their playful job listings that include responsibilities like “Be a steady flame,” and “Invite Others to the Campfire,” noting, “Roasting is for marshmallows, not people.” A refreshing sentiment.

Job postings for hybrid roles in Nashville reveal a push into better-for-you snacks that will “taste just as good as the original.” Meanwhile, trademark filings cover a wide array of products—from jerky to cookies, chips, trail mix, fruit snacks, and protein bars—and include the slogan “Feed Your Flame.”

Interestingly, Kindling’s go-to-market strategy seems to prioritize Costco and the club channel. A Field Marketing Manager job posting specifically mentions responsibilities will include managing Costco roadshows and coordinating with the retailer’s distribution warehouses. That said, it’s not an entirely surprising strategy given Smith’s history at Kodiak, which credits Costco as its first major retailer and a long-time innovation partner. 

Water Woes

Waiakea, known for its Hawaiian volcanic water, is facing scrutiny from the FDA after “significant” violations were found at its bottling facility. This week the agency published a warning letter on its website detailing the result of inspections conducted between December 2023 and February 2024 just months before an April 2024 recall by Waiakea was prompted by consumer complaints of “floating particles” in bottles.

While much of the company’s specific procedures and processes are redacted in the document, in the letter the FDA alleges that Waiakea’s water treatment process failed to “effectively” address biological hazards, leading to the presence of mold and yeast. Additionally, the FDA noted inconsistent logging and sanitizing processes by employees. 

Waiakea’s testing of the recalled products identified the presence of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Paecilomyces lilacinus, while FDA laboratory analysis identified another seven strains of mold and yeast. 

Waiakea initially responded to the FDA's concerns by proposing corrective actions, including updated equipment and revised testing protocols. However these efforts are not enough, according to the FDA, and what has been submitted to the agency is still missing critical information. As such, the letter notes, “We remain concerned that the [redacted process] for the treatment of product water is not operated in a manner that is effective in accomplishing the intended purpose.” 

Another “Oily” Alliance

Beyond Brands founder Eric Schnell has launched a new “Seed-Oil Free” certification for brands and restaurants, developed in collaboration with influencer Dr. Andrew Weil and led by CEO Jonathan Rubin. The move follows industry efforts like 2022’s marketing awareness campaign by the “Clean Oil Crew” and the 2017 launch of the Healthy Fat Coalition, which promoted the use and consumption of animal-based fats.

There’s a lot of chatter about seed oils within the CPG space, but is it a mainstream trend or just part of the natural products echo chamber? I wonder if the more compelling play might be highlighting the oils you do use—like olive or avocado oil—to convey a premium positioning, regardless of whether consumers are clued into the whole seed oil debate.

News Bites:

Juicy Deal: Juice manufacturer Perricone Farms has acquired Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company. While a website post by Natalie’s execs reassures that product quality, shelf life, and branding will remain unchanged, the FAQs hint at potential changes in distribution strategy and sourcing.

Hail to the (New) Chiefs: Former Alter Eco and Safely CEO Mike Forbes takes the helm at MaryRuth’s Organics as CEO. The supplement company was sold back to its founders last month; Colostrum company Miracle Moo hired former Against the Grain CEO and Grillo’s Pickles Chief Revenue Officer Mike Watts as its new CEO;  Melissa Hauser has been appointed President, Americas at Minor Figures. Hauser has climbed the ranks at the coffee and alt-milk brand, first serving as VP of Sales for North America and, most recently, General Manager for Minor Figure’s North American business. 

Nothing Fishy Here: Cookbooks are a rising marketing tool for CPG brands and joining the likes of Lotus Foods, Red Boat Fish Sauce, Fly by Jing and Masienda is tinned fish brand Fishwife. Co-founder Becca Millstein’s cookbook is now available for preorder. 

Donald Trump “Spills” the Tea: Comedian Theo Von’s podcast interview with Donald Trump has been all over TikTok and Instagram, and if you’re a CPG geek you’ll notice the cans of Ryl Tea next to the host and former President. Politics aside, it’s always an interesting (and risky) choice to align your brand with a specific political party. No comment yet from Ryl on the sponsorship deal but, meanwhile, Von previously shared Smart Waters with Senator Bernie Sanders. 

A New Day: After 20 years at the helm, Zach Adelman announced on Linkedin that he stepped down from superfood brand Navitas last month, handing the role over to COO Ira Haber. Adelman wrote he has “an exciting new project… that keeps me engaged in the industry” and his LinkedIn profile indicates he is the Managing Director at dried tropical fruit company Sunset Fine Foods. 

Peet’s New Plant-Based Pour: Ripple’s Plant-Based Barista Blend has landed at Peet’s Coffee nationwide, expanding the chain’s existing dairy-free options of oat, almond, and soy milk. “Peetniks” were able to try Ripple Plant-Based Barista Milk for free over the last two weeks of August. 

The Science of State Fairs: Every summer I drool over the photos from the Minnesota State Fair. So this year I was particularly excited to see the CPG industry represented at the fried foods mecca. While Naturally MN Executive Director Allison Hohn created the Minnesota Fair Foodie Guide (I’m waiting to hear how the Deep Fried Ranch Dressing bites and Dill Pickle Lemonade were), demoing at the fair were local brands including K-Mama, Gingerbread Village, B2B Farms Honey, P&TY Granola Bars, Bao Bao Buns, Willa’s Oatmilk and Jump Chili. 

People on the Move: Sophia Sesto was promoted to VP of Culture at Poppi; Seventh Generation CEO Alison Whritenour is moving onto a sweet gig, assuming the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Unreal Snacks; Abbey Appel was promoted to Whole Foods Senior Category Merchant for Functional Supplements & Functional Foods; David Paul Miller (or as you probably know him, DPM) will now head up sales as Chief Sales Officer at Puravida Foods; BTR Bar is bringing on CPG veteran Todd Kluger as its VP of Sales and Marketing. Kluger formerly held the same role at the now-closed chocolate brand Ocho

Foxtrot’s Local Brands? I happened to spy this Eater.com article about Foxtrot’s reopening, and saw something weird….check out this sidebar. Pretty sure Fishwife, Lexington Bakes, Scribe Wine, and Yough! are not local to Chicago.

New Products on Shelf:

Baking brand Supernatural is adding some sparkle to Goliath's latest toy release, Tasty Tinies Bake Shop. If you haven’t yet fallen into the wormhole of Mini-Verse TikTok videos, where have you been? Tasty Tinies taps into the tiny-toy trend with an interactive, edible experience that lets kids mix and "bake" mini cakes in just 25 seconds. Available in three flavors, the mixes feature Supernatural’s Rainbow Pop, Pink Pop, and Unicorn Tracks sprinkles.

Sol-ti is making a play for the shelf-stable market with SuperStix, a line of coconut water-based, Organic-certified hydration powders. Free from stevia, cane sugar, and synthetic salts, these powders come in four flavors: lemon with strawberries, chlorophyll, blueberries, or dragon fruit. Whole Foods has the exclusive launch.

Kraft Heinz is back at it with their licensing magic, partnering with functional food brand RYSE for a line of Jello-flavored Whey Protein and Pre-Workout powders. The five SKUs will debut in GNC and Vitamin Shoppe and are Jello's first foray into "active nutrition.” Kraft Heinz Sr. Manager of Licensing Charter Foster  shared on LinkedIn that the Jello brand fits the category format, highlighting its strong brand recognition, "beloved" taste profiles, and ability to create “at-shelf happiness with the images (and brands) shoppers seek in other grocery aisles.”

No Cap Soda is the latest better-for-you soda player to enter the chat. With flavors like Bussin’ Berry and Apple Rizz (and a No Cap! Aura 12-pack), each can boasts just 10 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and a mix of pre- and postbiotics. The brand was co-founded by former Congo Brands VP Sam Wilson, who previously led sales teams at Clean Cause, Sway Energy, Bang Energy, and Red Bull.

It seems 2024 is the year of the crunchy cookie (sorry, chewy fans, I feel your pain). We've already seen crispy bite-sized cookies debut from Fancypants and now allergen-friendly brand Every Body Eat is joining the fray with new Cookie Bites in Chocolate Chip, Ginger Cinnamon, and Cranberry Vanilla. Available online now, the cookies will hit Whole Foods Market nationwide in October.

Starkist's latest release might confuse Jessica Simpson even more than Chicken of the Sea did: introducing Beef Creations. The 2.6oz shelf-stable pouches feature fully-cooked ground beef in Taco, BBQ, or Sloppy Joe sauces, with 8-9 grams of protein. Unlike the brand’s Salmon and Tuna Creations, Starkist recommends heating the beef mixes first—and heads up, the packaging isn’t microwave-safe. So while it makes sense (mmm cold ground beef?), it’s not the most portable option.

Other launches include:

• Spindrift is ushering in Fall (sob) with the return of its beloved Cranberry Raspberry seltzer and a new Fuji Apple sparkling beverage. 

• Moving from sweet to savory, influencer-created company Myna Snacks launched a new pizza-flavored cracker. (If you haven’t tried their cookies, they’re the Oreo alternative you’ve been dreaming of.)

• A-Sha and internet sensation Hot Ones are teaming up on a three-sku line of spicy ramen noodles, each cup getting progressively hotter. Normally, I’d expect a gimmick, but A-Sha makes some of the best noodle kits out there, so I’m hopeful this one will be Da Bomb (IYKYK).

• Bob’s Red Mill has rolled out new White Chocolate & Strawberry, Chocolate Chip & Banana and Homestyle Buttermilk pancake & waffle Mixes. Made with a blend of wheat flour, tapioca flour, and wheat gluten, Bob’s claims these mixes produce a fluffier pancake.

• Dipping into a new category, Bachan’s is launching new dipping sauces that are thicker than the brand’s original Japanese BBQ sauces. It’ll be interesting to see if this new positioning attracts incremental customers or simply pulls them over from the flagship line.

In My Cart:

After I expressed my love for Superieur’s water enhancers last week, functional food brand GoodOnYa challenged me to check out their hydration powder. Okay folks, buy this. Not only is it Organic and certified Glyphosate-free, but it's delicious. The brand is D2C only for now and, as a child of the 80’s and 90’s, gives me Country Time Lemonade vibes in the best possible way.