KIND Snacks

In this week’s notable new products roundup, Compartes teams up with Velveeta for a unique collaboration, Central Perk rolls out new FRIENDS-themed coffee blends and RXBAR grows its morning and mini offerings.

KIND Snacks, a company whose mission is to create a kinder and healthier world by being kinder to our communities, bodies and the planet, is launching a three-year pilot project in regenerative agriculture, the KIND Almond Acres Initiative.

In this week’s roundup of notable new products, Tom’s Perfect 10 releases a dessert-inspired granola, Sambazon unveils shaker bottle-friendly smoothie cubes and Chobani expands its yogurt lineup with zero sugar offerings.

Since the onset of the pandemic, wellness and better-for-you attributes continue to play a prominent role in eating trends, and the snack set is no exception.

In this roundup: KIND is cleared in ‘All-Natural” class action suit, Kashi sued for misleading consumers with pear-filled, strawberry-flavored bars, Kellogg’s served for not putting enough whole grains in crackers and Sabra sued to remove its Kosher mark.

Mondelēz International announced that it will buy The Clif Bar Company for at least $2.9 billion last week. While the move marks a significant step in the company’s plan to reshape its portfolio, it also aligns the strategic with one of the oldest and largest brands in the crowded bar space. Once it closes, the eight leading nutrition bars brands in the U.S. will be owned by large CPG conglomerates.

The Clif Bar Company announced Friday it has reached a $10.5 million settlement agreement in a class action case alleging the brand misleadingly labeled its Clif Kid ZBars and “Classic” Clif Bars to convey messages of health and wellness, even though 37% of the calories in the product come from added sugar.

In this week’s Checkout: Motif Foodworks rolls out products and secures new investment partner, KIND announces progress toward almond sourcing goals, BOOMCHICKAPOP launches its most expensive product and Abbott Nutrition reaches an agreement with the FDA to resume infant formula production

In this video, shot at Natural Products Expo West, SOMOS co-founders Daniel Lubetzky and Miguel Leal share their motivations for starting the better-for-you Mexican food line and how they aim to be both authentic and accessible.

In this week’s Checkout: The Specialty Food Association Trendspotter Panel names nine trends from Winter Fancy Food Show; Brands look to celebrity Youtube series’ for increased consumers engagement; KIND launches new nutrition-forward campaign against packaged foods, including its own snacks; and Kroger activates Loop partnership at 25 Fred Meyer’s stores.

In this People Moves: Christina Pearson leaves Whole Foods for Veyl Ventures, HumanCo’s Against the Grain brings in Mike Watts as President, KIND hires new Global CMO Kelly Solomon, Andrew Ford joins PeaTos as VP of Sales and Marketing and more.

In this week’s Checkout: WM Partners acquires Jade Leaf Matcha; KIND updates its KIND Kids packaging as part of racial inequality commitments; the fifth annual PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator turns its focus to food tech companies; and Gainful and CookUnity close funding rounds.

KIND announced today an agreement to acquire soft-baked snack bar maker Nature’s Bakery. While terms of the transaction were not disclosed, sources told The New York Times that the deal valued Nature’s Bakery at $400 million. The acquisition comes just a few weeks after KIND itself was acquired by snack company Mars.

Roughly three years after it invested in the upstart brand, snack company Mars Incorporated announced today that it had acquired KIND Snacks. Mars previously placed a minority investment in KIND, a deal which gave Mars the rights to “lead the growth of the business” outside of the US and Canada.