Barb Stuckey

When it comes to private label strategy at Sprouts Farmers Market, CEO Jack Sinclair says metrics aren't the driving factor. "If you bring great products to the marketplace," Sinclair told a packed room at the PLMA - Private Label Manufacturers Association leadership conference, "the customers will come. "It'll be what it'll be." When it comes to emerging challenges in the private label industry, "No question, health will play a bigger role." Consumers are more conscious about what ingredients are in the products they consume, he said. "They don't want the product to look like a chemistry set." At Sprouts, this means store brand products with simpler ingredients and a new personal care line, Real Root. As seriously as Sinclair takes business, he leaves room for levity. "We have fun," he said in his Scottish brogue. He described a visit a store by British actor Tom Holland. "I don't know if you know Tom Holland. I didn't know Tom Holland. He played Spider-Man. "So I asked, 'Well, did you come in through the window?'" Sinclair's visit capped the two-day conference at Mountain Shadow Resort Scottsdale, which also feature talks on how the proliferation of GLP-1 drugs will affect the industry, the power packaging plays in driving consumer interest and emerging opportunities in convenience stores for private labels. Learn more in the July issue of Gourmet News. www.gourmetnews.com #plma #Sprouts #privatelabels #storebrands #cstores #glp1

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Whole Foods Market's strategy is now operating on two distinct, powerful frequencies: Experience and Automation. The simultaneous expansion of "Sip & Spin" and the rollout of the Automated Micro-Fulfillment Center (MFC) reveal the comprehensive nature of the Amazon/Whole Foods latest master plan. Here is how both fit into the long-term strategy: - The Experiential Win: By adding features like "Sip & Spin", WFM converts a transactional grocery trip into an experiential destination. This increases dwell time, boosts customer loyalty, and drives higher basket sizes—a crucial way for physical retail to compete with pure-play e-commerce. - The Fulfillment Win: The new "store-within-a-store" and MFC are a logistical game-changer. They merge Whole Foods' organic inventory with Amazon's national brand inventory under one roof. The physical store is instantly leveraged as a highly efficient, automated e-commerce fulfillment hub, enabling faster, cheaper online delivery and pickup by combining two previously separate product universes. The net result? The physical Whole Foods store is no longer just a store. It is both a Neighborhood Hub that builds brand affinity and a High-Speed E-commerce Warehouse that enables Amazon to dominate online grocery fulfillment. #WholeFoods #Amazon #RetailStrategy #GroceryTech #ECommerce #SupplyChain #FoodIndustry #CPG #GroceryRetail #Supermarket #Fulfillment

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NextFoods, Inc. ,Parents of GoodBelly+ Cheribundi just raised $10M led by ECP Growth If you build in functional CPG, this is a great mini case study in how growth actually gets funded and what operators should pay attention to. 1) Doors matter… but turns are the business They’re reportedly sitting at 24,000+ points of distribution nationwide and grew footprint about 10% in the last two months. That’s solid. But here’s the real lesson: door growth only works if velocity shows up. 2) A brand refresh can be a revenue lever (when it creates clarity) GoodBelly’s recent packaging/brand refresh was tied to a reported 40%+ lift in retail velocities. “Brand” isn’t colors and fonts it’s speed of understanding at shelf. If a shopper gets it faster, conversion goes up. Period. 3) The shot category is crowded so specificity wins GoodBelly reformulated its 2oz Wellness Shots and launched them nationally at Whole Foods. The formula callout that jumped out to me: 3g of prebiotic fiber. The lesson: in crowded formats, you can’t be “general wellness.” You need to own a job (gut, sleep, recovery) and build your product + messaging around that single outcome. 4) Innovation + retail expansion is the 1–2 punch They’re aiming that capital at innovation across gut health, recovery, and sleep, while also pushing deeper into national retail. And there’s more in the pipeline: they’ve previewed a quart-sized GoodBelly item with 11g plant-based protein targeted for Q1 2026. My founder takeaway: capital doesn’t fix a business it amplifies it. If your positioning is crisp and your product delivers, funding helps you scale faster. If not, it just helps you burn faster. If you were deploying $10M in functional CPG heading into 2026, what’s first: velocity, innovation, or sharper positioning? #CPG #FunctionalBeverages #Wellness #TrevorHague

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Important discussion shared by PeakBridge on ultra-processed foods and the clean-label movement that is growing louder. But one surprising reality is rarely discussed: Most “vanilla flavor” used in food products is not real vanilla. Not because companies don’t want to use it — but because natural vanilla supply has historically been too fragile, volatile, and limited to support global demand. For decades, the industry filled this gap with synthetic flavor systems. If the food industry is truly moving toward cleaner labels and real ingredients, then the ingredient supply chains behind them must evolve as well. At Vanilla Vida, our mission is to help enable that shift by building a scalable and reliable natural vanilla supply chain — combining controlled farming and industrial curing to bring stability to a historically unpredictable crop. #TheVanillaParadox

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Complex topic with unclear definitions. Statements like "what you have in your kitchen cabinet" dont seem to make any sense given that this is based on whatever the food industry has provided you with. If protein ingredients are considered to be ultra-processed, how would people classify whole eggs and egg whites? Irrespective of the debate about whether an animal is secretly a form of processing to convert feed into food (ingredients), eggs come in a shell. Let's say you crack the shell, remove the liquid egg, and separate the egg white from the yolk for dietary reason. You separate the protein from the fats, increasing protein purity/concentration. The egg white is then fried in the pan, removing moisture and changing the structure of the protein. Is this fried egg ultra-processed? To me it feels that if we call whey protein or soy protein ultra-processed, a scrambled egg white should be considered equal.

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Exciting news! Jason Li returns as Chief Innovation Officer, leading our exploration into new delivery system science for flavors in beverages and food. We're also expanding our technology into fragrances and delving into temperature-sensitive actives. Stay tuned for more fantastic announcements to come. Check out the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/gaSfpEy9 #Zoom #Innovation #Flavors #Fragrances #Technology #Encapsulation #SprayDrying #LowTemperatureSprayDrying #Delivery #Probiotics #Enzymes

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Friday Flavor Trends: Why Bread Means Business This isn’t your average carb talk—breads now serve as profit-driving powerhouses. Learn how premium breads can transform menu items like burgers, sandwiches, and more, boosting brand appeal and guest satisfaction. 🔗 Explore the full article and rethink your bread strategy: https://ow.ly/jK9o50Wh205

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The rise of natural colors amid regulatory change was one of three standout themes at the recent Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)’s annual expo, #IFTFIRST. I wrote about the rise of natural colors, a deeper commitment to fat, salt, and sugar reduction; and a growing industry response to the popularity of GLP-1 drugs in my recap for The Food Institute. Today, I will focus on natural colors seen on the expo floor. I'll cover regulations on natural colors, sugar reduction, and GLP-1 drugs later in the week. 𝐑𝐞𝐝-𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐅𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 I learned about the growing demand for natural colors, technological advancements making natural colors more vibrant and stable as well as the challenges that the food & beverage industry faces in switching from synthetic dyes to natural dyes by talking to multiple experts including Alice Lee, Technical Marketing Manager at GNT Group, Dana Osborn, Marketing Manager at California Natural Color, and FUL Foods CEO and Co-Founder Julia Streuli. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐲𝐞𝐬 The extensive news coverage about synthetic dyes is impacting consumers, with over 75% of U.S. shoppers saying they are concerned or somewhat concerned about consuming food and beverages containing artificial colors, according to a survey of 500 U.S. shoppers conducted in July 2025 by Veylinx for Oterra. 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧-𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐲𝐞𝐬 • FUL Foods showed its BLUwater sparkling spirulina water and FULBLU spirulina syrup. • Givaudan showcased its Amaize Orange Red Non-GM corn derived Anthocyanin grown and extracted in North America as an alternative to Red 40 that can be used in low Ph beverages. • GNT’s booth featured a “Color Your Snack Adventure” interactive snack bar that allowed visitors to top a savory or sweet snack base with their choice of seasoning featuring bold EXBERRY shades. • Lycored introduced three new colors produced from beta-carotene derived from the Blakeslea Trispora fungus - StellarYellow A, StellarYellow C Clear, and OrangeOvation Clear - to serve as nature-based replacements for Yellow 5 and 6 across applications including beverages, UHT dairy and plant-based UHT, gummies, sauces, and fruit preparations. • Oterra served Slushies – Red-y or Not, Purple Reign, Pickle Me Crazy, and Cloudberry Kiss- using its natural colors derived from red sweet potato, turmeric, Jaqua fruit, purple sweet potato; flavors from Bell Flavors & Fragrances, and Twang Foodservice Cucumber Chili Lime Salt (Pickle Me Crazy). • Sensient Food Color showcased its new Marine Blue Capri, a spirulina-based alternative to Blue 1 that provides a light-stable bright blue in low pH beverage applications and can be combined with yellows or reds to create green or purple shades. https://lnkd.in/gp62s67N

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The regulatory landscape for food innovation is shifting, and the days of flying under the radar with self-affirmed GRAS might be numbered. This panel is just wrapping up at the Future of Protein Product event in Chicago. It covered the changing landscape in GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) notifications, featuring industry food regulatory experts Dr. Kantha Shelke, Ph.D. Gregory Jaffe , and Dr. Michele Champagne covered a lot of ground. If your company works with novel food ingredients, here are the critical takeaways you need to know: • The Potential End of "Self-Affirmed" GRAS: The panel highlighted an upcoming proposed rule that could eliminate the voluntary process within the next 2-3 years. Companies currently relying on self-affirmation should start preparing for mandatory FDA notification now to stay ahead of the curve. • State vs. Federal Tension: As federal processes evolve, states aren't waiting around. We're seeing a rise in state-level activities, from proposed independent registries to banning certain GRAS substances in school foods, and even pushing for new warning labels. Navigating this patchwork of regulations will get dicey. • Industry Action is Critical: When the FDA's proposed rule drops, public comment is your most powerful tool. The agency is legally required to utilize these comments when making final decisions. If you want to protect your products and industry, you must contribute to the administrative record. A massive thank you to the panelists for breaking down such a complex and vital topic! Is your company currently planning to shift from self-affirmed to mandatory FDA notification? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇 #FoodSafety #GRAS #FoodScience #RegulatoryAffairs #FDA #FoodInnovation #JohnsHopkinsUniversity #Biosafe Alliance for Advanced Sanitation

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Food Integrity Collective introduced the first “Non‑UPF Verified” standard to audit processing and rebuild trust in packaged foods. 🏷️ Launching Nov. 11, the framework—led by Non-GMO Project founder Megan Westgate—assesses both ingredient and finished-product processing, requires at least 70% minimally/moderately processed inputs, and sets category-specific caps on added sugar. 📅 Most industrially produced inputs and many gums/emulsifiers are out, natural flavors face heightened disclosure, and oils/sodium are evaluated by how they’re made rather than blanket limits. 🧪 Sixteen brands including Amy’s Kitchen, Simple Mills and Spindrift piloted the program as FIC refines what counts as “conditional” vs. prohibited—signaling more changes ahead. https://lnkd.in/gtiyenVk #FoodAndBeverage #CPG #UltraProcessedFoods #FoodStandards #CleanLabel #IngredientTransparency #ProductDevelopment

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What do crunchy snacks, Gen Alpha, and smart tech in C-Stores have in common? They’re all part of the latest shakeups in food & beverage. Our newest blog dives into: ✅ Why teens are influencing flavor trends (bye, swicy—hello, crunch!) ✅ How in-store deals are winning back shoppers vs online ✅ The role of AI and automation in convenience retail ✅ And the brands Gen Alpha loves Get the insights that matter most to F&B marketers, manufacturers, and retailers. 👉 Read now: https://bit.ly/4lD5VJc #FoodTrends #GenAlpha #SmartTech #ConvenienceStores #OmnivoreAgency

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It's time to rethink by-the-glass wine programs. Box-to-glass (BTG) wine eliminates oxidation, waste, and margin erosion while delivering 30+ days of freshness after opening. The bottle-based model is riddled with inefficiencies — this expert editorial makes a compelling case for why serious producers should embrace alternative packaging without sacrificing quality. https://lnkd.in/gqKGVkEs

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Growth for spirits-based RTDs is cooling even as on-premise demand and novel flavors create pockets of opportunity. 📉🍸🔥 According to bev-alc consulting and data firm 3 Tier Beverages, overall category expansion has slowed, while gains in the on-premise channel and emerging flavor profiles point to selective upside. The findings suggest brands and operators should prioritize on-premise activation, draft programs and flavor innovation to capture shifting consumer preferences. https://lnkd.in/gh-6xN66 #BeverageIndustry #RTD #Spirits #OnPremise #FlavorInnovation #AlcoholTrends

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J&J Snack Foods Corp Foods CEO Dan Fachner on Dippin'​ Dots, LLC ’Acquisition: ICR Conference 2026 🍦They discussed the company’s more than 30 strategic acquisitions including the Dippin’ Dots acquisition 📈How J&J is positioning itself for improved margins and long-term growth among other topics. See more: https://lnkd.in/esfzSatN

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The Hershey Company has announced its intent to acquire LesserEvil, a snack brand known for its health-focussed products. This move aims to diversify Hershey's portfolio into better-for-you snacks domain

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Baking & Snack Editor Charlotte Atchley shares today's top takeaway from Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) First 2025 in Chicago. Her top takeaway is all about GLP-1s at the show. Conversations about GLP-1s are circling the show from #MAHA to cost reduction and reformulation. #IFTFIRST

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From GLP-1-friendly menu innovations to bold beverage creations and “swavory” flavor mashups, new menu trends are shaping the future of foodservice. The latest U.S. and Canada State of the Menu reports highlight the trends, forecasts and strategies operators are using to stay competitive. Read the full press release in the Technomic newsroom: https://zurl.co/MKiuL

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At this virtual Summit, in addition to Global Convenience Vision Group, members from all 7 Vision Group Network Groups will share their actionable take-aways for convenience retailers of all sizes, as well as for their solution providers and suppliers.

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