A Sweet Acquisition, a Bitter Trademark Battle and Fancy Food Finds

In this episode: This week on the podcast, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Brad Avery discuss the acquisition of organic candy maker YumEarth, a trademark case brewing between ready-to-drink coffee brand Rise and PepsiCo, fresh funding for protein ice cream startup Frozen One and a licensing deal that brings Four Loko into the intoxicating hemp beverage set. The hosts also chat about trends and new products at the recent Summer Fancy Food Show. Show Highlights: 0:20 - Private equity firm ACON Investments has acquired a controlling stake in organic candy maker YumEarth, with global confectionery manufacturer The Fini Company coming on as a strategic partner. Monica details the deal. 2:10 - The trademark case of nitro cold brew brand Rise Brewing vs. PepsiCo is going to the Supreme Court of the United States after the court opted to hear a petition filed by Rise to overturn a lower court decision dismissing its case against Pepsi. Brad recaps the ongoing battle. 3:55 - High-protein ice cream purveyor Frozen One raised a $5.75 million seed round led by Brand Foundry Ventures, with participation from existing investor Supernatural Ventures as well as Abe Burns and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder. Monica outlines what's next for the brand. 6:00 - Four Loko-maker Phusion Projects has licensed some of its brand assets to Chuck It LLC for use on intoxicating hemp beverages. Brad shares what is known so far about Nine Loko. 9:10 - The Summer Fancy Food featured a wide array of specialty food and beverage innovation, from a new twist on beer to spicy barbecue sauces. Brad reviews his observations from the event. About CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week's stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts