Susan Buckwalter Hartman

Since my talk at IFT, I've been seeing ashwaganda EVERYWHERE, even more so than what I did before. Could it be the next ingredient in our longevity toolkit? This article says yes! Review reveals benefits of ashwagandha on 'inflammaging' https://buff.ly/4c8V97E

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Did you see our feature in the Sacramento Business Journal? We are sharing how Exceedient Foods, the innovation arm of Farmers' Rice Cooperative, is revolutionizing the food industry with single-source gluten-free ingredient solutions. 🌾✨ Dive into the full article to explore our commitment to shaping a future of delicious and sustainable food:https://lnkd.in/gkUarX24

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In this episode of The Natural List, co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith are joined by nutrition experts Jessie Shafer, RD and Debra Eschmeyer. According to Eschmeyer, two out of three children on average drink a sugary beverage every day. Moreover, children consume approximately fifty-three pounds of added #sugar per year. To combat this acclimation to extremely sweet products, many #CPG brands are starting to reduce added sugar and natural sweeteners in children’s products and increasing nutrients like fiber and protein. Bottom line: when it comes to sweetness, less is more. Listen here: https://utm.io/ugPXr #naturalproducts #brands #lowsugar #childrensnutrition

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Look Ma, we made it to Sprouts Farmers Market ! 🥂 3 flavors are landing in 30+ select locations in Southern California as part of Sprouts’ Innovation Table and we are thrilled! Big shoutout to the team at Pod Foods for including EATABLE INC. in their Box of Innovation which was instrumental in having us be part of this launch alongside other fab CPG brands. As much as we’re celebrating today, I also wanted to take a second to call out (esp to my non-CPG friends who may not realize this)… The road to mass grocery and retail is HARD AF. 😅 It has always been a dream of Vincent Li and I as founders to see EATABLE popcorn on the shelves of major grocery stores. But truth be told, this journey to bridge EATABLE’s brand identity from a premium gift/department store brand to mass grocery brand has been chock full of headwinds. We’ve pivoted countless times over the last 2 years to tweak: - Pricing (one of the BIGGEST hurdles for emerging brands) - Pack size - Pack design and branding - Distribution model - Logistics and supply chain - Channel strategy - Trade marketing support strategy - Balancing a lean marketing budget between online and offline to drive sellthrough and velocity Getting on shelf is an important first step, but there’s lots of heavy lifting to be done to ensure we sell OFF the shelf too! 🛒 Our journey has been full of small tests, lots of failures and rejection along the way, which have resulted in a TON of learnings (for future posts!) In the meantime, if you or someone you know is in SoCal - Please shop EATABLE INC. at your local Sprouts and grab a bag of popcorn that will POP a party in your mouth, and start conversations at your next gathering! How we perform in these next 90 days at their Innovation Table will determine whether we get to stay on the shelves for the long haul! 🥳 Any CPG friends who have experience selling into Sprouts I’d love to connect and learn from you! And if you happen to see us in store, help a girl out and send a quick photo or “shelfie” with EATABLE - it’ll make my day in more ways than you know! 🍿+🥂 #EATABLE #CPGbusiness #CPGfounder #foodstartup #RetailLaunch #Sprouts #SoCal

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From cottage cheese to whole milk, find out why dairy foods are back in the spotlight and here to stay in this new article written by Dairy Council of CA CEO Amy DeLisio. #CAdairy #SustainableEating #NutritionScience

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Kefir-- a fermented dairy beverage-- is rising in popularity. I weigh in on this good-for-you drink in this article via Layla Khoury-Hanold via Food Network where it takes about: --What is kefir? --How is kefir made? --What does kefir taste like? --Health benefits --The difference between kefir and yogurt --And of course, HOW to pronounce it!

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As the cannabis industry matures, we are starting to get reliable data. This can help make decisions based on real sales figures and not predictions. 10 years ago, there was only one state with adult use sales (#colorado) and a handful of states with medical seals. Now there is 24 sates with adult use sales and an additional 15 states with medical seals. At the moment #california leads with total seals but #michigan leads with per capita seals. #florida leads in medical seals. #missouri with a relatively small population and only 17 months since they launched their adult-use market, is already in fifth place. Thank you Debra Borchardt from Green Market Report for the financial update. #cannabisindustry #cannabiscommunity #cannabisnews #cannabiseducation #cannabispolicy #cannbislaw https://lnkd.in/gc96gcCh

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We're thrilled to share this exciting new episode from Food Tank's Food Talk podcast featuring Wholechain's co-founder Mark K. who speaks with Danielle Nierenberg about the complex issues tied to seafood — a lean and delicious protein consumers (and we) so appreciate at our dinner tables: 1) Exploitative labor practices in seafood supply chains and what we can do to stop it by leveraging verifiable traceability data (achieve Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) compliance). 2) Sustainability roadblocks companies face due to market-driven cost pressures: how data standards and data sharing can help. 3) Food waste solutions with technologies that bring visibility to every step of the supply chain. 4) Food safety: the granular supply chain traceability information that helps to prevent recalls and protect consumers (and meet the FDA Safety Modernization Act Rule 204 requirements). Thanks Danielle Nierenberg for asking critical questions about our seafood industry! #traceability #sustainableseafood #poleandline #foodsafety #forcedlabor #transparency https://lnkd.in/eTHP4Apk

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From prebiotic sodas to collagen waters, beverages are trying to do the most. Consumers are drinking it up, an excellent article on this topic by Keren Landman, well worth a read. Consumer demand for drinks that offer added health benefits — known as functional beverages — is booming, and manufacturers are giving consumers what they demand. Olipop is just one of a growing group of “prebiotic” sodas, which claim to give a boost to the good bacteria in your gut microbiome. And prebiotic sodas are themselves just one of a cascade of these so-called functional beverages that are taking up increasing space in the global drink aisle. Worldwide, the market for these products exceeds $150 billion, and it’s expected to top $200 billion in the next 4 years, with millennials twice as likely to consume them as any other age group in 2023. The proliferation of drinks in this category peaked just before the pandemic, but consumer demand for them has been on the rise ever since, jumping more than 50 percent in the US since 2020. In some ways, looking to beverages for added benefits is nothing new. Humans have been demanding medicinal effects from liquids for a long, long time. Ancient Chinese medicine and the Galenic and Hippocratic methods practiced in ancient Greece embraced tea and wine as therapeutic agents, and we’ve relied on coffee’s stimulating effects for more than a millennium. The future is bright for functional beverages and it is a category full of opportunists to meet consumers ever growing proactive health needs for healthier and more functionally orientated beverages #health #functionalbeverages #medicine #supplements Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly Michelle Osagie David Deeley Brian Short Sheelagh Pentony Elizabeth Horvath Nina Riggins Jordan Dow Mark Allen Mindy Leveille https://lnkd.in/eNpwePXz

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 Preserving Family Farming in Sonoma County: The Measure J Debate As food industry professionals, you’re likely aware of the critical role family farms play in our communities. Today, I want to shed light on an important issue centered in Sonoma County, California. Measure J, which will appear on the November ballot, aims to make Sonoma County the first in the nation to outlaw so-called factory farming. While the initiative frames itself as a step toward better animal welfare, it has far-reaching implications. 1.     Economic Impact: Measure J threatens economically viable family farming. By restricting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), it could make egg and milk production unaffordable for local farmers. These operations are essential for meeting consumer demand while maintaining ethical standards. 2.     Weather Considerations: Measure J limits farms to moving animals fromopen fields to covered structures to a maximum of 45 days per year. Sonoma County experiences rainy winters, albeit not as much as Seattle or Portland. Ranchers move cattle indoors during inclement weather to ensure their comfort and health. Keeping cattle inside also prevents runoff into rivers and minimizes land damage caused by muddy fields. 3.     Local Agriculture: Having moved to Santa Rosa three years ago, I fell in love with our local agriculture scene—dairy, eggs, and wine, though possibly not in that order. Sonoma County farmers and ranchers lead the way in animal husbandry. Sonoma County egg producers were following cage-free practices before the rest of the country even heard about cage free.   4.     National Implications: Measure J’s impact extends beyond our county borders. The deep pockets behind this activist campaign are starting in Sonoma County but will push into other areas with positive signals. 5.     Take Action: Visit NoOnMeasureJ.com to learn more and sign your name in support of the “No on Measure J” effort. Talk to your company management about this issue—it’s not just about Sonoma County; it’s about preserving family farming nationwide. Let’s stand together to protect our agricultural heritage. 🌾🐄🥚

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Brand positioning is everything, and it's really frickin' hard. Below is a 30 second example of how we're approaching it with CPG Fast Track - and it all starts with asking the right questions every brand should consider: ➡️ What problem are we solving better than anyone else? ➡️ Where do we fit in the landscape of other brands solving similar problems that our target customer would know? ➡️ How do we differ from them in ways that add value to our customers? Doesn't hurt to have stellar business minds on board to help with this... Lisa Barnett Matthew Gartland Jason Feifer Markus Karjalainen

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The danger of generalization and lumping in natural foods with the overall food industry. It's true that UNFI is struggling and as I've said in previous posts I understand they have to grab for margin where they can. But this perspective is uninformed of the true breadth and complexity of chargebacks. I've always believed that execution can overcome competition and opex challenges. But UNFI/Kehe are the PRIMARY distributors for center-store small company natural foods, which encompasses Better-For-You products. Small brands would lose 80% of their distribution if they pulled out of these distributors. I saw someone say 'well would you rather have $1MM of profitable business vs $5MM of unprofitable business?' Seems obvious, but losing 80% of distribution would drive the cost of the other 20% up to unprofitable levels as well. I don't have the answers and will continue to execute and look for the right path, but I do think people should be aware of the situation. The pioneers of improving the food system, I think, no longer have good choices for growth without major equity funding. You have to be wicked-sharp, extremely disciplined, and maybe require great mentors or prior experience. Things will shake out and the system will find a balance. We're just not there yet.

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Bloom Nutrition just launched a functional beverage that puts them in direct competition with their largest investor. So, why did Nutrabolt (owner of C4 Energy) not only encourage this product strategy, but help make the vision of Mari Llewellyn and Greg LaVecchia a reality? Bloom Sparkling Energy actually provides great incremental opportunity for Nutrabolt because its positioned within the opposite "energy plus" subcategory as C4 Energy. Now…we can argue if consumers even binarily think like that within the energy drinks market or if this is just segmentation minutia, but most importantly Bloom Nutrition taps into today’s female Gen Z audience that’s highly incremental to Nutrabolt overall and becoming an extremely important consumer cohort with the overall energy drinks market. Beyond sharing the growth prospects of Bloom Sparkling Energy, I'll also deeply examine how this product launch could impact: - Nutrabolt portfolio expansion ambitions (through M&A) - Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. energy drink categorical strategy - my previous Nutrabolt IPO prediction (and an interesting benefit to KDP) #strategy #trends #markets #fmcg #cpg #beverages #energydrinks #supplements #sportsnutrition #wellness #nutrition #innovation #marketing #branding #productdevelopment #retailing #merchandising #retail #grocery #business #businessintelligence #entrepreneurship https://lnkd.in/gHX_CS8Z

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What food trends are on the horizon for 2025? While still a few months out, people have started laying out their predictions and, I've got to say, we're looking at a packed year. Here's just a few of the insights gathered from the Summer Fancy Food Show: ✅️Swicy foods are going to be everywhere… and I do mean everywhere! ✅️Freeze dried foods have become a popular staple and the apocalypse mentality behind it hasn't quite died out! ✅️Fancy groceries are going to continue to be a decent replacement for the experience of eating out! #FoodAndDrinks #Trends #Snacks #FutureOfFood

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https://lnkd.in/guWHQbA6 - Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) has introduced what would be a paradigm-shifting legislative package intended to improve the dietary health of Americans by banning high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and certain color additives in foods produced in the U.S. The legislative package includes two distinct acts: the Stop Spoonfuls of Fake Sugar Act and the Do or Dye Act. The Do or Dye Act targets toxic food dyes like Red No. 40 and Yellow Nos. 5 and 6. There is already mounting pressure to place further scrutiny on these chemicals, some of which have been restricted in the EU and elsewhere. The primary focus of the Stop Spoonfuls of Fake Sugar Act is to restrict the use of HFCS, which is often alleged to promote obesity and other chronic health issues. Does this go to far in the fight against #addedsugar - or not far enough?

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