December 5, 2025

Please see below for a listing of what the North Point Food & Beverage Team has been tracking this week. We hope that you find the content insightful and a nice way to summarize the most noteworthy Food & Beverage events of the week.

Have a nice weekend!

Glen Clarke

Head of Food & Beverage

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Arizona Beverages acquires Manna Beverages Anaheim locations.

• Harry Davis & Company Completes Sale of Manna Beverages’ Anaheim Locations to Arizona Beverages USA.

 Source: Mergermarket

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Horizon Family Brands acquires Maple Hill Creamery.

• Horizon Family Brands a leading provider of better-for-you food and beverage products, today announced the strategic acquisition of Maple Hill Creamery, America’s original 100% grass-fed organic dairy company. This acquisition brings together two trusted names in organic dairy to expand Horizon’s portfolio, strengthen its presence across retail channels, and reinforce its commitment to delivering high-quality, sustainable products to customers and consumers across the United States.

 Source: Mergermarket

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Alfred Ritter acquires Creative Natural Products.

• German chocolate manufacturer Alfred Ritter has acquired US-based chocolate bars and pralines company Creative Natural Products, Lebensmittel Zeitung reported. The German trade publication said the companies announced the deal but did not disclose financial terms, The report said Creative Natural Products is known for its Chocolove brand and achieved sales of USD 45m last year.

 Source: Mergermarket

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FrieslandCamina acquires Wisconsin Whey Protein.

• Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. intends to acquire Wisconsin Whey Protein, a respected producer of whey protein isolates in the United States. Wisconsin Whey Protein will become part of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, a global leader in proteins and prebiotics. 

 Source: Mergermarket

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Royal Cup Coffee & Tea receives investment from Braemont Capital.

• Royal Cup Coffee & Tea sees investment from Braemont Capital, with Stephens Inc. advising it and Cascadia Capital advising Braemont Capital.

 Source: Mergermarket

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Ripple Foods secures USD 17m in new funding.

• Ripple Foods, the leader in high-protein, allergen-free plant-based milks, today announced $17M in new funding. The round includes new investments from Material Impact, and Rich Products Ventures, the Corporate Ventures arm for Rich Products Corporation, alongside continued support from existing investors S2G Ventures, Prelude Ventures, Fall Line Capital, Euclidean Capital, Tao Capital Partners, and Tim Koogle.

 Source: Mergermarket

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S Food, Pacific General jointly acquire OWP.

• South Korea’s S Food, together with its financial investor Pacific General, has acquired Old World Provisions (OWP), a US based meat processing company. Pacific General, announced it has jointly invested, as a financial investor, in S Food’s acquisition of OWP.

Source: Mergermarket

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Blue Point Capital Partners exits Country Pure Foods.

• Blue Point Capital Partners is pleased to announce the successful exit of Country Pure Foods, a leading provider of branded and private-label beverage product solutions. Founded in 1995, CPF has become one of the largest suppliers of portioned and multi-serve juices, plant-based beverages and frozen novelties. Blue Point first partnered with CPF in 2019, supported by a longstanding relationship and the firm’s regional proximity to the company’s Akron, Ohio headquarters.

Source: Mergermarket

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LunchMaster secures strategic growth investment from Trident.

• Trident, a private equity firm specializing in U.S.-based small businesses, today announced a strategic growth investment in The LunchMaster in partnership with SagePath Capital. Concurrently, David De Souza has been named Chief Executive Officer to lead the company’s next phase of expansion.

Source: Mergermarket

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Middleby to sell 51% stake in Residential Kitchen business to 26North.

• Middleby to Sell 51% Stake in Residential Kitchen Business to 26North in Transaction Valuing the Business at $885 Million.

Source: Mergermarket

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Bain Capital exploring strategic options for Dessert Holdings.

• Bain Capital is considering strategic options for Dessert Holdings, including a potential sale or an initial public offering, in 2026, four sources familiar with the situation said.

Source: Mergermarket

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Post Holdings takes more focused acquisition approach.

• Posting Holdings CEO Robert Vitale says the packaged food giant is taking a “more thoughtful” approach to acquisitions and continues to review potential deals, according to a report.

Source: Mergermarket

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Top 10 stories for November.

• The #1 story was Donald Trump calling for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into meatpacking plants — prompting a response from The Meat Institute.
• A major industry shake-up: Tyson Foods is shutting down a beef plant in Nebraska and relocating operations to Amarillo; at the same time, Hormel Foods announced cutting 250 positions as part of corporate restructuring.
• Significant expansion and investments: Pilgrim’s broke ground on a new $400 million prepared-foods facility in Georgia; meanwhile Formosa Food Co. announced plans for a new HQ and processing plant in South Dakota with modern automation.

 Source: Meat + Poultry

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Food and beverage trends on the horizon in 2026.

• Brands are expected to tailor products to specific life moments and occasions, with more single-serve, snack, and fresh-meal formats driven by the rise in single-person households and small families.
• Value-seeking behaviors are intensifying, with consumers gravitating toward minimally processed, simple-ingredient foods, private-label products, and items marketed as worth the price.
• Mental-health-supporting foods, tradition-rooted products, and sustainability-driven choices are all gaining momentum as consumers look for stress relief, identity, authenticity, and environmentally responsible options—even paying premiums when benefits are clear.

 Source:  Meat + Poultry

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The chemistry of comfort: Inside the rise of nostalgic snacks.

• Nostalgic flavors are driving major innovation in snacks as consumers seek comfort and familiarity, especially during economic uncertainty, with brands recreating classic tastes through careful sensory science.
• Food scientists and flavor houses recreate “memory-linked” tastes using chemical analysis, while also reformulating products to meet modern wellness expectations like lower sugar, plant-based ingredients, and protein-rich bases.
• Emerging tech such as AI and neurogastronomy is helping companies decode and replicate complex nostalgic flavors, but consumers still demand authenticity — any deviation from remembered tastes is quickly noticed.

 Source: Food Dive

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How much further can source reduction in packaging go?

• Companies believe another 5–10% reduction in packaging materials is possible by 2030, driven by lightweighting, design changes and supportive policies, though product protection and rising volumes pose limits.
• Industry efforts between 2019 and 2024 already cut U.S. packaging volume by about 5 million metric tons, with examples like lighter PET bottles, fewer corrugated boxes and expansion of refill systems.
• Sustainability goals increasingly conflict: compostable materials can require thicker packaging, recycled-content mandates can weaken integrity and force added material, and recyclability rules can restrict design choices — all complicating further source reduction.

 Source: Food Dive

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Proliferation of Private Label Continues.

Private label’s allure transcends income levels, survey finds.

• Higher-income shoppers (earning $100K+) are increasingly turning to private-label groceries, even as their confidence in financial stability rises; over 82% reported buying more store-brand items.
• Wealthier consumers are shopping more often at discount grocers and say private-label quality and availability match or surpass national brands — a sentiment shared across income groups.
• Despite cost-conscious behavior and tariff-related price concerns, more than a quarter of surveyed consumers expect to spend more on groceries in the next three months.

 Source: Food Dive

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Private label growth unwraps opportunities for packaging manufacturers.

• Private label product growth is surging, with store brands outperforming national brands in both unit and dollar sales, driving record revenue projections and creating strong demand for packaging partners that can support efficiency and low-cost retail models.
• Shelf-ready packaging has become essential for discounters like Lidl, enabling fast stocking, lower labor needs, and a better shopping experience through clear branding, easy access, and visually consistent displays.
• Packaging manufacturers are capitalizing on the boom by showcasing innovations — such as flexible pouches, fiber-based containers, compostable options, and child-resistant caps — while forming deeper partnerships with private-label producers and co-packers to deliver value, quality, and speed.

Source: Food Dive

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Grocers go niche with their private labels.

• Grocers are shifting from broad private-label lines to more niche, theme-based and limited-time offerings — such as flavored butters, global herb blends and specialty cooking oils — to differentiate shelves and respond to cooking trends.
• Retailers are using seasonal and culturally inspired products to tie private label more closely to specific consumer occasions, from holiday baking to global cuisine and football-themed snacking.
• Rising shopper interest in store brands for value and quality is fueling further retailer investment, with 86% of industry executives planning to increase private-label spending over the next two years.

Source: Grocery Dive

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Kellanova leans on regenerative agriculture to slash supply chain emissions.

• Kellanova is partnering with Varaha to transition 12,500 acres of smallholder corn farms in India to regenerative agriculture, aiming to cut supply chain emissions by nearly 100,000 tons of CO₂ through in setting rather than traditional offsets.
• The five-year program will help 5,000 farmers adopt practices such as residue management, nitrogen efficiency, raised-bed planting and cover cropping, improving soil health, reducing fertilizer use and boosting yields while supporting farmer livelihoods.
• The initiative builds on Kellanova’s broader net-zero goals and follows recent collaborations with Walmart and Indigo Ag, while also aligning with Varaha’s expanding regenerative agriculture efforts as India emerges as a major carbon-removal hub.

Source: Food Dive

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U.S. avocado market to pass 3 billion pounds in 2025.

• U.S. avocado volume is projected to surpass 3 billion pounds in 2025, a 4% increase and a historic milestone driven by sustained consumer demand and strong supply chain coordination.
• Industry leaders attribute the growth to long-term efforts in promotion, research and quality improvement, along with the success of initiatives that have made avocados a year-round household staple.
• The Hass Avocado Board continues to invest in data, nutrition research and marketing programs to support a resilient supply chain and expand consumer awareness of avocados’ benefits.

Source: Blue Book

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Cheetos, Doritos go colorless as PepsiCo launches versions without artificial dyes.

• PepsiCo is launching dye-free, colorless versions of Cheetos and Doritos under the new Simply NKD line, offering the same flavors without artificial colors or flavors to appeal to more health-conscious consumers.
• The move responds to growing regulatory and consumer pressure to eliminate synthetic dyes, though PepsiCo is opting for additive choices rather than a full phaseout due to the historic popularity of brightly colored snacks.
• The NKD line is part of a broader strategy to expand “better-for-you” options across PepsiCo’s portfolio, which also includes upcoming launches like Pepsi Prebiotic Cola and a lower-sugar Gatorade.

Source: Food Dive

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KeHE Distributors releases 2026 macro trends.

• Consumers are increasingly seeking authentic, minimally processed foods, paying more attention to labels and ingredients to make values-driven choices.
• Global flavors, protein-rich foods, and functional wellness products are shaping buying behavior, with shoppers embracing international cuisines, nutrient-dense options, and health-focused innovations.
• Technology and transparency empower informed purchasing, with AI, apps, and health scoring systems guiding decisions, while economic pressures drive cost-conscious and intentional shopping.

Source: Blue Book

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Hershey enters the Dubai chocolate craze.

• Hershey is launching a limited-edition Dubai-inspired chocolate bar filled with pistachio and kadayif, with only 10,000 bars available through Gopuff in select U.S. cities and at Times Square.
• The launch aims to engage Gen Z consumers, leveraging social media-driven trends, and offers the bar at a more accessible price point of $8.99 compared to other high-priced versions.
• The release reflects Hershey’s broader strategy to quickly innovate, test new filled bar formats, and respond to emerging consumer trends in the $30 billion chocolate market.

Source: Food Dive

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Campbell’s exec out after allegedly saying brand’s food is for ‘poor people’.

• Campbell’s IT executive, Martin Bally, is no longer employed after allegedly making disparaging comments about the company’s food, calling it for “poor people,” criticizing its use of meat, and making offensive remarks about Indian workers.
• Former employee Robert Garza filed a lawsuit claiming he was fired in retaliation for trying to report Bally’s behavior to human resources, also naming Garza’s manager and Campbell’s as defendants.
• Campbell’s publicly condemned the remarks, reaffirming that its products use high-quality, USDA-approved ingredients and do not include bioengineered or lab-grown meat, emphasizing that the comments do not reflect the company’s values.

Source: Food Dive

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How Oreo maker Mondelēz is rethinking snack marketing with AI.

• Mondelēz International developed a generative AI tool called AIDA, investing over $40 million, to create personalized marketing content faster and more efficiently for brands like Oreo, Chips Ahoy! and Ritz.
• The AI helps scale content production while maintaining brand fidelity and responsible advertising standards, but all outputs still undergo human legal and marketing review before release.
• AIDA is being tested across different product types, with the platform designed to be scalable for future applications in other parts of Mondelēz’s business.

Source: Food Dive 

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San Francisco sues Kraft Heinz, other food giants over ultraprocessed products.

• San Francisco filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against major food companies, including Kraft Heinz, Coca-Cola, and Mondelēz, claiming they knowingly marketed ultraprocessed foods that created a public health crisis and increased city healthcare costs.
• The lawsuit seeks to stop deceptive marketing, secure financial damages to cover healthcare expenses, and potentially require companies to educate consumers or subsidize healthier foods in affected communities.
• Defining ultraprocessed foods remains legally and scientifically complex, as the category ranges from chips and soda to seemingly healthier items like granola bars, complicating enforcement and regulation.

Source: Food Dive 

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Global Consumer Trends 2026 for Food and Beverage.

• Consumers in 2026 are navigating stress from financial pressures, health, work, and global uncertainty, leading to greater focus on well-being, conscious consumption, and lifestyle flexibility.
• Key trends include relaxed socializing in informal spaces, prioritizing “me time” for self-care, interest in vitality and longevity products, adoption of AI and digital tools to simplify life, and a desire for simpler routines that reduce mental and digital overload.
• Food and beverage brands can leverage these trends by offering casual, artisanal, or alcohol-free options, supporting self-care experiences, providing health-focused and holistic wellness products, integrating tech for meal planning, and delivering convenient, uncomplicated food solutions.

Source: Innova Market Insights 

JUST FOR FUN

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Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Puffs Hitting Stores In 2026 - Foodbeast

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