The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has announced the 30 participants for its 2026 First Penguin Leadership Program. The year-long offering aims to address a growing industry need for structured, cross-sector leadership development that builds strategic perspective, strengthens collaboration and accelerates readiness among rising talent in dairy and frozen foods. It recognizes those […]
Category: Grocery News
Posted inSnacks Brands, News, West
The Wonderful Company Awards $1.5M In Grants To Central Valley Nonprofits
The Wonderful Company has announced the latest recipients of its Central Valley Community Grants program, awarding more than $1.5 million in funding to 43 organizations across California’s Central Valley. The grants support initiatives focused on health and wellness, education, recreation, community beautification, art and social services in communities where more than 3,000 Wonderful employees live […]
Posted inCenter Store, Finance News, National, News
Violet Foods Acquires Muir Glen Organic Tomato Brand From General Mills
Violet Foods, a portfolio company of Amphora Equity Partners, has acquired the Muir Glen brand of organic tomato products from General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition marks a significant expansion for Williamstown, New Jersey-based Violet Foods, which owns a portfolio of brands, including Sclafani, Fattoria Fresca […]
Posted inBakery News, News, West
Otis Spunkmeyer Removes Artificial Dyes From All U.S. Products
Otis Spunkmeyer has removed all artificial food grade dyes from its branded baked goods, with 100 percent of products manufactured after Jan. 1 not having any Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) colors. The reformulation affects all Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, muffins and sweet baked goods sold in foodservice and retail in-store bakery channels. A small […]
Posted inBakery News, Center Store, Frozen Food, National, News
Rich Products Acquires Great Kitchens Food Co. From Brynwood Partners
Rich Products Corp. has acquired Great Kitchens Food Co. from Brynwood Partners VIII, a Greenwich, Connecticut-based private equity firm, in a transaction that recently closed. Financial terms were not disclosed. Great Kitchens manufactures pizzas, flatbreads, strombolis and calzones sold to grocery, club and mass retailers, as well as foodservice outlets nationwide. Brynwood VIII formed Great […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Beverage News, Midwest, News, Schnucks
Schnucks To Hold St. Louis Food & Wine Event Feb. 6-7
Schnuck Markets Inc. will hold its annual St. Louis Food & Wine event Feb. 6-7 at Union Station, with the event benefiting Operation Food Search and the Repertory Theater of St. Louis. This year’s festivities will feature hundreds of wines, a selection of craft beers and culinary offerings. Attendees can purchase wine as they taste […]
Posted inProduce News, Marketing News, News, Northeast
Keystone Fruit Marketing Promotes Gideon To Director Of Sales
Greencastle, Pennsylvania-based Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of Progressive Produce, has promoted Matthew Gideon to director of sales. Gideon has been with Keystone since 2009, playing a key role in supporting the division’s growth and strengthening its year-round sweet onion program. In his new role, Gideon will be responsible for all aspects of sales for […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Beverage News, National, News
Swiftly, ExtraMile Launch Digital Alcohol Cashback Across 1.1K Stores
Swiftly is working with ExtraMile Convenience Stores to integrate the tech firm’s Alcohol Cashback program into the ExtraMile, Chevron and Texaco mobile apps and combined rewards program. The launch introduces a digital savings experience on beer, wine and spirits for rewards members across more than 1,100 ExtraMile locations nationwide. The collaboration comes as value-driven incentives […]
Posted inInternational Foods, Center Store, National, News
Goya Foods Celebrates 90 Years As Largest Hispanic-Owned Food Company
Goya Foods is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026, marking nine decades since Spanish immigrants Don Prudencio Unanue and his wife, Carolina, founded the company in 1936 inside a small storefront in Lower Manhattan. Jersey City, New Jersey-based Goya Foods has grown to become the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, establishing itself […]
Posted inHealth & Wellness, News, Southwest, Walmart
Walmart Healthcare Research Institute To Open Clinical Research Sites
Walmart Healthcare Research Institute will open clinical research sites this spring in three former Walmart Health locations and one rural Walmart store, the company announced Jan. 22. The sites, operated in collaboration with Care Access, an independent clinical research organization, will have on-site teams offering health screenings and information about research opportunities. The initiative aims […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Finance News, National, News, UNFI
UNFI Adds 50 Private Label Products Focused On Wellness, Snacking Trends
UNFI is launching nearly 50 new private brand products this month at its Spring and Summer Selling Shows in Long Beach, California, and Orlando Florida, targeting emerging consumer preferences around wellness, snacking and value. The products span the company’s Brands+ portfolio, which includes eight core brands and more than 4,400 SKUs. The launches come as […]
Posted inBakery News, C-Store News, News
Ditsch Opens First U.S. Store As Shop-In-Shop Inside El Paso OXXO
Ditsch, a traditional German bakery, has opened its first dedicated point of sale in the United States with a shop-in-shop location inside an OXXO convenience store in El Paso, Texas. Its product range includes classics such as pretzels, pretzel sticks, pretzel croissants and Ditsch pizza, along with additions tailored to local tastes, such as Jalapeño […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Finance News, National, News
Mars Receives Top Honors On Glassdoor’s Best Places Lists
Mars Inc. earned the top spot on Glassdoor’s inaugural Best Places to Work in Manufacturing and Energy list and ranked sixth on the job search and career community’s 2026 Best Places to Work list, the company announced Jan. 21. The awards are determined based on voluntary, anonymous feedback from employees on Glassdoor. McLean, Virginia-based Mars […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Hy-Vee, Independent Store News, Midwest, News
Hy-Vee Launches Nothing But The Truth Private Label Brand
Hy-Vee Inc. has introduced Nothing But The Truth, a health-forward product line designed to meet growing consumer demand for transparency, taste and value in the better-for-you food space. Developed by Hy-Vee’s team of registered dietitians, the new private label brand features products made with ingredients that are primarily organic, plant-based, non-GMO, low sugar and high […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Association News, Executive News, National, News
3 Industry Leaders To Join 2026 Frozen Food Hall Of Fame
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) and the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) have revealed the three industry leaders who will be inducted into the 2026 Frozen Food Hall of Fame. The inductees are Paul DiGenova, general manager of commodities with Nortera; Richard Marks, former chairman of the board of directors […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Finance News, National, News
Smithfield Foods To Acquire Nathan’s Famous For $450M
Smithfield Foods has entered into a merger agreement to acquire Nathan’s Famous Inc. for $102 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of about $450 million. The transaction will secure Smithfield’s rights to the all-beef hot dog brand into perpetuity. The company has held an exclusive license from Nathan’s Famous since March 2014 to […]
Posted inProduce News, Southeast
NC Sweetpotato Commission Honors Yencho With Service Award
The NC Sweetpotato Commission presented its 2026 Distinguished Service Award to Craig Yencho at the organization’s annual meeting held in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Through his extensive work in agricultural research, Yencho has shared valuable knowledge with sweetpotato growers across the state, developing new cultivation techniques, improving pest management practices and innovating varieties that have boosted […]
Posted inCenter Store, Finance News, National, News
B&G Foods Wins Del Monte Broth Brands For $110M In Bankruptcy Auction
B&G Foods has agreed to acquire Del Monte Foods’ broth and stock business, including the College Inn and Kitchen Basics brands, for about $110 million in cash following a competitive bankruptcy auction. The transaction emerged from Del Monte Foods Corporation II’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, where B&G Foods prevailed as the winning bidder for the […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Association News, Finance News, National, News
U.S. Private Label Sales Hit Record $282.8B In 2025
U.S. store brand sales reached a record $282.8 billion in 2025, climbing 3.3 percent compared to 1.2 percent growth for national brands, according to year-end Circana Unify+ data released Jan. 20 by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA). The $9 billion increase marks store brands’ continued momentum in capturing market share across all retail channels. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Finance News, Home Page Slider, International Foods, News, Retailers, West
99 Ranch Market Expanding In Vegas With Summerlin Store
99 Ranch Market plans to open its second Las Vegas location Jan. 24 in the upscale Summerlin neighborhood. The 50,000-square-foot store at Boca Park Plaza, located at 820 S. Rampart Blvd., marks the company’s 66th location nationwide, covering 11 states. According to the company, the opening comes at a strategic time for both 99 Ranch […]