News Bites – August 2025
From Table to Shelf: Restaurants Challenge Retail with CPG Lineup
Iconic food service brands like Zucker’s and Melting Pot are entering the CPG market to help consumers recreate restaurant experiences at home. Amidst inflation, eating out has decreased, while many favor home-cooked meals for personalization and convenience. Zucker’s debuted premium frozen bagels, and Melting Pot launched ready-to-heat fondues, offering easy, restaurant-quality home dining. Despite the benefits, transitioning from restaurant to retail requires adapting marketing strategies, focusing on consumer awareness and smaller distribution footprints initially.
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Non-UPF Pilot Program Targets Unified UPF Definitions
Non-UPF Verified recently launched its pilot program to create a third-party standard for non-ultra-processed foods verification. They collaborate with 16 food brands, like Amy’s Kitchen and Califia Farms, aiming for a rigorous yet achievable certification. As the initiative progresses, more than 200 brands have shown interest in joining. Concurrently, they aim to align this standard with HHS’s efforts to define UPFs, while avoiding unnecessary burdens for industries and retailers.
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Good Food Collective Champions Brand Collaboration for Clearer Labels
GoodPop has launched the Good Food Collective (GFC) with brands like LesserEvil and Quinn, aiming for higher labeling standards and ingredient integrity. They seek to recruit 30 members by 2025, focusing on transparency, education, and clear disclosure. The GFC advocates for improved front-of-pack nutrition labeling, submitting formal recommendations to the FDA. This coalition empowers brands to influence regulatory reforms, ultimately establishing transparency as a standard across the industry.
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Revolutionizing Cocoa: Nestlé’s New Method Boosts Production
Cocoa prices eased slightly due to better weather, yet they remain volatile amid climate and production challenges. Nestlé developed a method using the entire cocoa pod for efficient chocolate production, maximizing potential amidst climate impacts. Other chocolate makers, like Mars, explore innovations like CRISPR for better cocoa plants, while Mondelēz invests in cultured cocoa alternatives. Despite recent cocoa cost declines, brands like Hershey and Lindt implemented price hikes due to ongoing high cocoa expenses.
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Strong Grocery Sales Face Uncertain Future with Tariff Impacts
New tariffs on food imports prompt retailers and brands to balance promotions and gradual price hikes to maintain consumer demand. Food spending slightly rose in July, but tariffs on 75% of US food imports could impact prices and spending. Consumers likely shift from dining out to grocery purchases, as grocery sales ticked up 0.4% amid a 0.4% decline in restaurant sales. Retailers may focus on promoting value through brand awareness and offers, particularly in tariff-affected categories like coffee and produce.
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Check out last month’s News Bites: News Bites – July 2025!
