• 🆕 This Week’s Hot New Products
• 🤑 Food Tech Funding Roll Call
• 🍄 In Mushroom News…
• ⭐ Reviews? We Got ‘Em
• 🤝 How Datefix Landed A Dream Deal

Pirate’s Booty founder Rob Ehrlich declared in a LinkedIn post yesterday that he had purchased the snack brand back from The Hershey Company in a $25 million deal that is “expected to close immediately.”

The announcement drew scores of congratulatory comments and reactions from industry stakeholders. The only problem? It’s not true, says Hershey.

“We have seen the post from Mr. Ehrlich and there is no truth to it,” Todd M. Scott, senior manager of communications for Hershey, told Nosh via email.

Ehrlich’s false post follows some bizarre behavior by the eccentric entrepreneur, who last month attempted to seize control of his coastal village’s government, proclaiming himself the new mayor based on a little-known New York state law, then comparing himself to Anne Frank following a landslide loss in the subsequent election.

Another recent post by Ehrlich claims new Pirate’s Booty is made with “seedless avocado oil,” but that’s a head scratcher for a different day.

Some history: Ehrlich founded Pirate’s Booty in 1986. B&G Foods acquired the business in 2013 for $195 million and sold it to Hershey five years later for $420 million. Following the sale of Pirate Brands, Ehrlich launched plant-based puffs under the brand Vegan Rob’s and more recently unveiled a pirate-themed puffed rice and corn snack called Captain Booty. 

ICYMI: Hershey continues building out its salty snacks portfolio, announcing yesterday that it has agreed to acquire LesserEvil Snacks in a transaction valued around $750 million – and it has no evident plans of dropping the Booty.

Ehrlich had not responded to a request for comment by the time of this publication, but we really look forward to hearing what he has to say.

Hot off the (virtual) presses, it's the latest edition of Nosh’s weekly New Products Gallery. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside:

🧁 Pillsbury Baking has unveiled its latest innovation, Pillsbury Whipped Frosting. Available in four flavors – Buttercream, Chocolate, Strawberry Delight and Sweet Cream – each 12 oz. tub can frost up to 24 cupcakes.

🥯 Better-for-you bread producer Hero Bread has expanded its Crafted Collection with the introduction of Everything Bagels. The new offering contains 5 grams of net carbs, 16 grams of protein, 20 grams of fiber and 140 calories. 

🧗 CLIF BAR is seeking to help consumers jumpstart their activities with its new Caffeinated Collection of energy bars. The collection includes two flavors, Vanilla Almond and Caramel Chocolate Chip, developed in partnership with pro women’s basketball star Breanna Stewart and tennis pro Frances Taifoe. 

Check out the full gallery on Nosh. 

The money is rolling right in for a trio of food tech startups. Here are some of the latest investments within the sector:

🌊 Israeli microalgae tech company Brevel extended its seed funding round by another $5 million, bringing the round’s full size to $25 million. The company produces a variety of proteins, lipids, fibers and antioxidants made through fermentation and will use the funding to focus on food and beverage innovation.

🥩 Another Israel-based group, cultivated meat maker Aleph Farms, raised $29 million in an ongoing round and is touting another $10 million to $15 million coming in the pipeline. The cash will go towards facility expansion and adding new production sites in Europe and Asia.

🤖 Back in San Francisco, Chef Robotics closed a $43.1 million Series A round to scale its AI-powered food assembly business.

🥓 Evocative, the makers of mycelium-based MyBacon, has raised $11 million, including a $1.68 million in grant and loan funding from the Advance Albany County Alliance. 

• The New York-based food tech brand has distribution in 1,200 stores but is expecting to expand into over 4,000 by the end of the year, according to reporting by AgFunderNews.

🇨🇦  Welcome home, Prime Roots! The Canadian-founded plant-based deli meat maker is bringing its mycelium cold cuts to its home country after launching in the U.S. market. 

• The brand is leveraging its success in the U.S. to offer its meat-free ham, salami, turkey, pepperoni and bacon to the “35% of Canadians identifying as flexitarian, vegan, or vegetarian,” the company said.

In this reviews roundup, we gobble up Hero Labs’ low-carb bagel, Bon Bee Honey energy bars, a super simple spin on plant-based frozen desserts, and adult-geared pouched purees promoting gut health.

We are sharing our takes on taste and texture, packaging and positioning and opportunities for improvement.

🆓 Check out this week’s review roundup on Nosh.

Want your product reviewed? Send an email to mwatrous@nosh.com.

When Walmart calls, you answer. When the retail giant offers you shelf space in 2,700 of its stores, you say “yes.” But turning that opportunity into success? That’s where the real challenge begins. Alan Scholnick, the founder of Datefix, a date-based nutrition snack brand, talks about how its two-year development from nascent idea to Walmart shelves has shaped the company’s path forward.