Looks like investing in food brands (not to mention a namesake coffee drink at Dunkin’) isn’t enough for the D’Amelio Family. The TikTok-famous clan is launching a snack brand under a new D’Amelio Foods line. Fueling the family’s new venture is Fifth Growth Fund (FGF), which has invested $5 million into D’Amelio Brands, the company announced today.

According to Axios, FGF invested at a $100 million valuation for D’Amelio Brands. 

In case you’re not a D’Amelio stan, the family first gained notoriety via sisters Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, who have just over 200 million TikTok followers and 69 million Instagram followers between the two of them. Mom, Heidi, and dad, Marc soon joined in, bringing up the family’s follower count on TikTok by another 20 million. 

The first release from D’Amelio Foods will be a line of “high-quality, flavorful, and accessible snacks,” that can “transform everyday snacking into a joyful experience.” So what’s on the menu for D’Amelio Foods? The company didn’t provide details in the press release, however, D’Amelio Brands owns the trademarks for Be Happy, Be Happy Snacks and Be Happy Snacks Co. The goods and services listed on each trademark are vast, including (but not limited to) meal replacement bars, beef jerky, seaweed snacks, applesauce, brownies and an array of beverage options. 

While social media celebs partnering with food and beverage brands isn’t anything new, the family joins a new wave of creators who don’t just want to endorse or invest in brands, but rather be intimately involved in their creation. See Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee or Logan Paul’s PRIME energy beverage for just two examples. According to a study by marketing firm Ogilvy, in 2022 the value of Influencer marketing increased globally from $1.7 billion in 2016 to $16.4 billion in 2022. A search on TikTok, additionally, shows that the hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt has 66.2 billion views. 

The co-founder and managing partner of CPG investment firm Sunrise Strategic Partners is moving on. According to a LinkedIn post earlier this morning, Vincent Love, who co-founded the firm along with Steve Hughes in 2016, will no longer be actively involved with the venture group. Backed by Trilantic Capital, Sunrise Fund I placed capital in brands including Kodiak, Vital Farms, Kill Cliff, and Pact clothing. 

Now onto Fund II, the group has seen a change in leadership with seasoned executive Peter Burns signing on as (the now sole) managing partner. Burns brought along with him some familiar faces in operating partners David Ziegert, Hunt Killough, Mark Doiron and Jeff Perkel, all of whom worked with Burns at his prior CEO gigs at Justin’s and ONE Brands. 

A new animal-free dairy protein made by Isreal-based ImaginDairy said it has received self-affirmed GRAS status for its hero ingredient and notified the FDA that the protein is generally recognized as safe by the agency’s own standards. 

But what does the process of self-affirmed GRAS status entail? According to ImaginDairy, its ingredient underwent “significant” safety testing and was reviewed by both internal and external experts. Once complete, ImaginDairy was able to claim its ingredient has been greenlit by the FDA for commercial use. Considering the company can now actually sell the ingredient, it perhaps comes as no surprise that ImaginDairy also announced its opening its “new and improved” headquarters in Israel, complete with test kitchens, state of the art labs and an operational pilot line.

Whole Foods Market this week announced the 10 emerging food and beverage brands, selected to participate in its mentorship program for local suppliers, the Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP). Established last year with its Early Growth cohort, LEAP is aimed at expanding the number of locally produced products sold at the WFM stores nationwide. 

• The initiative, created for brands who are not yet sold on the grocer’s shelves, includes a 12-week curriculum taught by WFM and other industry experts, a yearlong mentorship with a WFM local forager, and access to growth-related supplier benefits, according to a press release. 
• Upon completion of the program, the brands will be eligible to receive a $25,000 equity investment from a donor-advised fund managed by the Austin Community Foundation. 
• The brands selected for this year’s Early Growth cohort include Kinship Milk Tea, Ruby Jean’s Juicery, Tiny Sprouts Food, Gringuita Cookies, Jaju Pierogi, La Rossi Pizza, Lazy Food Co., Seed to Surf, Diaspora Co. and Bam. 
• SURPRISE:, WFM this year also introduced a second cohort, LEAP: On The Verge in an effort to also include WFM suppliers who are already sold in “select stores” and show strong growth.
• Suppliers selected for the 2023 On The Verge initiative include fitppl, Better Chew, Little Sesame, Fila Manila, Misha’s Kind Foods, 12 Tides, Nana Joes Granola, The Pizza Cupcake, Nguyen Coffee Supply and Bright Endeavors.

The news comes as WFM has tried to retain its place as a go-to retailer for local and emerging brands, despite its 2017 pickup by Amazon. Though a recent move to drop from nine to six total regions raised questions as to its impact on local brands, a spokesperson told NOSH at the time that suppliers will not be impacted. 

Was someone at B&G hitting the sauce or will they have a reason to say cheers? The food company announced today the launch of three new alcohol brand inspired seasonings under its licensed Weber line of condiments, marinades and seasonings. 

First up are Buffalo Trace and Southern Comfort whiskey-inspired seasonings, which okay, we’re following there. In addition to bourbon, both contain other seasonings and ingredients such as dried garlic, dried onion and sugar, depending on the SKU, with the Southern Comfort offering leaning towards the sweeter end of the spectrum and Buffalo Trace, savory. 

Where we’re really curious: Weber’s new Fireball Whiskey grilling seasoning. With a dash of whiskey in it, the seasoning reportedly has a sweet heat type vibe going on, thanks to the addition of honey powder and cayenne pepper. No word yet if grilled meats made with the seasoning pair well with the self-proclaimed “classy” Dragnum.