Mars Incorporated has acquired meal, side and sauce company Kevin’s Natural Foods, the company announced this morning. 

• Kevin’s will operate as a standalone business within Mars’ Food & Nutrition arm, which also includes Seeds of Change, Tasty Bite and Ben’s Original, 
• According to a press release by Mars, Kevin’s has seen double-digit growth since its inception in 2019 and is now sold in over 17,000 retailers across the U.S., U.K., and Mexico. 
• The B-corp is headquartered in Modesto, California and employs roughly 180 team members across its back office and production facility. 
• Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the acquisition includes an exit of Kevin’s minority partners, TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P. and NewRoad Capital Partners. 

But while certain segments of the meal set are heating up, others have felt the chill. Last week plant-based meal company Tattooed Chef announced its bankruptcy, citing an inability to access more working capital. 

• With over 1600 creditors, the company plans to pursue a sale of “substantially all of its assets.” 
• Tattooed Chef was created, and went public, via a 2020 reverse merger between Ittella International and the publicly traded Forum Merger II Corporation. 
• For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, Tattooed Chef reported revenue of $230 million, up from $208 million the year prior, for a year-over-year growth rate of 11%. Still, net loss grew to $141 million for the fiscal year and adjusted EBITDA was negative $91.7 million. 
• From 2020 to 2022 the company grew household awareness from 6% to over 26%, available in 20,000 stores, yet spent over $100 million on marketing expenses. 

Read more about the news from Kevin's and Tattooed Chef on NOSH.

Craft confectionary maker Theo Chocolate announced it will merge with American Licorice Company (ALC). 

• The news coincides with the announcement that Theo will restructure its operations, closing its Seattle manufacturing facility and reducing headcount by 60 employees over the back half of 2023. 
• In a press release, Theo’s CEO cited “cross all aspects of our manufacturing and supply chain” as a core driver of the changes. 
• The proposed transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023. American Licorice, which was already an investor in Theo, previously acquired candy brand Torie and Howard in 2021. 

Stay Tuned for More Coverage on NOSH.

That's the question the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer research agency has been asking itself lately. According to Reuters, two unnamed sources claim The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) will deem aspartame – one of the most common artificial sweeteners found in nearly 6,000 products – a possible carcinogen next month. Here’s what we know so far: 

• IARC’s ruling does not offer guidance on how much aspartame can be hazardous, however a second WHO committee – the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization's Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) – is expected to release those details in its own report the same day as IARC. 
• Four classifications are used to assess substances – carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic and not classifiable. Asbestos is deemed carcinogenic while “working overnight” and eating red meat are “probable” carcinogens. Aspartame will fall in the “possibly” camp.
• Though the ruling does not have any immediate impact on food regulations, past IARC rulings for different substances, like glyphosate, have had a significant impact on consumer perceptions, influenced litigation and led manufacturers to reformulate.

Read the full story on NOSH.

A sauce with a mission? At the Summer Fancy Food Show last week, Clark + Hopkins showcased its new Ukraine hot sauce, proceeds of which will be donated to nonprofit World Central Kitchen. 

• Proceeds from each 5 oz. bottle ($8.99) will be donated to World Central Kitchen to help rebuild the community in Ukraine. One hundred percent of the profits from the first 50,000 units sold will go to the nonprofit with a donation of an additional $1.00 per bottle in perpetuity. 
• The sauce draws inspiration from Ukrainian cuisine, with notes of beets, caraway and dill. 
• Other spicy launches highlighted at the show were Carbone’s new Spicy Vodka sauce, and several launches from Curry Love, including a new Yum Phrik Thai Chili Crisp product. 

To find out more about other Fancy Food Show sauce and condiment innovations, check out the full gallery on NOSH.

July 4th is a holiday to celebrate hot dogs and hamburgers, at least according to Primal Kitchen. The clean ingredient condiment maker activated a Gen Z marketing blitz aimed at educating the young consumer group about its new take on mayo and ketchup. 

• Over the holiday weekend, the Kraft Heinz owned brand took to the skies, with airplane beach flyover signs along the Jersey Shore reading “your buns deserve better.” In tandem, Primal Kitchen also sponsored lifeguard chairs from Malibu to Manhattan Beach with similar marketing messaging. 
• The campaign follows promotional efforts in Los Angeles in May, with the “Mayo Mobile” sampling products in Venice Beach and billboards claiming “Hey, look, something in LA that's not fake.” 

A gelato-dispensing k-cup machine, whale sperm tortilla chips, the role of foodservice and the marketing benefits of appearing on YouTube show Hot Ones. On the NOSH Podcast the team discussed their experiences walking the floor (and eating too much cheese) at this summer's Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show in New York City last week. The foursome talked about spicy trends in condiments, the role wholesaling is playing for CPG brands, Carol’s spicy take on the hot sauce category and how shock value is becoming increasingly important for new products to gain traction (and Tik Tok attention). 

Listen to the podcast on NOSH, then subscribe, share and rate it (pretty please).