• 🥣 Is Labneh Having A Moment?
• 🍕Brynwood Acquires Pizza Manufacturer
• 🥳 Albertsons Unveils New Store Brand
• 🥓 Has Cinnamon Toast Crunch Gone Too Far?
• 🫗 Talking Shop With Ken Sadowsky

Alt-protein producer Impossible Foods has (finally) settled its multi-year patent infringement suit against Motif FoodWorks, a spinoff of Massachusetts-based Gingko Bioworks, according to a dismissal order filed yesterday in Delaware District Court. 

The spat began in March 2022 when Impossible filed a lawsuit alleging Motif willfully and indirectly [see below] infringed on at least one of its patents by using a heme-containing protein in a “beef replica product.” According to the complaint, heme-containing proteins and the discovery that heme is essential to replicating the taste, aroma and mouthfeel of animal-derived meat fall under Impossible’s patent protections. 

“We applaud other companies’ efforts to develop compelling plant-based products, but we do not tolerate attempts to undermine our brand or products through the deliberate and unauthorized infringement of our intellectual property,” a spokesperson from Impossible said at the time of the suit. 

In November 2022, the court refused to toss claims that Motif was ripping off Impossible’s patents on meat-alternative foods, saying it was too early to resolve the dispute. At the time, the judge said various limitations of the at-issue patent claims had “at least two plausible constructions.” 

However, Motif recently notched a win against Impossible when a three-judge panel for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) invalidated nearly two dozen claims on Impossible’s food tech patent for the use of heme in alternative proteins to affect taste and aroma in June. Impossible’s claims were deemed invalid due to prior patents and applications that had been filed.

Impossible’s heme was originally derived from soybean root nodules; comparatively, Motif’s was developed using bovine cells called HEMAMI, for which the company secured generally recognized as safe (GRAS) certification in 2021. Both companies use fermentation technology to produce these ingredients. 

As part of yesterday’s agreement between Impossible and Motif in Delaware District Court, neither party will be able to renew any allegations. 

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At this point having hummus in the fridge is about as ubiquitous as a container of sour cream so it's unsurprising that other Mediterranean-inspired brands are popping up to fill the demand for more authentic dips. Enter Bezi, a new labneh brand positioned towards next-gen consumers looking for a new take on a traditional Middle Eastern condiment. First-time founder Ilay Karateke told Nosh about how she used her Turkish upbringing and business background to find opportunity in labneh.

🐮 Karateke’s journey to labneh has been fermenting since interning on a Turkish dairy farm while getting her MBA through her time at McKinsey and being on Getir’s FreshDirect acquisition team.

💬 How to get grocery buyers to take a risk on a new product? “Approach it with compassion, a positive attitude and a big smile,” she said.

📈 Bezi is seizing on consumer interest in dips and spreads — a category that has grown 25% in the last five years — and joins other updated labneh brands like Yaza and Cocojune.

Nosh Insiders can read the full interview to learn more about the labneh opportunity and how Karateke leveraged previous experience to build the brand.

Private equity firm Brynwood Partners has acquired Miracapo Pizza Company, a contract manufacturer of frozen pizzas for convenience stores and retail customers, from an affiliate of CC Industries. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

🏭 Headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Ill., Miracapo operates three manufacturing plants in the Chicagoland area and employs approximately 385 people, increasing the total Brynwood Partners manufacturing footprint to 19 facilities, approximately 4,700 employees and more than $3 billion in annual sales.

🗣️ What they said: "We look forward to the prospect of adding to our successful track record in the pizza space, with our prior portfolio company, Richelieu Foods and our current investment in the space, Great Kitchens Food Company, which primarily serves private label retail customers in the take-and-bake pizza space.” - Henk Hartong III, chairman and CEO of Brynwood Partners

Albertsons Companies today announced the debut of Overjoyed, its newest store brand featuring bakery and snack products, as well as gifts and celebration supplies, at Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Acme and Shaw’s stores.

🍪 The launch marks the retailer’s first major private label introduction in recent years and includes such items as French macarons, s’mores trail mix, chocolate fudge brownie ice cream cake and seasonal offerings like vampire fang gummies and Halloween-themed cookie kits.

🛒 The past year has seen a private label boom, which has included Walmart’s introduction of the bettergoods brand and CVS’s new Well Market line, among others.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is continuing its quest to invade every aisle of the grocery store. The cereal brand’s latest partnership finds its signature seasoning blend on, of all things, bacon.

🤝 General Mills and Hormel Foods Corporation have partnered to produce a limited-edition Hormel Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon, featuring thick-cut strips “hand-rubbed” with sugar and cinnamon. The product will be available beginning Sept. 16 at select Walmart and Kroger stores. 

🥣 In recent years, Cinnamon Toast Crunch’s breakout from the breakfast bowl has resulted in numerous co-branded product launches spanning pretzel bites, cake mix, taco shells, stuffed marshmallows, coffee and a creamy spread. 

Influential advisor and investor Ken Sadowsky and Taste Radio editor Ray Latif sip their way through an assemblage of beverages, as the former shares his perspective on trendy concepts, categories on the rise, package design, his investment thesis and successful retail strategies.

Listen to the episode now.