The alt-meat market has had a rough go lately (Even Beyond Meat is distancing itself from the category).

Yet, one plant-based poultry producer has reason for celebration today.

Daring Foods has been acquired by Australian alt-protein company v2food, with backing by Ajinomoto Co, Inc. 

CEO Jeff Gendelman told Nosh that the partnership will leverage the scale and frozen food expertise of Ajinomoto and the proprietary protein technology of v2food, bringing the brand into new protein formats and meal occasions across retail and foodservice channels.

Currently, the brand’s products are sold in “north of 16,000 to 17,000” retail doors nationwide and include frozen breaded and unbreaded pieces and wings, as well as a line of single-serve vegetarian meals. 

The plant-based meat market garnered billions in venture funding over the past decade, but many of those heavily-capitalized entities, including Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and Meati, are now faltering.

Daring Foods has itself raised $113.8 million in total funding since its founding seven years ago, according to Crunchbase, from high-profile backers including celebrities and professional athletes such as Drake, Naomi Osaka, Cam Newton and Steve Aoki.

While it might be hard to imagine any of the investors feeling good about their return at this point, that’s more due to the fact that, overall, plant-based meat and seafood sales have marked a steady decline since peaking during the pandemic. Yet, Daring has notched double-digit top-line growth year-over-year since 2021, with a high repeat rate among top meat alternative brands, according to Gendelman

“We’re very proud of that growth in a space that’s been contracting,” he said.

Insiders can access the full story to learn more about Daring Foods’ new partnerships and plans for the future.

From plant-based fish to dessert-inspired sunflower seeds, this week’s notable new product innovations span all sides of the industry. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside our latest gallery: 

🐟 Following the success of its plant-based cod, Juicy Marbles is going deeper into the category with Kinda Salmon. Created in collaboration with Austrian startup Revo Foods, the new offering is made with fermented fungi-based mycoprotein. 

🍓 Sunflower seed slinger Smackin’ has dropped its latest limited-edition flavor: Strawberry Cheesecake, described as “dessert in a snack.” 

🍕 Kraft is combining two iconic foods with its most recent innovation, Pizza Flavored Mac & Cheese Dinner. Each 7.25 oz. box contains macaroni and an individually sealed cheese sauce mix with pizza flavor seasoning.

Seed oil-free frozen french fry maker Jesse & Ben’s House Cut has landed its first institutional investment round as it significantly expands its distribution network. The Washington D.C.-based brand netted a “seven-figure” seed round from a diverse pool of strategic partners.

• The round included capital from Willow Growth Partners, BrandProject, Midnight Venture Partners, Supernatural Ventures, Siddhi Capital and others.
• The self-manufacturing brand is putting the new funding toward its sourcing and production as it opens 20 new distribution centers and tallies over 1,500 retail doors.
• Jesse & Ben’s has leveraged its social media following to move deeper into retail with partnerships at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme and Thrive Market.

Read the full report on Nosh

Meat snack maker Jack Link’s is opening a new 405,000 sq. ft. facility in Perry, Ga., bringing nearly 200 new jobs to the area.

• The Wisconsin-based company holds about 20% share of the meat stick category and over 36% of the jerky set, according to recent Circana sales tracking.
• Jack Link’s is not the only meat snack producer throwing gas on the fire. Western Smokehouse Partners (recently reacquired by Monogram) opened a co-invested plant in Missouri to service Chomps and Archer is preparing to open its second facility this fall in Vernon.

Broad-based volume gains helped beverage and fruit snacks producer SunOpta deliver “outstanding” second quarter results, reflecting “the strength of [its] competitive position and sharp execution by [its] team,” according to CEO Brian Kocher.

• Net revenue jumped 12.9% year-over-year to $191.5 million, driven by volume growth and partially offset by price reduction for pass-through pricing and certain raw material costs. 
• The results signal the success of SunOpta’s private label and co-manufacturing model amid the current macroeconomic environment.

💬 “Our revenue growth engine delivered again. Fueled by the capacity we are creating each and every day in our production facilities, we continue delivering volume growth that is among the highest of all publicly traded companies in the food and beverage space,” said Kocher. 

Read the full earnings recap.

Post Holdings put up just under $2 billion in net sales in its Q3 2025 earnings report this week, up 1.9% from the prior-year period, as foodservice, refrigerated retail and the U.K.-focused Weetabix brand helped to carry sales.

• The Post Consumer Brands portfolio offset growth, down 9.2% with pet food distribution decreasing and cereal continuing to fall.
• Foodservice leapt 18.6% to $109.4 million, with higher pricing and volume growth contributing to the strong results.
• In refrigerated retail, slight declines to cheese offset growth for the rest of the portfolio, including side dishes and sausages.