- CPG Weekly News
This Week in CPG 03/02/2026
🛒 Retail Rollouts
🍓 Amara is rolling out Superfood Smoothie Melts to Target
Amara, founded by Jess Sturzenegger is expanding beyond its fan-favorite Organic Smoothie Melts with a new “Superfood” lineup made entirely from organic whole fruits, vegetables, seeds, and legumes without added sugar, synthetic fortification, or preservatives. The melts are positioned as a light, crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth snack that parents already trust and kids actually enjoy, now with targeted benefits: Protein (sunflower seeds + chickpeas with banana and mango), Brain (leafy greens + pumpkin seeds with banana and cherry), and Immunity (blueberry, raspberry, maqui berry, and apple). The line is set to roll out to Target in mid-March.
🍫 BARIS launched nationwide at Sprouts
BARIS, co-founded by Luca Molinari and Marcos Della Pia, is bringing its Patagonia-sourced, chocolate-covered frozen raspberries to more shoppers with a nationwide launch at Sprouts Farmers Market. The lineup includes Extra Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut, Pistachio, plus a new Sprouts-exclusive Matcha flavor that adds a retailer-only twist to the assortment. The product spotlights handpicked raspberries and a premium dessert-snack positioning built for the frozen aisle.
🍪 Tate’s Bake Shop is adding three permanent cookies nationwide
Tate’s Bake Shop, founded by Kathleen King and led by CEO Laraine Miller, is expanding its everyday cookie lineup with three new permanent options now hitting grocery shelves nationwide, along with availability on its website and Amazon. Two fan-favorite flavors White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Mint Chocolate Chip are returning as stay-forever varieties, while Soft Baked Double Chocolate Chip brings a new texture-led “soft baked” innovation. The additions are framed as consumer-demand driven and part of a broader pipeline of more innovation planned for 2026.
🍨 McConnell’s is launching Peanut Butter Cookies & Cream at Whole Foods
McConnell’s, led by Michael Palmer, is adding a decadent new flavor to its lineup with Peanut Butter Cookies & Cream, launching March 20 across Whole Foods, its DTC channel, and its scoop shops. The recipe layers salty peanut butter with rich chocolate ganache in Central Coast, grass-fed milk and cream, then folds in heaps of fudgy chocolate cookies baked in-house. It’s positioned as an indulgent, premium twist on a classic cookies-and-cream profile.
🏋️ Rello protein bars are now at Sprouts
Rello, co-founded by Tyler and Brett Sullivan, is entering the performance nutrition space with a creatine-first angle, launching Protein Bars available now at Sprouts and ready-to-drink shakes planned for Q2 2026. The bars deliver 20g protein (grass-fed collagen + whey) and 1.2g creatine per bar, avoiding seed oils, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols, with flavors Vanilla Crisp and Chocolate Crunch. The brand emphasizes its patented soluble clean creatine tech, U.S. manufacturing, and third-party credentials (including NSF Certified for Sport®), alongside athlete support and growing mainstream interest in creatine.
🚀 New Product Launch
🌵 Pricklee Natural Hydration unveiled two new flavors at Expo West
Pricklee, founded by Kun Yang, is unveiling a repositioned “Natural Hydration” platform at Expo West that builds on years of formulation testing and consumer feedback since launching in 2021. The updated approach shifts the lead story from cactus water to everyday, family-friendly hydration while still featuring prickly pear highlighting antioxidants, electrolytes, and vitamin C. The refresh also introduces two new flavors for the first time: Mixed Wildberry and Juicy Watermelon, presented as the brand’s strongest formula yet.
🍜 Sun Noodle launched High-Fiber Yakisoba kits
Sun Noodle, founded by Hidehito Uki, is giving yakisoba a better-for-you upgrade with a High-Fiber Yakisoba kit line that keeps the brand’s signature fresh-noodle texture front and center. Offered in Original, Sesame, and Soy Ginger, each kit includes two servings of fresh noodles plus sauce packets, and is formulated to deliver 12g fiber and 12g protein per serving. The line also spotlights clean, preservative-free ingredients to match the convenience-plus-quality promise of the kits category.
🍷 Curious Elixirs released Curious Red
Curious Elixirs, founded by JW Wiseman is marking its 11th year with its 11th release: Curious Red, a non-alcoholic red wine positioned to help you unwind while keeping the ritual of a glass of red intact. The inaugural 2026 “vintage” is Sumptuous Syrah, featuring California Syrah grapes with notes like blackberry, oak, tobacco, and peppercorn, built from a blend of 24 ingredients sourced across five continents. True to the brand’s functional roots, it’s infused with kanna, ashwagandha, and passionflower, and is available nationwide for ordering in a 12-bottle pack.
☕ POCA launched zero-calorie syrup “drops”
POCA, co founded by Hilary Coles and Emily Boschwitz, is aiming to reinvent everyday sweetness with a portable, zero-calorie syrup format that’s designed to dissolve easily into coffee, matcha, and other drinks or even snacks. The launch includes three core flavors (Vanilla, Caramel, Pistachio) alongside a limited-edition “Crush Drop” release featuring Cinnamon Hearts and Strawberry Shortcake. The brand positions the product as sweetness without the crash, with added fiber and an emphasis on personalization and small daily rituals.
🥤 REBBL debuted Clear Protein ahead of a Q4 2026 launch
REBBL, founded by Elizabeth Stephenson is expanding its functional lineup with a “clear” protein drink concept designed to feel more like hydration than a traditional heavy shake. REBBL Clear Protein delivers 20g of complete non-GMO whey protein in an 80-calorie, zero-sugar, crystal-clear beverage, with electrolytes (including potassium, magnesium, and sodium) plus zinc for immune support. The line is debuting at Natural Products Expo West 2026 and is slated for a Q4 2026 launch in Mixed Berry, Lemon Lime, Strawberry Watermelon, and Mandarin Orange at a $4.99 MSRP.
🤝 Brand Partnerships
🍸 Inspiro Tequila x Sugar Bliss is fundraising for WBDC in March
Two women-owned Chicago brands Inspiro Tequila and Sugar Bliss, Co founded by Mara Smith and Teresa Ging are partnering throughout March to support the Women’s Business Development Center and help fund the WBDC Pitch Showcase 2026. Inspiro will donate $1 for every featured cocktail sold at participating bars and restaurants and $1 per bottle purchased at retail or online, while Sugar Bliss will contribute 10% of online sales through its website. The collaboration also includes two philanthropic shopping events hosted at Veronica Beard in Chicago and Wilmette, tying community retail moments to direct fundraising impact.
🎉 News to Celebrate
🌶️ TRUFF unveiled its first-ever packaging refresh
TRUFF, co-founded by Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni unveiled its first-ever packaging refresh rolling out across its portfolio this year as the brand continues scaling beyond 17,000 retail doors nationwide. TRUFF announced a packaging refresh designed for retail shoppers, with the brand describing the new look as “luxe yet accessible” and easier to shop by clearly differentiating flavors and formats. Co-founder Nick Guillen called it one of the most exciting moments in the company’s journey, while co-founder Nick Ajluni said it reflects how TRUFF is showing up for shoppers in stores across the country. The company also highlighted its scale more than 17,000 retail doors and said its innovation pipeline is expanding beyond heat-and-truffle roots toward broader culinary-forward condiment occasions.
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