Finances and Deals

  • A box of Caulipower's frozen pizza.
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    Courtesy of Caulipower
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    Caulipower purchased by private equity firm

    The cauliflower pizza crust maker will be added to Paine Schwartz’s specialty dough portfolio.

    By • Nov. 3, 2025
  • Utz chips and pretzels
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    Megan Poinski/Food Dive
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    Utz Brands eyes ‘big opportunity’ in California with acquisition

    The Zapp’s potato chips maker is buying distribution assets to expand its presence in the Golden State, the country's largest salty snack market.

    By • Nov. 3, 2025
  • Mergers and acquisitions Explore the Trendline➔
    Trendline

    Mergers and acquisitions

    Declining sales and slowing consumption have more companies divesting brands, opening the door for smaller players and private equity firms to expand their portfolios.  

    By Food Dive staff
  • A bag of Justin's hard candies. The brand is owned by Hormel Foods.
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    Courtesy of Hormel Foods
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    Hormel Foods sells majority stake in Justin’s nut butter

    The Spam maker, which will remain a minority owner, is offloading 51% of the brand to Kodiak owner Forward Consumer Partners.

    By • Oct. 29, 2025
  • Charlie Sheen sits outside holding an aluminum can next to a suit case full of the cans.
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    Courtesy of Wild AF
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    Sober celebrities pour into nonalcoholic beer

    Actor Charlie Sheen and comedian John Mulaney are the latest stars to introduce booze-free offerings as more Americans become sober-curious.

    By • Oct. 23, 2025
  • A bottle and glass of Buffalo Trace are sitting next to each other.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Sazerac invests more than $1B in US spirits production

    The Fireball and Buffalo Trace owner plans to build barrel-aging warehouses in Kentucky and improve equipment at its Indiana bottling plant as distilled spirit demand remains strong.

    By • Oct. 22, 2025
  • ice cream
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    Courtesy of Unilever
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    Unilever’s Magnum Ice Cream spinoff delayed by US government shutdown

    The CPG giant still expects the divestiture of the unit, which includes Klondike and Ben & Jerry’s, to be completed this year.

    By • Oct. 21, 2025
  • Chobani's new Chobani Creations offering.
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    Permission granted by Chobani
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    Chobani raises $650M to support growth, innovation

    The additional capital will support projects including a $1.2 billion plant in New York, the Greek yogurt giant's largest-ever facility investment.

    By • Oct. 20, 2025
  • Elanco's global headquarters.
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    Permission granted by Kaylee Versteegh / AgriNovus Indiana
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    Sponsored by AgriNovus Indiana

    Indiana has entered its One Health era and the innovators have already showed up to the party

    Elanco's new Indianapolis global headquarters signals a commitment to innovation and an era of collaboration in a space emerging with opportunity: One Health.

    Oct. 20, 2025
  • A closeup of Ben and Jerry's ice cream pints.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    The Magnum Ice Cream Company prepares for a ‘new frontier’ after Unilever spin-off

    The Ben and Jerry's owner is set to become the world’s largest frozen novelty maker, benefiting from its diverse portfolio and focus on a single category.

    By • Oct. 15, 2025
  • Four stacks of cans of Campbell's soup displayed on a grocery store shelf on June 2, 2025, in Chicago. Cans in the stacks, from left to right, are labeled "Spicy Nacho Cheese," "Chicken with Rice," "Tomato Bisque" and "Spicy Tomato."
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Campbell’s taps Hershey finance vet for CFO chair

    In a client note, J.P. Morgan said this is “the most active year since 2022” for CFO changes in the food industry. 

    By Alexei Alexis • Oct. 9, 2025
  • A bunch of Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut candies in a display.
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    Lillianna Byington/Food Dive
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    Inside Ferrero’s push to become America’s next packaged food giant

    Fresh off its acquisition of WK Kellogg, the sweets maker is investing over $100 million in marketing during the Super Bowl and World Cup to show it’s more than just Nutella and Ferrero Rocher.

    By • Oct. 9, 2025
  • Mini bottles of Fireball are displayed on a shelf.
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    David Becker/Getty Images for Nightclub & Bar Media Group via Getty Images
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    Fireball owner builds out vodka portfolio with purchase of Western Son

    The Texas-based vodka and gin brand will give Sazerac expanded production capacity.

    By • Oct. 6, 2025
  • Danone's newly launch Remix products.
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    Courtesy of Danone
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    Danone to pause litigation as part of truce with Lifeway Foods

    The agreement, which also includes a board refresh, comes two weeks after the dairy giant abandoned plans to acquire the kefir maker.

    By • Oct. 1, 2025
  • Woman using phone
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    zigres/Adobe Stock

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    Sponsored by Shopkick

    Holiday shopping insights: How consumers plan to spend, save and celebrate

    Shopkick surveyed more than 8,000 shoppers to understand their holiday shopping plans. Check out the insights now!

    Sept. 29, 2025
  • SlimFast
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    Courtesy of SlimFast
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    Splenda owner buys SlimFast for undisclosed amount

    The purchase by Heartland Food Products comes as sales for the weight loss brand have plummeted, with more consumers turning to GLP-1 medications.

    By • Sept. 18, 2025
  • lifeway kefir
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    Courtesy of Lifeway Foods, Inc.
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    Danone abandons acquisition of Lifeway Foods

    The yogurt giant reportedly didn’t believe the two companies could work together effectively and wanted to pursue opportunities within its own portfolio.

    By • Sept. 18, 2025
  • Posters advertising Bloom's energy drinks are displayed on a purple fence.
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    Rick Kern/Getty Images for Bloom Nutrition via Getty Images
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    Nutrabolt boosts stake in Bloom Nutrition with nearly $160M investment

    The C4 Energy drink maker, Bloom’s largest investor, said the deal will help it attract a broader customer base.

    By • Sept. 10, 2025
  • A closeup of Ben and Jerry's ice cream pints.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Ben & Jerry’s cofounders push for independence as Unilever’s ice cream spinoff nears

    The CPG giant’s Magnum Ice Cream unit said the offering is “a proud part” of its business and it has no interest in selling the Cherry Garcia maker.

    By • Sept. 9, 2025
  • Close-up of a mobile phone recording a young woman vlog preparing salad in kitchen at home
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    FG Trade Latin via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How legacy CPG brands can crack the social-first marketing code

    Ten-figure acquisitions, new agency experiments and organizational changes are underway, but the real key may be relinquishing a sense of control.

    By Peter Adams • Sept. 4, 2025
  • Five Pepsi cans
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    Courtesy of PepsiCo
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    Activist investor pushes for PepsiCo turnaround with $4B stake

    Elliott Investment Management said the food and beverage maker has become a “dramatic underperformer,” and there’s a “historic opportunity” to boost its stock price.

    By • Sept. 2, 2025
  • Kraft Heinz
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Kraft Heinz to break up a decade after mega-merger

    The ketchup and Lunchables giant will create one business for grocery staples and another for sauces, spreads and seasonings.

    By • Sept. 2, 2025
  • Post Holdings, cereal
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    Permission granted by Post Holdings
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    Post Holdings sells recently acquired pasta business for more than $350M

    The company will retain the part of 8th Avenue's portfolio that includes nut butters, fruit and nut products and granola.

    By • Aug. 29, 2025
  • Cans in Celsius Holdings' portfolio.
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    Courtesy of Celsius Holdings
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    PepsiCo ups stake in Celsius to 11% with $585M deal

    Celsius also will acquire the beverage giant’s Rockstar Energy drink brand in the U.S. and Canada.

    By • Aug. 29, 2025
  • A shopper browses the snack aisle in a grocery store
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    David Ryder via Getty Images
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    4 food trends that could define the rest of 2025

    Companies are restructuring operations or rethinking M&A as they feel the heat from slowing sales and face pressure to transform their ingredient lists.

    By , • Aug. 27, 2025
  • Cans of Dr Pepper
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Keurig Dr Pepper to buy JDE Peet’s for $18B to boost struggling coffee business

    Once the deal closes, the company plans to separate its coffee and beverage units into two independent, publicly listed operations.

    By • Aug. 25, 2025