Registration Open for PLMA "Store Brands Marketplace"
Interested parties can now register to attend this year's upcoming "Store Brands Marketplace" Private Label Trade Show. From November 16-18, the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) will host 2,000 exhibitors from 65 countries, special guests, and industry insiders at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Chicago. Thousands of innovative store brands from industries including food and beverage, health, beauty, and household goods will all be displaying their products and solutions.
Attendees will have access to well-organized exhibit areas, high-value seminars, and a keynote breakfast. “The Private Label Trade Show will be an incredible hub of new products, ideas, innovation and connections,” commented PLMA President Peggy Davies. “This is the premier event for the private label industry, uniting professionals from across the U.S. and around the globe to shape the future of store brands.”
Click here for more information on the Private Label Trade Show.
Apex Compliance Selected as IFT Startup Finalist
This week, AI-supported marketing-content review platform, Apex Compliance, was announced as one of the Top Startup Finalist for the Startup Pavilion & Pitch competition at this year's IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo. 2025 marks the company's first appearance at the event and the debut of their first-of-its-kind scan for connected Meta (Facebook & Instagram) business accounts. The new feature will examine posts, images, and videos for possible "red flag" phrases and provide users with safer word alternatives to avoid violations.
"Being recognized as a top startup validates our mission to make regulatory compliance simple, fast, and accessible," said Apex Compliance Founder, Asa Waldstein. "Food and supplement marketers juggle dozens of channels; we give them one dashboard that flags risky claims before regulators, plaintiff attorneys, or platforms do."
OptiMSM Receives FFC Approval
The Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency has granted Food with Functional Claims (FFC) to OptiMSM. Balchem's brand of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is the first to receive the recognition in Japan, further cementing its safety, efficacy and reliability. “With a long-standing reputation in the joint health space, Balchem’s OptiMSM already stands out as the only form of MSM to have received a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) letter of non-objection in the US. Now, with its recognition under Japan’s Food with Functional Claims, we further solidify its role in supporting mobility, as well as its leading quality, reliability and strong scientific background," said Jessica Arnaly, Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager, Human Nutrition & Health.
OptiMSM's approval was the result of a recent study showcasing its potential to improve overall joint health and comfort in individuals suffering from mild knee joint pain. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment consisted of 88 healthy adult participants being given either 2000mg of OptiMSM or a placebo for a total of 12 weeks. Results were evaluated using the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM) and showed participants experienced improvements in pain levels, especially in the morning and while standing.
A full version of the study can be found here.
ABC Hosts Climate Change & Future of Herbal Ingredients Event
The American Botanical Council (ABC), the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP), and the Sustainable Herbs Initiative (SHI), are co-hosting an upcoming workshop on climate change and the future of herbal ingredients. On Sunday, August 31, 2025 from 9am - 5pm at the Centro Congressi, University Federico II, Naples, during the 73rd International Congress and Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Products Research (GA) the full-day scientific workshop will discuss the environmental changes creating lasting impacts on herbal medicine. Sponsored by botanical ingredients supplier Euromed S.A., the event will spotlight:
- Presentations by leading scientists, industry experts, and policymakers
- Two roundtable discussions on research gaps and stakeholder education
- A strategic framework for promoting sustainable production methods
- Networking opportunities with thought leaders across the herbal and phytotherapy sectors
Guest speakers scheduled to participate in the event include:
- Ann Armbrecht (Sustainable Herbs Initiative): Framing the issues: quality and sustainability in sourcing medicinal plants.
- Michael Heinrich (University College London): A different look at sustainability - how does climate change impact on medicinal plant use?
- Tony Cunningham (Murdoch University, Perth): Medicinal plants in a complex world: how do we bridge the "knowing, but not doing gap”?
- Anastasiya Timoshina (Traffic): Multi-stakeholder engagement across supply chains for quality and sustainability in wild-harvesting: A case-study involving Himalayan resources
- Alain Cuerrier (University of Montreal): Impact of climate change on medicinal plants in the Canadian boreal forests and Subarctic.
- Deepak Mundkinajeddu (Natural Remedies): Climate change and its impact on the quality and trade of Indian medicinal plants: Case studies of ashwagandha and bacopa
- Stefan Gafner (American Botanical Council): Exploring the connection between climate change, sustainable practices, and adulteration of botanical ingredients.
- Anna Mula/Agustin Villar (Euromed): Quality of botanical ingredients.
- Gaia Scalabrino (Trinity College Dublin): Shaping the future: Integrating sustainability and policy in research and innovation.
- Paolo Goi (Davines Group): Regenerative agriculture: Influence on soil ecosystems and plant phytochemical composition
Registration details can be found here.
State Garden Expands Contract Manufacturing
State Garden is partnering with organic juice and beverage producers to increase its contract manufacturing capabilities and meet the growing consumer demand for juices, cleanses, and beverages with organic ingredients. The company currently packs under the Olivia's Organics, Northeast Fresh, and Locally Known brands and is known for prioritizing quality safety, environmental and operational efficiency, and leveraging juice production to minimize food waste and utilize as much of the product as possible. Through its new venture, State Garden hopes to improve supply chain sustainability while partnering with mission-aligned, growth-driven organizations and increasing access to premium organic products.
“At State Garden, we’ve long leveraged the potential for beverages to get more of our outstanding greens and blends to the consumers who know and love us,” said Mark DeMichaelis, CEO of State Garden. “We’ve had some really exciting conversations with partners, and we’re scaling up to meet this new opportunity. We believe partnerships like this are the future of fresh – reducing waste, supporting innovation, and bringing more value and wellness to conscious consumers. We can’t wait to share more details at the Organic Produce Summit in Monterey in a few weeks.”
La Gringuita Cookies Wins SFA Award
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) has presented its Next Generation Leader Award to Caroline McGinley, Founder and CEO of La Gringuita Cookies. In honor of young rising stars under the age of 40 within the food and beverage industry, the award recognizes individuals for their leadership, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit, and for pushing boundaries and influencing the future of the specialty foods space. “I’m incredibly honored to be recognized by the Specialty Food Association and to be among a new wave of food innovators,” said McGinley.
La Gringuita Cookies was founded in 2020, serving customers with gourmet-quality quarter-pound stuffed cookies that can be baked from the comfort of their home without the use of a mixer. Their flavor options include: El Churro, Brown Buttah, Chocolate Souffle, and The Jammy.
Splash Beverage Group Acquires World-Class Water Source
Splash Beverage Group has entered into an agreement to own the exclusive water rights of an underground network of aquifers found in the cloud rainforests of Costa Rica. Located in one of only five globally recognized "Blue Zones" for human longevity and natural wellness, the $20 million asset will provide the company with full ownership and control over boutique premium water brand, Blu.
"With year-one orders already exceeding $10 million, this acquisition is not only strategically aligned with global trends in clean hydration and wellness, but also represents a powerful new revenue engine for our portfolio," shared William Meissner, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Splash Beverage Group. "It allows us to control a rare and scalable natural asset, giving us both brand and supply-side leverage in the premium water category.”
Force of Nature Meats Expands Availability
Austin, Texas based, Force of Nature Meats will now be available at all 1,475 Publix locations in Southeast U.S. Store customers can find two new items from the brand in the fresh meat section, Ground 100% Grass Fed Beef and Ground Grassfed Beef Ancestral. “This is a dream come true for so many customers and consumers who shop at Publix. Now they can purchase their Force of Nature, 100% grass-fed and nutrient-dense ground beef, at their local store. The Southeast market has been in development for some time, with high consumer demand for our products, and by partnering with Publix, we support and supply 100% grass-fed and nutrient-dense ground beef to those consumers," commented Pete Bassett, Vice President of Business Development at Force of Nature Meats.
Focused on changing the narrative of the meat industry, Force of Nature Meats has prioritized sustainability, ethical sourcing, and uncompromised quality. Products include grass-fed beef, bison, and wild game sourced from ranches committed to humane practices and regenerative principles.
Xela Pack Honored at 2025 Sustainable Food Awards
The 2025 Sustainable Food Awards presented Xela Pack with its Silver Winner award in the Sustainability Pioneer category. Held in Amsterdam during a ceremony organized by Ecovia Intelligence, Xela Pack was recognized for their use and innovation of their PaperBottle, which uses only SFI- and FSC-certified sustainably sourced fibers in its construction. The small-dose packaging has been evaluated by Centro Qualità Carta to be recyclable with paper in the European Union and also passed Western Michigan University’s Repulpability & Recyclability Process Tests to be recyclable in the U.S.A.
“For every million 1-oz PaperBottles our customers use—instead of 1-oz plastic bottles from a competitor—there is a reduction in plastic use by nearly 10 tons,” said Anthony Gentile, President of Xela Pack. “To ship a million 1-oz PaperBottles also requires 630 fewer corrugated boxes, 26 fewer shipping pallets, and uses one less truck than shipping a million plastic bottles."
