Individual snacking categories on the rise in the U.S.

The average U.S. household spends about $133 a year on individually packaged snacks, according to new data from Nielsen. Snack and nutrition bars have shown the strongest dollar growth, followed by jerky and cookies/crackers. Sales of snacks with non-GMO claims experienced an 18.2 percent uptick, followed by snacks with free from artificial colors/flavors and no/reduced sugar claims. Read more at Nielsen…

Fitness brand reformulates packaging from scratch

Functional food and drink mix company Skratch Labs has a new look with digitally printed packaging and new names for its entire product portfolio, including the division into two lines: one for sports performance and one for anytime. It took 10 months to develop the new packaging, according to marketing VP Jeff Donaldson, who says the brand wanted to convey the concept of nature and science working together. Read more at Packaging Digest…

Ginnybakes of Miami, seller of organic sweets, goes out of business

The Florida-based family business that made organic, gluten-free cookies, bars, crumbles and baking mixes is liquidating its assets, the Miami Herald reports.  Ginnybakes launched in 2010 with its organic baking mixes and began expanding nationally around 2012. In 2015, it landed at No. 211 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies. But a court filing cited by the Herald showed the company was in debt for $3.68 million. Read more at Miami Herald…

Kroger rings up profit gains in fight against Walmart, Amazon

Lower prices and improvement in the online ordering process boosted Kroger’s sales for its third quarter ended Nov. 4. The retailer added delivery at 300 locations in the quarter, which led digital revenue to more than double, and plans to outfit 1,000 stores to fill online orders by year’s end. Read more at Wall Street Journal…

Branding survey shows advocacy matters

Seven in 10 consumers think brands should advocate on environmental issues, according to a new survey by advertising agency Meyocks. Three-fourths of respondents also said they expect brands to provide value-added information from brands, like recipe ideas, storage directions or different ways to use the product. Read more at The Packer…