The Ingredient List – #1
What has the CPG food & beverage industry been cooking up lately? Here’s some recent news we’ve been chewing on.
From Black Friday 2025 to massive nationwide cheese recalls to a new limited-time Sweetgreen salad that “boasts” 106g of protein (yes, you read that right), there’s been a lot to keep track of lately.
Here are a few of the best things we’ve recently found…
Black Friday was huge.
No, it really was. This year set spending records globally, with $11.8 billion spent in the U.S. alone.
This was partly driven by AI agents helping shoppers find the best deals online, which is a Black Friday first. In the US, ecom spending showed at a 9.1% YOY increase while overall sales grew 4.1%.
Buy now, pay later purchases went up by 8.9%, representing a lot of payments to be made at a later date by cash-strapped consumers.
Some of these increases may be due to inflation, as our growing K-shaped economy continues to diverge between shopper income levels.
Old Bay returns to tin
Old Bay Seasoning is going back to its original tin packaging, so it will no longer be packaged in plastic. Too bad for the vintage Old Bay tin industry…
To celebrate (and promote) this switch, they’re running a sweepstakes to win Baltimore Ravens tickets. Maryland football fans, rejoice!
Lil Bucks’ new look
Check out their new packaging on Instagram. The new design was done by Buddy Buddy, a full-service design agency based in Minneapolis.
Read more about the rebrand effort at The Dieline and you can find Lil Bucks’ products onshelf in a store near you.
Jovial Foods’ rebrand
Speaking of new looks — Jovial Foods’ most recent rebrand increased their sales by 27% YOY, according to Designalytics.
The redesign was handled by the brand agency Truly Creative based in Petaluma, CA.
Shredded cheese recall
Great Lakes Cheese has issued a recall for a number of shredded cheese products that potentially contain metal fragments (!!!).
This affects over 45 brands, including private label items from H-E-B, Walmart, Aldi, Sprouts, Albertson’s, and Publix. See the full list of recalled shredded cheese products.
Pecorino Romano recall
In a second nationwide cheese recall, Pecorino Romano cheese manufactured by the Ambriola Company has been recalled due to potential Listeria contamination.
Affected brands include Boar’s Head, Member’s Mark, Locatelli & others sold at retailers including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Wegman’s, Sprouts, and Kroger.
Drone delivery in Atlanta
Some happier retailer news! If you live in metro Atlanta, you can soon have drone deliveries right to your door from your local Walmart.
The retailer has partnered with drone delivery company Wing to build out this new program. To check availability by street address and join the waitlist, visit Wing’s website.
Black Creek rebrand
Black Creek Cheddar has rolled out a new look intended to highlight their Wisconsin roots and modernize shelf presence. Black Creek is owned by Saputo USA, an American arm of the large Canadian cheesemaker.
Crafted by Chase Design Group, the new look is Black Creek’s first-ever rebrand.
BevNET’s Best of 2025
Don’t miss this annual roundup of who’s who in the beverage industry. While some of the winners aren’t surprising (hello there, Poppi) there’s a lot to see that’s worth the look.
We’re big fans of All Dia’s packaging and have been dying to try Halfday’s 1/2 & 1/2 since we first saw it. (Who doesn’t love a good probiotic Arnold Palmer?)
See the full list of 2025 nominees here.
Sweetgreen X protein
Looking for an absolute protein bomb? Sweetgreen’s new PowerMax Protein Bowl will get it done. With 106g protein & 60g fat, this 1120 calorie entree contains at least twice as much more protein than the human body can absorb at one time.
Want to give it a try anyway? Then don’t let this guy dissuade you.
