Business Bites: Campbell’s Goldfish gets a gourmet twist as ‘Chilean Sea Bass’

I’m relatively certain that The Campbell’s Co., known for its nostalgic snacks for kids, is trolling us adults with its playful temporary rebranding of Goldfish crackers to “Chilean Sea Bass.” And yet the brand claims this change aims to appeal to an older demographic — even though it also claims we adults already make up a whopping half of the consumer base for this product.

Meanwhile, Milo’s Poultry Farms has successfully concluded a widespread egg recall due to a salmonella outbreak, and all affected products should now be off shelves. In the realm of food innovation, Finnish brand KING Konjac is making waves at SIAL Paris with its Zero-Carb Sushi Base, made with konjac. At least the brand worked with a pair Japanese sushi chefs and uses only traditional ingredients (aside from the konjac, I suppose), which may alleviate concerns about cultural appropriation.

All that and more in this week’s Business Bites.

After 62 years, Goldfish changes name

The Campbell’s Co., formerly Campbell Soup Co., is experimenting with another name change, this time for its $1-billion Goldfish brand. The new name is “Chilean Sea Bass,” and no, you are not getting pranked.

This temporary switch represents a humorous appeal to adult consumers, specifically the demographic of adults who enjoy pretending to be fancy while continuing to eat snack food, of which I am one.

Related:What’s hot at SupplySide West 2024 – digital magazine

This initiative, like dropping the “Soup,” follows the brand’s recent trend of introducing more adult-oriented flavors and formats to diversify beyond traditional products. Although the formulation of the product hasn’t changed (that we know of), these ongoing rebrands could hint at bigger changes on the horizon for the food giant. Or perhaps it’s simply a marketing ploy. Either way, it seems to be working, as the new Goldfish — excuse me, Chilean Sea Bass — immediately sold out online.

FDA, CDC announce the end of an outbreak for once

Milo’s Poultry Farms, based in Bonduel, Wisconsin, has concluded a voluntary recall of all its egg products due to a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak. The recall encompassed all types of eggs, even duck eggs, across all sizes and expiration dates under various labels, including one called Happy Quackers Farm. Somehow, no jokes spring to mind.

The recalled products were distributed in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, primarily to food service locations and retailers, and the outbreak, declared over by the CDC on Oct. 17, resulted in 93 reported illnesses, 34 hospitalizations and, thankfully, zero deaths. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the recent outbreak of E. coli at McDonald’s stores across the nation, which appears to be linked to tainted yellow onions, according to an updated FDA advisory. FDA, CDC and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are still investigating.

Related:Starving tomorrow: GMOs can save the world. Is humanity willing to pay the price?

Regardless of the status of the outbreak, this news certainly puts me in the mood for egg alternatives, which are improving in quality and availability every day. Here is some of our recent coverage of alt-egg proteins.

Zero-carb sushi bites win innovation award at SIAL

Have you ever wanted to invent a sushi product without rice? Well, you can’t. That already exists; it’s called sashimi. But have you ever wanted to develop a sushi product with rice without rice? Then we’ve found the ingredient for you.

At SIAL, the famous food show held this month in Paris, Finnish brand KING Konjac, whose website features sushi soaring through the clouds like a flock of birds, just won an innovation award for its Zero-Carb Sushi Base. These bite-sized patties feature rice made from konjac, a root vegetable with a long history in Asian cuisine and medicine. It also boasts a six-month shelf life — at room temperature.

“We use overheated steam, which has the special advantage that it takes care of the … microbes, if there [are] any, in the product,” founder Sami Gaufinn told Food Ingredients First. “Now, after our trial period, we have come to the conclusion that we use only authentic Japanese ingredients ... because there [are] zero carbs in the product, we cannot use sugar for sweetening; therefore, there is a small [amount], like a pinch, of stevia.”

Related:Food and beverage 101  - Video

Innovative new plant-based beverages hit the market

WholeMoon, an up-and-coming alternative dairy brand, has launched an innovative new line of plant-based beverages that reportedly stand out for their rich flavor and creamy texture, derived from a unique process of blending whole, roasted ingredients such as almonds, oats, pistachios and soybeans. Like other plant-based dairy options, this approach reduces waste compared to traditional methods, but the most impressive part is that WholeMoon’s products offer comparable nutritional value to dairy by providing a complete protein profile with all nine essential amino acids.

SupplySide launches new educational program, SupplySide Fresh

Informa Markets’ SupplySide Group, in partnership with Sonoran University of Health Sciences, has launched a groundbreaking educational initiative: SupplySide Fresh, which accelerates the onboarding process for new professionals in the nutrition industry. This first-of-its-kind program combines online educational sessions with virtual and in-person networking opportunities through two distinct courses: SupplySide Fresh Supplements and SupplySide Fresh Food & Beverage. Topics include laws and regulations, strategic partnerships, business management and more, along with resources such as downloadable templates and definitions for common industry acronyms.

The column is taking off next week because of SupplySide West this week. See you on Nov. 11!