Which Nestle Products Are Still Available in Russia?

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Welcome to your weekly food & beverage report, where we cover everything you’ll need to know for the week ahead. This week, Nestle withdraws more brands from Russia after a possible cyber attack, Beyond Meat and PepsiCo offer a new plant-based jerky, and Chobani once again postpones its IPO.  

As the Russia/Ukraine conflict rages, cyber attacks are heating up around the world

Nestle (NSRGY), the world’s largest food group by market cap, has announced a fast-paced reduction in consumer brands it will offer in Russia, including Kit Kat and Nesquik. Pet foods, coffee, and confectionary offerings will also see a dramatic reduction compared to prewar volume, allowing Nestle to shift focus to “essential foods such as baby food and medical nutrition,” as the company stated to Fortune. 

• Data dump or more malicious?... The announcement comes after sensitive information about Nestle was published online; the hacker collective Anonymous has claimed responsibility, stating the cyber attack was a punishment for doing business in Russia. Nestle denies Anonymous’s claims, saying the affected data had been accidentally published by the company itself. 
• On the offensive… Anonymous published a list of companies it planned to target, giving them 48 hours to pull out of Russia. The group also claims that only a sample of the data they stole from Nestle has been published; that fraction includes information on over 50,000 Nestle business customers available for download. 

New offerings from familiar brands are hitting shelves to keep up with changing consumer trends

Out of this world… Coca-Cola (KO) has launched its new limited-edition “Starlight” drink; inspired by being one of the first carbonated beverages to be taste-tested by astronauts in orbit, the company wants to bring the taste of space back down to Earth. 

• Trying to impress… The brand is looking to “quench Gen Z’s thirst for discovery through a series of unexpected beverages and packaging designs, culturally relevant expressions, and creative collaborations.”
• Brand branches… Coca-Cola Starlight hit shelves on February 21, and represents the first limited-edition offering from Coca-Cola Creations, developed under the “Real Magic” brand platform launched in late 2021. 

Not-quite-beef jerky… In the company’s first shelf-stable food offering, Beyond Meat (BYND) has brought its new plant-based jerky to store shelves. The new product represents Beyond’s goal of shifting society away from eating animals in general, including meat-based snacks. 

• Plan(e)t-based partnership... In 2021, Beyond Meat joined forces with PepsiCo (PEP) in their Planet Partnership, a joint venture seeking “to develop, produce, and market innovative snack and beverage products made from plant-based protein.” Beyond Meat Jerky’s three varieties represent the first deliverable from the partnership. 
• Above and beyond… PepsiCo’s distribution is helping Beyond Meat Jerky reach more shelves; the partnership has been aggressively rolling out the new product, which will be available wherever traditional jerky can be found. This includes grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, etc. (and in three different pack sizes). 

While you’re here, check out the latest episode of our new podcast The Food Biz, streaming across all podcast platforms. If you have any feedback or input, reach out to us at news@barchart.com. We’d love to hear what you think!

Other stories…

• Not-so-new leadership… Chobani has hired its former president and CEO Kevin Burns to return to the position after the company saw a large recent exodus resulting from yet another IPO delay.
• The food-ture is now… Last month, The Spoon hosted SimulATE, the first-ever food meets Web3/NFT/Metaverse summit to explore the role food plays in the coming stages of technology. 
• Rick and Morty fans rejoice…  Szechuan sauce is back for a fourth time starting March 31 exclusively through the McDonald’s (MCD) App. 
• Sweet… Halo Top has officially launched better-for-you vegan sorbet pints with at least 50% less sugar than leading sorbet brands.  

That’s all we have for you this week, do you have anything for us? We’d love to hear from you with stories or recommendations for new sections to include! Drop us a line at news@barchart.com with any feedback or input.