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CPG News Roundup: October 19, 2026

Five stories are moving the CPG industry right now. Hain Celestial weighs bankruptcy. Hemp beverages face a November deadline. A Denver courtroom hosts a fight over Modelo. Whole Foods calls its 2027 trends. And Sprouts loses its first ever CTO. Here is what happened.

Hain Celestial Weighs a Chapter 11 Filing

Hain Celestial is considering a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Bloomberg reported on October 15. Shares fell more than 50 percent in New York trading that day.

The company had planned to sell its international business to private equity firm Aurelius for $323 million in cash. That deal required Hain and its lenders to amend the company's credit agreement by October 12. An SEC filing made October 15 says that condition was not satisfied. People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg a filing could come as soon as next month, though a final decision has not been reached.

President and CEO Alison Lewis began a portfolio review last year. Hain sold its North American snacks business to Snackruptors earlier this year. Its remaining brands include Celestial Seasonings, Earth's Best, The Greek Gods, Spectrum, MaraNatha, and Imagine. A spokesperson said the board and management continue to evaluate strategic and financial alternatives.

Sources: NOSH, Just Food

Hemp Beverage Industry Looks for a Federal Fix Before November

Hemp Beverage Alliance president and CEO Christopher Lackner told the NBWA conference last week that he is optimistic the hemp beverage category will prevail as a federally regulated category. He also warned that a miniature prohibition remains possible.

Congress enacted the federal restrictions on November 12, 2025 as part of the spending package that reopened the government. The law takes full effect one year from enactment. It caps finished products at 0.4 milligrams of total THC per package. Most hemp beverages sold at retail today exceed that limit.

Sources: BevNET, Saul Ewing

Coors Distributing and Constellation Argue in Denver Court

Arguments began last week in district court in Denver over Colorado's distributor termination dispute. Coors Distributing Company argued that Constellation's termination presents a substantial threat to its business. Constellation countered that the dispute is a classic money damages case.

CDC filed two suits in late September to block termination notices from Constellation Brands and Mark Anthony Group. Its filing says the company stands to lose distribution rights it has held for 30 years, including Modelo, Corona, and Pacifico. The case turns on Colorado's beer franchise law and whether a supplier can move brands to another wholesaler on 90 days notice. CDC alleges Mark Anthony Group has already selected Reyes as its replacement.

Sources: Brewbound, BusinessDen

Whole Foods Names Eight Trends for 2027

Whole Foods Market released its annual trends forecast on October 14. The report, built by the retailer's Trends Council, names eight food and beverage trends for 2027.

The list: Beautrition, foods with collagen and antioxidants marketed for skin health; Bitter Done Better, amari, bitter greens, and nonalcoholic aperitifs; The Yoshoku Effect, Japanese comfort foods like katsu and omurice moving into grocery aisles; Dish Reinvention, familiar dishes in new forms; Ingredient Minimalism, short ingredient lists and scrutiny of ultra processed foods; Terroir's New Territory, origin and provenance beyond wine; Zero Waste 2.0, upcycled and circular products; and The Bean Boom, beans as a center of plate protein.

Brands cited include Ghia, Rancho Gordo, Graza, Simple Mills, and Vital Proteins. Chief merchandising and marketing officer Sonya Gafsi Oblisk said the company plans to bring more innovation to shelves in the coming year.

Sources: BevNET, Whole Foods Market

Sprouts Farmers Market Loses Its First CTO

Sprouts Farmers Market chief technology officer Jim Bahrenburg resigned, according to an SEC filing. He was the first person to hold the role at the grocer. He will stay on as an advisor through March 31, 2027.

The departure is the first confirmed C-suite change since Sprouts announced its CEO succession plan. Chief operating officer Nick Konat becomes CEO on January 4, 2027, succeeding Jack Sinclair.

Sources: Grocery Dive

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Colin Nolan

Executive Vice President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc.

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Peter Iglesias

Chief Executive Officer, Bespoken Spirits

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Soley Van Lokeren

SVP, People

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“I have been in the field of human resources for over thirty years, in executive level roles both in-house and in outsourced positions. Michael Bitar is my favorite talent acquisition professional with which I have ever worked. He cares deeply about building a relationship with his clients, learning their business, culture, challenges, and truly understanding the needs of a role requisition. His approach is mirrored by the rest of the Protis team, who are courteous, thorough, and who make you feel like you are their only client. Protis successfully delivered hires for our Chief Commercial Officer role and for three key challenging roles (in both Marketing and Sales). They are simply – the best!”

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Brian Kuz

Chief Sales Officer

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“Protis is unique in their go-to-market strategy in that they not only find the right candidate for the role, but they find the right opportunity and company for the candidate. Protis Global looks for people who are ready to make a change...I will continue to recommend Protis Global as one of the best placement agencies in the World, as I have worked on every continent and have dealt with the big executive placement firms and the boutique ones. Protis shines above all, and as long as I am hiring, I will continue to go to Protis Global first, if not exclusively.”

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Chris Hall

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“Partnering with Protis Global has been a game-changer for poppi. They understood our vision and the unique challenges we faced as a rapidly growing brand. Their expertise in executive search helped us find the right leaders who not only fit our culture but also brought the skills and passion needed to drive accelerated growth. The Protis Global team actively took our feedback and adapted the search so that we could focus on what we do best – creating innovative, healthy beverages that our customers love. They’ve truly become an extension of our team, and we couldn’t imagine achieving our success without the team members they helped us to bring aboard.”

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Chad Palma

President of Sales, Spindrift

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“Michael Bitar and the Protis team have been such a pleasure to work with over the years. Not only do they do amazing work with recruiting but we have also developed a partnership between our two companies. Michael and his team provide a crucial role in reviewing my hiring needs at the beginning of each year. Once the review is complete, Michael begins searching for quality candidates that fit the role and culture for Spindrift. He and his team do an outstanding job of finding the right candidates for the position in need. I highly recommend Michael and the Protis team for your hiring needs.”

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John Sacksteder

President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc

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“From the start, the relationship with Protis Global was different than other recruiting firms.  The team had a deeper level of commitment and desire to learn about our business than I had experienced with other firms. Our company was experiencing a time of exponential growth and our staffing needs were complex. We needed very experienced people across every possible function in the Operation and Supply Chain Teams and we needed them in a hurry. The Protis Global Team mobilized quickly and established a methodology to identify strong candidates and work them through the interview process in a professional and timely manner. Their grit, determination, understanding our needs and culture, sense of urgency and drive to exceed our expectations set them apart from the pack.”

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Thomas Frisch

Chief People Officer at IJW Whiskey

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“The team worked quickly and efficiently to find a unique position.”

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Kim Nguyen

VP of Supply Chain at Lallemand

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“Everyone involved was extremely helpful - Gary, Michael, Ben - thank you!! The team didn't only search for candidates based on the job description, but also the qualities that I look for in candidates.” 

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Shashank Gaur

VP of Product Technology & Innovation

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“The interview process was smooth and extremely professional. Ben and team represented me as much as they represented the company.” 

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Don Stohrer Jr.

CEO, Arla Foods USA

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“We’ve been a Protis Global client for eight years, and during this time have always appreciated the thoroughness of the recruitment process, as the candidates brought to us have been well-vetted, not only from a competency perspective, but more importantly from a [cultural] fit dynamic. Mike and the team have always been highly engaged to ensure they bring us candidates that match our culture. That’s been critical to the success of the candidates that have landed here by way of our relationship with Protis.”

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Alaa Selim

VP of HR, Solaris Paper

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“Many thanks to the team, not only for identifying and placing excellent candidates but also for the Protis Global team’s professionalism and efficiency in the overall sourcing process. The platform you gave us access to and the candidate summary you provided were always on point and accurate. 

You made us feel you were part of the team.”

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