Dive Brief:
- Sonoma Brands launched the first brand under its incubator, chilled RTD soup line Züpa Noma.
- Canned soup's issues have been attributed tohigh salt content, processing, inconvenience, andBPA concerns. That's where Züpa Noma believes itcan be disruptive: by positioning soup as a drinkableliquid meal replacementthat can be consumed cold on the go without concerns about sodium or other additives.
- JonSebastiani, who also founded Krave jerky and later sold the brand to Hershey, founded Sonoma Brands at the beginning of this year. Sonoma Brandsmade its first investmentin March, coconut and onion chip maker Dang Foods.
Dive Insight:
Sebastiani told Food Dive he has a trajectory in mind for the new product that mirrors his previous venture—category disruption.
"We plan to haveZüpa Nomabe the soup category caption, similar to how Krave led the jerky renaissance," said Sebastiani. "Züpa Nomais set apart by being a truly better-for-you option."
Canned soup has waned in recent years, withconsumption declining 13% in the decade leading up to 2012, according to Euromonitor. Sales wereflat or picked upin the following years, andgrew 4% to $5 billion last year, Euromonitor found. But major canned soup manufacturers like Campbell continue to struggle, with the company reportinga 5% decrease in U.S. canned soup salesin the most recent quarter.
General Mills' 301 Inc. also sees potential in this category, havingled an investment roundinchilled, RTD vegetable soup startup Tio Gazpacho in March.
Another significant difference here is that Sonoma Brands hasn't just invested in a promising startup. This launch further demonstrates how integral incubators have become, and will continue to be, in the fast-paced evolution of the food system. Incubators play a key role in the growth of startups that will pose challenges to major food manufacturers.
