Big dairy co Borden, burdened by high debt load, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sun after months-long effort at renegotiation with lenders fell thru. Dallas-based co employs 3,300 and reported $1.18 bil in sales in 2018, per multiple reports. "The biggest cause, if you dial it back, is a circumstance where we have debt that is inappropriately sized for the company," ceo Tony Sarsam told NY Times. Borden move follows in wake of dairy leader Dean Foods, which moved to prepackaged bankruptcy protection last fall. Both have suffered from declining milk consumption trends as moms steer their kids to water and plant-based alternatives make steady inroads, even as raw milk costs rise.

Aggressive push by likes of Walmart and Target to purvey natural and organic foods is continuing to put pressure on indie stores that pioneered segment. Latest casualty is Philadelphia's decade-old Green Aisle Grocery, which might have been expected to be on itineraries of visitors to relocated Expo East this fall but instead is closing doors of both stores on Jan 31. Cause is a familiar one: move by mass retailers to dial up their natural and specialty offerings has reduced need for shoppers to make trip to specialized store. "So much has changed about the retail world of local, organic and gourmet foods in the last decade," brothers Adam and Andrew Erace, who co-owned stores (and are Food Network co-hosts), wrote in statement cited by Philadelphia Inquirer. "When we started, agave nectar was considered a specialty ingredient and Walmart grass-fed beef didn't exist. The increased availability of this kind of food is a very good thing, and we like to think we played a very small role in that, but it's also made it harder to sustain our tiny shops in the face of well-funded corporate competition. This is especially apparent at our Grays Ferry Avenue location, where we now exist between a Giant and an Amazon depot." Similar dynamic is believed to have been behind abrupt closing this past fall of Chicago's beloved Pastoral cheese & charcuterie chain, in highly competitive metro where conventional rivals have similarly upped their game . . . Influential NY retailer Fairway Market seems set to file for Chapter 11 protection for 2d time in 3 years, NY Post reports, as 14-unit chain continues to grapple with residue of overexpansion by private-equity partner Sterling Investment, which took it public and accrued $300 mil in debt as it envisioned opening 300 stores nationally. But even initial store additions in nearby suburbs like Long Island and NJ have struggled and plan was long since aborted. NY Post said execs from grocery chain ShopRite have toured flagship store on Upper West Side with eye on valuable real estate, suggesting liquidation of storied chain could be possible outcome. After coupla ownership changes, retailer is currently in hands of Brigade Capital Mgmt and Goldman Sachs Group.

Coca-Cola's unusually well-traveled vet Jeremy Faa, who's worked in Asia, Latin America and US, is seguing to Fairlife as svp/coo effective Feb 1, per internal memo from Coca-Cola North America prexy Jim Dinkins that was shared with us. In new role, he'll handle broad array of responsibilities including "marketing, sales, commercial and international expansion," while also stepping up to role on CCNA executive leadership team. As reported, KO recently took total ownership of Fairlife, while promising to allow it to operate independently out of its Chicago base under incumbent ceo Tim Doelman (BBI, Jan 3). Faa most recently has served as global head of juice, plant-based and dairy bevs, after job ensconced at VEB incubation unit as svp/gm of craft bevs. As Dinkins noted, Jeremy has also served as gm in 20+ countries across Latin America/Caribbean, served as cfo/strategy dir for Asia Pacific Group and led operations in Indonesia, among other postings . . . New Age Beverages has added investment pro Alicia Syrett to its board, with plans for her to stand for formal election at annual meeting in May. Syrett was managing dir at Mount Kellett investment firm that was acquired by Fortress Investment Group. But NBEV ceo Brent Willis highlighted her skills as author and media personality too, saying it "will be a tremendous asset to our board as we work to improve our media approach, strengthen our brand and improve our story for investors."

Don't count Starbucks as a laggard in plantmilks: after all, it was a pioneer 15 years ago in offering soymilk lattes, Seattle megaroaster notes in announcing raft of new plant-based additions to its in-store lineup. It added coconutmilk in 2015 and almondmilk in 2016. Now it's going into overdrive, offering slate of new items, including first based on oatmilk. The oatmilk is getting limited release in 1,300 Midwestern stores, in form of creamer option and crafted Oatmilk Honey Latte based on Starbucks Blonde Espresso infused with honey blend and carrying honey topping. Recall that oatmilk got its start in Sweden via Oatly brand and, as SBUX notes, ingredient has been available in its European stores for 2 years now, as well as in US Reserve stores for almost a year. More broadly available are Almondmilk Honey Flat White and Coconutmilk Latte, both also built upon Blonde Espresso as base . . . Danone's Silk plant-based bev brand is looking to get consumers' brain health off to good start in new year with addition of DHA omega-3 made from oatmilk, almondmilk and pea protein blend. Offered in 64-oz gabletop cartons, new entry debuts in Original and Unsweetened Vanilla flavors boasting 32 mg of DHA Omega-3's per serving as well as 6 g of pea protein. SRP is $3.99 . . . Orgain is continuing with initiative to bring young shoppers more stripped-down offerings, ingredient-wise, with launch at Costco of Simple Organic Plant Based Protein Powder, launching in Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup flavor. Ingredient bill includes almonds, peanuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and golden peas but no fillers, binders, preservatives, or artificial colors or flavors. It delivers 20 g of plant-based protein and 4 g of organic fiber.

The yogurt marketers at Danone recently promised to get more in consumers' faces in the new year (BBI, Dec 13). TV viewers got a first taste of promised edgier strategy this week as Oikos Greek-yogurt brand recruited country's god of war, who like many celebs goes by single name of Ares, to help move creative team in less conventional direction. "What if we attack the enemy with a hail of fire and brimstone?" Ares, dressed in full armor, suggests in heavily accented English at brainstorming meeting in conference room. Fellow marketer offers a gentle refinement: "Or we could do a hail of coupons." "I can assure you, Gina, the enemy does not fear coupons," wild-eyed god responds. "Well, there are no bad ideas," Gina says. "Except coupons," Ares says, noshing on cup of Oikos. Campaign was created and produced by WPP agency VMLY&R and directed by Bryan Buckley. As we noted, new direction is being fostered by Pedro Silveira, 10-year Danone vet who was assigned US yogurt biz last May, and Greek-born former Mountain Dew marketer Manos Spanos, who joined Danone last Mar and was elevated to svp/cmo in Oct. Ads can be viewed here.

Pierre Corp, which is aiming at broad range of cannabis segments, has landed "equity line" via deal with Tiger Trout Capital LLC that gives Pierre the right but not obligation to sell Tiger up to $2.5 mil in common shares over next 2 years, as it aims to have broad range of products available at wholesale, retail and DTC platform this quarter. So far, Pierre has launched pre-rolls, flowers and unflavored CBD-infused sparkling mineral waters in 350-ml slim cans and 750-ml glass bottles, with plans to add pens, edibles and "mixers" in flavors like Berry and Grapefruit. It began trading last May under PIRE symbol after initial $7 mil equity raise, with operations that span at 10K-sq-ft growing facility, 5K-sq-ft processing and manufacturing plant, LA dispensary, and active product development program. It's based in West Hollywood, Calif.

A Cajun Life marketer Our Life Foods has acquired Louisiana-based Swamp Pop, a regional brand named for mashup music style that by now has expanded throughout US, retailer newsletter Shelby Report has reported. Newsletter quoted Our Life Foods owner/ceo Chris Fontenot saying that, "while we currently offer authentically Cajun rubs, seasonings and meals, we are beyond excited to expand that offering into the beverage category. With natural flavorings, as well as authentic Cajun roots, Swamp Pop is a natural addition to our Cajun line." Swamp Pop brand is named for music genre that grew out of South Louisiana in 1950s as mixture of R&B, country and Cajun music. It goes out in 12-oz bottles at SRP of $1.99 in Filé Root Beer, Jean Lafitte Ginger Ale, Noble Cane Cola, Ponchatoula Pop Rouge, Praline Cream Soda and Satsuma Fizz flavors. Tho now based in Louisiana, A Cajun Life originated as food cart in Damascus, Oregon, that expanded to 4 restaurant locations before entering CPG biz. Swamp Pop cofounder Collin Cormier himself started with lunchtime food truck whose customers brought home to him and Swamp Pop cofounder John Petersen the appeal of cane-sugared sodas, in region that's key grower of sugarcane, per website at DrinkSwampPop.com. Line is highly sweetened, with 46 g of sugar per bottle, for 180 calories . . . Houston-based Sunny Sky Products has acquired dispensed bev mfr Amfotek. Sunny Sky prexy/ceo W Ashley Edens said Amfotek's 101K-sq-ft production plant in Tinley Park, outside Chicago, adds Midwest mfg base that should help reduce transportation costs. Both cos make powdered bevs for c-store and foodservice customers in segments like hot chocolate, cappuccino, smoothies, teas and lemonades.

Dry January? Not for financing of alcohol alternatives, apparently. Chicago-based Ritual Zero Proof said it's received investment of unspecified magnitude from Diageo's Distill Ventures venture arm that will enable distilled spirits alternative to cultivate retail beyond Windy City for first time. Ritual was founded by author Marcus Sakey, natural foods entrepreneur David Crooch and ad vet GG Sakey as first spirits-alternative that's distilled in US. It launched last Sep with gin alternative and whiskey alternative that were deemed the first able "to echo the taste, smell and burn of a spirit," as Marcus put it, and claims to have sold out in 5 weeks what had been planned as 6 months' worth of inventory. It follows in wake of brands like UK's Seedlip that Diageo was early to take notice of via minority investment that's since grown to majority control. Heidi Dillon Otto, who serves as portfolio dir & non-alcoholic lead for Distill Ventures North America, took a victory lap on that score, saying today, "We are thrilled to welcome Ritual Zero Proof and its seasoned team of drink entrepreneurs into the Distill Ventures portfolio as we build the future of non-alcoholic drinks, a category we have proudly supported since our investment in Seedlip back in 2015." By now Distill Ventures has invested in over 15 brands on both alc and non-alc sides, including Danish whiskey Stauning, Australian whiskey Starward and German aperitif Belsazar, wholly acquired by Diageo in 2018.