(Editor's Note: This bereavement notice was written by the team at Califia Farms on March 15, 2021.)

It is with a heavy heart we share the news of the passing of our company’s founder, Greg Steltenpohl. He built the Califia Farms brand from the ground up with a passion for nourishing people and the planet. Greg touched so many lives on his plant-fueled journey to make the world a healthier place. He will be profoundly missed. We tip our hats to our visionary founder. 

Nestlé Japan has launched a range of Nescafé lattes crafted with plant-based ingredients, meeting the rapidly growing interest in plant-based food in Japan.

This month, many fitness enthusiasts are setting new wellness goals and adopting a more flexitarian diet. Silk, America’s No. 1 plant-based beverage brand, is here to help with Silk ULTRA, a NEW protein beverage with 20 grams of complete plant-based protein for muscle maintenance and repair.

Banana Wave is the only vegan-friendly, alternative milk of its kind to deliver the health benefits of real, whole bananas, fiber-rich oat milk and vitamins like B-12 in a delicious formula. Fat-free, gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified and 100% natural, Banana Wave offers four products, including Original, Chocolate, Strawberry and a recently launched Mango flavor, all made with whole fruits. Each features a naturally sweet and creamy consistency – thanks to a base of whole, ripe bananas – and can be consumed on its own, or in smoothies, coffee, oatmeal, banana bread and other food recipes.

Lavva, the plant-based foods brand known for its rich Pili nut yogurt, is expanding into the milk alternative industry, which is expected to reach $21.52 billion by 2024. The Lavva Plant Milks will launch nationwide exclusively at Whole Foods Market in September 2020, with Plant Creamer following shortly thereafter in October. As the category's first Pili nut-based line, Lavva's new Unsweetened Plant Milk, Chocolate Plant Milk and Unsweetened Plant Creamer are a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to dairy and set a higher standard for plant-based alternatives.

Elmhurst 1925, maker of plant-based beverages, has expanded retail distribution of its Unsweetened Milked Almonds, Unsweetened Milked Oats and Unsweetened Milked Cashews. The three varieties can now be found in 1,855 new select Kroger banners across the U.S. including Ralphs, Roundy’s, King Soopers, Fred Meyer, Smith’s Food and Drug, QFC and Fry’s Food Stores, for a total of 5,732 new points of distribution.