A panel of expert culinary judges, public vote, and artisan opinions decided the outcome of the competition.

Friendly’s Ice Cream, LLC announced that it has finalized the sale of its Retail Ice Cream and Manufacturing business from an affiliate of Friendly’s Ice Cream, LLC to Dallas, Texas-based Dean Foods Company, a leading food and beverage company and the largest processor and direct-to-store distributor of fresh fluid milk and other dairy and dairy case products in the United States, for the amount of $155 million in cash.

L.A. Aloe LLC, makers of a fast-growing line of certified organic aloe water beverages called Aloe Gloe, announced an investment from the Venturing & Emerging Brands (VEB) unit of The Coca-Cola Company.

Harmening will be responsible for all company operations including U.S. Retail, International, Convenience Stores and Foodservice segments, Sales and Channel Development, as well as Global Supply Chain, and Innovation, Technology and Quality functions.

Johnson also served as Chairman of the Campbell Board of Directors from 1993 until 1999.

Ganeden announced its first-ever Innovation Jumpstart program, which encouraged the development of new probiotic food and beverage ideas. Submissions flooded in during the three month entry time, and after extensive deliberation three finalists have been selected.

The Research Chefs Association has selected SmithBucklin, an association management and services company, to provide full-service association management. RCA’s headquarters will move to Chicago in mid-August.

The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), a nonprofit that brings together workers, growers and retailers in the effort to produce safer, more responsibly grown fruits and vegetables, announced that the GoodFarms brand will debut its craft blueberries, craft strawberries and organic strawberries from EFI-certified farms at Costco locations on the West Coast, Northeast and in Hawaii.

Yummy Spoonfuls®, the maker of frozen organic baby and toddler food made from simple and fresh ingredients, announced the national expansion of its product line to deliver on its vision of redefining healthy eating for a new generation, available in nearly all Target stores nationwide.

Tapping into the rapidly expanding in-store bakery category, Hostess Brands has completed its acquisition of Superior Cake Products, Inc., a Massachusetts-based in-store bakery company. This is the company’s first acquisition since the Hostess brand returned to the market under new ownership in 2013.