California Custom Fruits & Flavors (CCFF) has acquired the Custom Nutritional Ingredients (CNI) division of Skjodt-Barrett Foods, adding a four-decade-old manufacturer of better-for-you bar layers, fillings, bindings, toppings, and icings to its specialty ingredients portfolio. CNI will continue operating under the Skjodt-Barrett Foods tradename as a division of CCFF.
Why Operators Should Care
For foodservice buyers and QSR development teams, the deal signals a meaningful shift in who controls a key segment of the custom nutritional ingredients supply chain. CCFF CEO Doug Glade noted the company already supplies several of the top quick-service restaurant chains in North America, and the combined operation is positioned to accelerate custom menu-item development for those accounts. Better-for-you snack components — protein bars, layered formats, enrobed fillings — have become a growing fixture on QSR and fast-casual menus, and consolidated supplier capacity can translate directly into shorter development cycles and greater formulation flexibility for operators sourcing at scale.
The Acquisition Rationale
Founded in 1986, CCFF develops custom-formulated specialty ingredients for brands, retailers, and co-manufacturers across multiple food channels. CNI, which traces its roots to 1985, built its reputation supplying premier foodservice operators and contract manufacturers with technically complex inclusions. Glade described Skjodt-Barrett CNI's dedication to customer outcomes as the central strategic fit, pointing to expanded flexibility, capacity, and capabilities as the primary near-term benefit. Guy Burton, President of Skjodt-Barrett CNI, framed the combination as an accelerant for growth across customers, suppliers, and employees alike. CCFF is backed by Peak Rock Capital, a middle-market private investment firm, whose Managing Director Michael Graham called the transaction "transformative" for CCFF's growth trajectory.
What Comes Next
CCFF has signaled it intends to pursue additional acquisitions to strengthen its value-added ingredient capabilities — a pattern consistent with the broader consolidation underway in specialty foodservice ingredient supply. For operators evaluating their ingredient supplier relationships, the combined entity represents a single-source option for a wider range of nutritional formats, which could simplify procurement and co-development workflows. Industry observers watching the better-for-you segment will note that this deal positions CCFF to serve both the branded CPG side and the foodservice channel simultaneously, a dual-channel capability that is increasingly valuable as the lines between retail and restaurant product development continue to blur.
For broader coverage of M&A and supply chain developments shaping the foodservice industry, Food & Beverage Magazine tracks ingredient and flavor sector deals as they emerge.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
