5 things: Did Beyond Meat beef up its protein claims?

Beyond meat in hot water? A series of class-action lawsuits alleging deceptive practices by Beyond Meat will be heard as one case in Chicago, a court ruled last week. The suits allege Beyond Meat Inc. has been overstating the protein content in its foods as well as misleading consumers about the nutritional benefits, compared to traditional meat products. It’s another notch in a not great-trend for Beyond, which saw its stock dip nearly 70% in September. And it may be part of a larger downward trend for plant-based meat, generally. A recent Bloomberg News feature also called plant-based meat alternatives “a flop,” quoting an analyst as saying regular meat-eating consumers are “just not that into it.” —Chloe Riley

Grocery matchmaking: Love at the grocery store? NPR’s Fiona Geiran chronicles her reasons why grocery stores are the ideal place for the perfect date. “When we met, I had never been to Whole Foods and my girlfriend had never been to Wegmans, so we’d blindly debated about which one was better…The day we went to Wegmans, their forest of a plant section took over the sidewalk and almost spilt into the street. I knew I was about to win.” Love at first shopping cart. —CR

Kroger plays ball: Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. has agreed to be among the first corporate sponsors to have its logo appear on a Major League Baseball team uniform — the Cincinnati Reds, of course — and it appears to be the first supermarket company to embrace this new marketing vehicle. “Kroger and the Cincinnati Reds are the perfect pair,” said Ann Reed, president, Cincinnati-Dayton division, Kroger, in a statement provided to SN. “We look forward to seeing the patches on jerseys worn by both professional players and Reds fans alike.” Asked to verify the reported $5 million annual cost, a spokeswoman for Kroger told SN the company is not disclosing the sponsorship amount, but that figure “is inaccurate.” —Mark Hamstra

The look of love: Valentine Day’s still holds a special place in the hearts of humans (and shoppers). Ninety-two percent of Americans plan to celebrate the February 14 holiday with chocolate and candy, and 93% say they would like a gift of chocolate and candy, reports the Washington, D.C.-based National Confectioners Association (NCA). In addition, the NCA is projecting a 5% growth in confectionery sales for the 2023 V-Day season, which typically accounts for about $4 billion in revenue. Helping to spur the greater activity is ongoing product innovation resulting in a wide variety of options within store shelves, checkout lines, and online shopping carts, the NCA said. Sweets for the sweet! —Richard Mitchell  

Marty the robot escapes! Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant Food Stores has had its robotic assistant “Marty” in stores since 2019, largely helping to identify hazards like spills. Marty is an in-store experience…until the other day when he wasn’t. A Pennsylvania grocery shopper posted a video showing Marty on the loose in a store parking lot before employees corralled him back inside. The viral video has nearly half a million views on Facebook with comments like, “Be free Marty, be free,” and “I love Marty more than ever now.” A spokesperson for Giant says Marty “was just on a fresh air break.” Be FREE MARTY! —CR