CPG Giants Pledge to Remove Food Dyes

Over the past few weeks, CPG giants have pledged their support in removing select artificial food dyes in an apparent bid to align their practices with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and …

EY: CPG Brand Relevance Faces ‘Negative Drift’

Legacy CPGs are losing consumer relevance to agile upstarts – but AI, innovation, and a shift to “disruptive optimism” offer hope. EY’s latest report calls on brands to earn loyalty daily or drift into obscurity.

Foodservice Focus: Consumers Can’t Get Enough of Texas Roadhouse, Chick-fil-A

Legacy chains like Chick-fil-A are seeing customer satisfaction scores hold even as growth slows, opening doors for challenger QSRs. Meanwhile, full-service dining has largely stumbled amid rising prices.

Baby Boomers: A Restaurant’s Reliable Friend

Baby Boomers offer restaurants a loyal customer who tends to be more resilient compared to younger cohorts. Contrary to popular belief, data suggests that this cohort is excited by innovative dishes, particularly those that invoke nostalgia, comfort, or function.

As Importers Race the Clock, Cargo Surges

Retailers are bracing for a summer cargo surge, but tariffs and cautious consumer spending may temper volume. With air freight disrupting traditional shipping channels, supply chains are scrambling to adapt before the holiday rush hits full speed.

Feeling Peachy: Summer Darling Leads Beverage Innovation

Peach-enhanced menu items are growing in popularity, now on 19.8% of foodservice menus, according to one report. The fruit has found its stride in beverage innovation, with legacy brands experimenting with the flavor.

Economic Strain: Food Bill Gets Unruly

Despite wage gains, food inflation continues to outpace earnings, leaving consumers increasingly anxious about grocery costs. Meanwhile, new tariffs threaten to disrupt the food industry, with stakeholders bracing for volatile pricing and potential shifts in shopper loyalty.

Tiny Tastemakers: Gen Alpha Dubbed ‘The Foodie Generation’

Gen Alpha’s distinct food and beverage preferences, coupled with its astonishing $5.5 trillion global market share by 2029, shape it up to drive a sustained impact on the food and beverage industry. Learn about why some are calling them “the foodie generation.”

Father’s Day Spending to Reach Record-breaking $24 Billion

With Father’s Day spending projected to hit new heights, consumers are looking past the uncertain state of the economy to celebrate with their loved ones. Analysis of industry reports suggests that food and beverage industry experiences will take center stage during the holiday.

BMO 2025: Plant-Based Folds into Macro Environment

At the recent 2025 BMO Farm to Market Conference, consumer interest in personal wellness created plant-based tailwinds. Kroger, SunOpta, and Remedy Organics were among businesses weighing in on the future of the sector.

Food Dye Update: Natural Dyes Approved, Industry Responds

The FDA recently announced that three additional natural dyes have been approved for use in food and beverage products. While some stakeholders are quick to change their formulations, others are hesitant.

Global Plant-Based Sales Reach $28.6 Billion

In 2024, global plant-based retail sales reached $28.6 billion thanks to accelerated interest in meat analogs in Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. Domestically, although sales stagnated in 2024, there are many indicators that it will soon rebound.

7-Eleven, Live Nation Partnership Exemplifies Experiential Marketing

7-Eleven is redefining experiential marketing by embedding its brand into live music culture as it works to appeal to to younger consumers.

Food Delivery Showdown: Mergers, Acquisitions, Repositions

Food delivery giants like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, and Grubhub are making bold strategic moves – from acquisitions to service diversification – to capture both consumer loyalty and merchant partnerships. As competition heats up, these platforms are doubling down on technology, international expansion, and grocery delivery integration.

NGA Takes Aim at Proposed SNAP Cuts, Industry Concerned

The National Grocers Association recently led efforts to urge Congress to reject a proposal that will slash SNAP funding by 20%.

Industry Shaken: Indie Cafés Outbrew the Big Guys

Independent cafés and mid-sized coffee chains are chipping away at the dominance of Starbucks and Dunkin’, leveraging bold menu experimentation to capture customers. Challenger brands are expanding aggressively, too.

Yogurt Is Having a Moment

Recent moves in the yogurt segment from CPG giants signal a strong category foundation heading into an uncertain economic future—a white horse amid other stagnating retail categories. Danone, for example, beat out analyst expectations with its Q1 sales.

HHS Plans to Remove Synthetic Food Dyes, Industry Responds

Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA took to the stage to outline a plan to phase out eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes as well as take steps to improve the American food supply. The announcement was met with a less-than-enthusiastic industry response.

Retailers, Manufacturers Struggle to Brace for Tariffs

Despite the 90-day pause on many of the reciprocal tariffs impacting the F&B industry, retailers and manufacturers are feeling anything but calm. National Retail Federation data suggests the sector has adopted a conservative approach to the next quarter, with many retailers relying on built-up inventory.

Grubhub Resuscitates Seamless, Bets Big on NYC

Grubhub recently announced it is bringing Seamless back as a standalone brand specifically for the NYC community. The strategy endeavors to target the market as part of the “next chapter” in its partnership with Wonder.

Airlines Look to F&B to Up Their Customer Experience

If you’ve flown in the past few years, you’ve likely run into a poor customer experience on an airline: albeit from overworked staff trying their best, delayed and canceled flights, more turbulence, and smaller seats. …

‘Status Quo’ Wont Cut It: Private Label Market Share Threatened

The battle between private label and name brands has taken a new form as analysts portend a stagnating global own brand market. The path ahead relies on innovation and retail portfolio synergy, NIQ noted.

The Billion (Family) Dollar Question: What Happened to Dollar Stores?

After purchasing discount retailer Family Dollar for roughly $9 billion in 2015, Dollar Tree admitted defeat in a recent sale earlier this month that valued the banner at only $1 billion. Is this a signal …

Salad Chains Diversify As ‘Peak Salad’ Looms

As better-for-you salad chains stagnate, they take on novel growth strategies to complement ambitious expansion strategies. Sweetgreen and Just Salad are two major chains endeavoring to take on new consumer need states.

Plant-Based Braves the Sales Slump

The plant-based food industry may have found a way through its stagnation. A recent report found consumers increased their plant-based purchases throughout 2024, a signal of a healthy year ahead. Nutpods CMO Patrick Coyle recommended brands in the sector strike the right balance between “value” and “values.”

FDA Delays Food Traceability Rule, Industry Rejoices

The FDA recently delayed the compliance date for a fiercely debated section of the Food Safety Modernization Act which requires additional record-keeping requirements for “high-risk” foods. Overall, the industry is pleased with the decision.

Athletic Brewing, AB InBev Wage Battle of the Brews

A recent report from NCS Solutions shows that nearly 50% of Americans are trying to reduce their alcohol consumption in 2025, with Gen Z leading the movement. Bill Shufelt, CEO of Athletic Brewing Company, highlighted the rapid growth of the non-alcoholic sector, driven by health-conscious trends, at the recent UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference.

Wendy’s Growth Playbook Leans on Careful Innovation

Wendy’s has set aspirational financial goals for the next few years and is leveraging innovative practices to achieve them. Capitalizing on various dayparts with compelling value propositions and tapping collaborations are key tools the brand is using to achieve a new era of growth.

Future of Global Flavors: Carving Out Your Niche, Finding Community

At Natural Products Expo West, panelists noted the need for brands to showcase premium quality when offering products featuring global flavors. Industry experts also said brands must offer authentic yet accessible global cuisine.

3 Key Takeaways From Natural Products Expo West

This week, Natural Products Expo West 2025 showcased trends in the natural and organic sectors from nearly 3,200 exhibitors. The show especially highlighted the impact of GLP-1 drugs on snacking habits.

Coffee for Kids? Kiid Coffee Endeavors to Disrupt Children’s Nutrition

New to the scene, Kiid Coffee is a better-for-you children’s nutrition brand that packs vitamins into a coffee beverage. Its founders will appear on Shark Tank on March 7.

Price: The Elusive Enemy of Food Delivery

Food delivery shoppers are becoming more price sensitive, indicating that platforms will have to get creative to ensure profits. One key growth lever for companies in 2025 is reinforcing their commitments to grocery, the often-overlooked food delivery service next to restaurants.

Walmart Partnership Pushes Fresh Produce Limits

Walmart is partnering with India-based agritech company GreenPod Labs to clean up its supply chain: the tech innovation endeavors to minimize produce spoilage during transportation.

Black History Month: Celebrating Black-Owned Businesses, Industry Advice

February is Black History Month, and industry insiders say it serves as a reminder that there remains a persistent need for industry collaboration to promote diversity and inclusion.

A Fizzy Fiasco – PepsiCo Embroiled in Yet Another Legal Battle

The recent lawsuit in California alleging PepsiCo’s engagement in nefarious pricing practices is the latest in an ongoing movement in food and beverage to leverage the Robinson-Patman Act to strengthen small businesses’ economic autonomy. The act is also a fiercely debated issue in the U.S. government.

F&B Supply Chains Brace for Trump Administration Tariffs

Trump administration tariffs continue to warn the F&B sector; however, there are options to evade its impacts through careful sourcing strategies. Data and new technologies present opportunities for brands to take control of the situation.