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3 Key Takeaways from Expo West 2024

With consumers as focused as ever on improving their health and wellness, clean diets including foods like whole fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins have gained momentum. The show floor at Expo West illustrated that movement.

The Future of Retail – The 10,000-ft. View

“By 2030, visiting a Target, Walmart, or Costco won’t just be about shopping,” said Diana Zheng, head of marketing at Stallion Express, a leading e-commerce shipping company from Canada, “It will be an experience. An immersive experience. A personalized experience, even a social experience.”

Candy Crush: Confectionery Producing Record Sales  

“Consumers seek out chocolate and candy to help enhance holiday seasons, family celebrations, and those important ‘treat yourself’ moments,” said John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association, in a statement.

Five Ways Generative AI is Impacting the Food Industry

How exactly is Generative AI impacting the food industry? In a recent episode of The Food Institute Podcast, RSM US LLP principal Christian Winzeler broke down five main ways the emerging technology is altering the …

Rated C for Candy – AMC Theatres Launches Private-Label Brand

The current line of Cinema Sweets launched in December and sales have been brisk. “We’re quite pleased,” he said, brandishing an R2-D2 popcorn holder from a Star Wars release years ago, “and it’s definitely been a good launch for us across more than 550 domestic theaters.”

Cereal Offender: Why is Chlormequat in our Oats?   

Informed consumers, concerned about the potential health risks associated with chlormequat, are increasingly turning toward organic oat products as a precautionary measure to minimize exposure to this and other chemicals of concern.

Record Texas Wildfire Could Impact Beef Prices

The Smokehouse Creek fire in the Texas panhandle already has set a record for size and now is threatening to create record agricultural losses that could send beef prices soaring. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, surveyed …

IFMA COEX 2024: Key Themes and Industry Trends

Josh Linkner issued the opening keynote for the COEX 2024 and noted that creativity and innovation was critical for continued growth and success. He also noted that research had found all humans are naturally drawn to creativity, but that it manifested in different ways.

How Hormel and JM Smucker Are Beating the Market

It’s not hard to understand why these companies have found success in a challenging environment. These are comfort food manufacturers (among other things!) whose identities, infrastructure, and revenue are built upon foods people reach for when they’re feeling down, feeling squeezed, or both.

The 4-Day Workweek Has Reached F&B

Could a shorter, 4-day work week be the answer to employee happiness and increased productivity? The debate continues among experts.

3D-Printed Food Innovations Push Closer to Market

Steakholder Foods is leading the charge in additive manufacturing for the food industry. Over the past year, the food tech innovator has unveiled the “world’s first” 3D-printed cuts of grouper, steak, eel, and plant-based shrimp.

‘Sugar Elimination’ Technology Has Arrived

Startups are leveraging human digestion and technology to bring sugar elimination innovations to market — from enzymes that convert sugar into fiber to sugar “sponges” that activate after they are consumed. The zero-sugar food and …

The Amazon’s Surprising Origin and Insights for the Future

The Amazon rainforest conjures images of pristine, verdant forests, a tropical paradise largely untouched by modern civilization. (At least, in the areas safe from deforestation.) But could this complex tapestry of biodiversity actually be the …

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CPGs Need Fresh Strategies Beyond Price Increases in 2024

“Tomorrow’s winners will vary how they generate demand across their portfolios, with mass activation for their biggest brands and more targeted treatment for niche and insurgent brands,” Kyle Weza, global co-lead and brand accelerator for Bain & Company, said in the report.

Feel This Moment – Walmart Teams Up with Pitbull, Again

The Pitbull-launched intra-store restaurant is part of a larger, $9 billion plan to make “upscale changes” to stores and bring in more recognizable and coveted brands and influencers. For Walmart, pairing with the king of collaborations is a natural choice.

Column: Wendy’s Surge Pricing Plan a Risky Endeavor

Update: Since its recent earnings call, Wendy’s released a statement that noted “Any features we may test in the future would be designed to benefit our customers. … Digital menuboards could allow us to change …

Cereal Manufacturers Desperate to Boost Sales

Americans are turning away from breakfast cereal, and that’s got cereal manufacturers seeking fresh innovation to bring consumers back to their bowls and the breakfast table.