The Plastic Diet: Uncovering Hidden Microplastics in the Food Supply
Despite their utility in enhancing the flexibility and durability of plastic, plasticizers have infiltrated most facets of food production.
Focus Archive
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Growing Consumer Anxiety Dictating Americans’ Spending
Increasing consumer anxiety plagues Americans as uncertainty about the future looms. From inflation to military conflict and weather disasters, consumers have a lot on their minds at the outset of 2024. Food Technology released its …
2023: The Year of Private Label Sets the Stage for 2024
Millennials grew up with store brands and they see them for what they are – a brand. Without a doubt, there is a transformation taking place in the private brand mainstream tier where products are moving away from strict equivalency to national brands and becoming true national brand alternatives.
Global Cuisines, LTOs to Feature Prominently for Foodservice in 2024
The foodservice industry has endured its fair share of turbulence since the pandemic, but where will things go for the industry in 2024? Lizzy Freier, Director, Menu Research & Insights at Technomic, joined The Food …
Analysis: What Argentina’s Raging Inflation Means for Latin America
Argentina is suffering its worst bout of inflation in more than three decades as citizens look to the nascent government of President Javier Milei to fix the problems created by decades of economic crisis. INDEC, …
How Will the Red Sea Attacks Affect the Food Industry?
Ongoing attacks on container ships in the Red Sea are causing global shipping carriers, importers, and exporters to reimagine trade routes and merchandising plans in early 2024. That said, how is this evolving dynamic impacting …
Walmart Defines Adaptive Retail, the Next Evolution in Shopping
“Choose a future that puts people first – if we keep doing that, we can help people around the world live a better life. That’s what we want to do – that’s the world we want to help create.”
Frontline Workers Survey: No End in Sight for ‘Great Resignation’
The Great Resignation may have slowed, but frontline workers still are expressing high levels of dissatisfaction with their jobs, a survey released Wednesday by Beekeeper indicated. The 2024 Global Frontline Workforce Survey, which queried some …
Market Signals: Unpacking the Veggie Grill Acquisition
Plant-based chain Next Level Burger has acquired Veggie Grill from vegan investment fund VegInvest. The Food Institute spoke with industry analysts to unpack the potential ramifications of this transaction amidst ongoing financial challenges for plant-based and the restaurant industry at large.
A Gluten-Free-For-All: Brands Scramble to Make Better GF Products
When Katie Olesen was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2018, she struggled to find gluten-free items at her grocer. Barely half a decade later, major food companies like King Arthur are producing multiple gluten-free products, …
Landing Space on Big-box Shelves: Assessing Food Business Costs and Margins
10 Top Trends and Innovations from CES 2024
CES 2024 wasn’t solely a showcase of robots and gadgets; it also served up a tantalizing array of innovative food technologies and trends that are set to redefine the way we eat.
Alcohol and No/Low Trends in 2024
Dozens of brands are experimenting in the nonalcoholic (NA) and low-alcohol space, offering consumers the opportunity to not so much choose sides but merely choose wisely according to their preferences, dietary needs, and personal goals.
Report: Restaurant LTOs Forge Long-Term Brand Connections
Limited-time offers (LTOs) significantly impact consumer behavior within the foodservice industry. In fact, 91% percent of consumers are more inclined to visit establishments that provide new items, according to a recent report from Circana.
Analysis: Albertsons’ Healthy Eating Incentives Could Set Industry Trend
“In the sea of nearly identical programs, grocers are racing to keep up by adding perks such as free delivery or bigger buy-one-get-one savings,” Upside’s Thomas Weinandy said in a blog post.
‘Ottobots’ Roll Out: Autonomous Delivery on Full Display at CES
LAS VEGAS – Tech startup Ottonomy’s shopping-cart-sized delivery robot Ottobot, introduced last year, unveiled a new capability at this week’s CES Show: the ability to dispense beer and other drinks. The Ottobot has been delivering …
More Cheese, Please: 2024 Cheese Insights
People eat cheese for all sorts of reasons; this year, however, taste and health were the primary ones as 33% of consumers around the world considered it a necessary staple in their diets.
Seen at CES 2024: AI, and Everything Else
This week, The Food Institute’s CEO, Brian Choi, and Digital Media Director Susan Choi are attending the hottest trade show in North America – CES 2024, presented by the Consumer Technology Association. This year’s show …
Innovation Tips for Plant-Based Bakery Treats
Sweet baked goods are a hotspot for indulgence-happy consumers, making convenient, sharable treats like cookies a prime target for plant-based innovation.
Technomic: Expect Drive-Thrus, Breakfast Daypart to ‘Boom’ in 2024
America is overflowing with beverage restaurant concepts of late, especially those targeting the breakfast daypart. Utah-based Swig is growing rapidly. Dutch Bros Coffee, founded in Oregon, saw 27% sales growth in 2022. Kung Fu Tea, …
Mochi Mania Reaches Donut Shops
Mochi donuts are a mix between American-style donuts and Japanese mochi and originated in Hawaii. Mochi donuts are typically circular, like an American donut, but are pieced together with eight small balls that can be pulled apart and come in many different flavors.
Understanding Gen Z’s ‘Menu Anxiety’
Gen Z reportedly suffers from “menu anxiety,” and some young people are scared to order their own food at restaurants, according to a study by Prezzo Italian Restaurant. The idea of paralyzing menu anxiety may …
Preparing for Launch: CosMc’s and the Next Wave of Beverage Chains
In terms of the beverage industry overall, this is a very smart play for McDonald’s and other brands will follow.
2024 Trends to Watch: Bold Soups, Spices, and Global Flavors
The new year has arrived and with it all manner of prognostications regarding what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s just around the bend. Here’s a look at 2024 trends that consumers demand, what grocers should …
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Latin Comfort Foods Winning Over Gen Z Americans
Mac-and-cheese, meatloaf, grilled cheese and tomato soup: quintessential comfort foods. But the U.S. palate is evolving trending toward spicier concoctions, especially those that hail from Latin America, explaining the rising popularity of such items as …
Analysis: Ozempic Likely to Impact Snack Manufacturers’ Bottom Line
The recent rise of Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs started with blowout results that drove shares of their manufacturers higher, then wound up cascading across seemingly disparate sectors. In 2023, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of …
How Small Coffee Chains Can Compete
“We focus on listening to our customers as well as being the best version of ourselves. Being intentional every day with how you approach your customers is key.”
The Struggle is Real: Affording Groceries in America
Regardless of when costs come down, consumer behavior has been altered and shoppers will continue to look for the best savings in 2024.
Plant-Based Trends to Watch in 2024
What key topics will drive plant-based evolution in the year ahead? The Food Institute spoke with several industry analysts and thought leaders to outline major trends to watch in 2024 — and beyond.
Will Beef Prices Stay Elevated into 2024?
Looking ahead, Zimmerman noted that prices would likely increase in the new year, but the magnitude of that increase would likely be more subtle in 2024.
Prominent Doctor Fears Impact of TikTok Diet Trends
Americans are getting away from healthy habits like meal prepping and perusing produce aisles. Instead, many consumers opt for quicker, more convenient food that often include preservatives and copious amounts of sugar or oils.
Stories of the Year: Plant Enzymes Can Turn Sugar to Fiber
Harvard University’s Wyss Institute, in a study funded by the Kraft-Heinz Co., found sugar exposed to encapsulated plant enzymes in the gut can be turned into fiber.
So You Want to Start a CPG Company
“It’s not KETO, it’s not gluten-free, it’s not upcycled grain or something super narrow – it’s a business at the end of the day that needs to make money,” he said, “and if it’s good enough for Erewhon, it should be good enough for many people.”
Stories of the Year: Can Bud Light Survive Its Marketing Controversy?
Anheuser-Busch InBev is trying to win back customers as major retailers like Walmart and 7-Eleven are poised to reduce the amount of space.
Private Label Driving Alt-Dairy Innovation
The alt-dairy category experienced significant economic pressure in 2023, but private label performance was strong. Here are a few featured products from the November Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) show.
Stories of the Year: What Does AeroFarms’ Bankruptcy Signal for CEA’s Future?
Henry Gordon-Smith’s exploration of the bankruptcy at AeroFarms offered crisp context to the international state of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) before one of its most notable innovators declared bankruptcy.