PREVIEW FOCUS: America’s Growing Food Waste Problem

Food waste has become a significant issue around the world, but nowhere more so than in America. In fact, about $161 billion of food is wasted in the U.S. every year, per Rubicon research. In …

Canned Tuna, Bolstered by Pandemic, Appears to Have ‘Staying Power’

Prior to the pandemic, canned tuna was fading as a staple of the American pantry, with younger generations seeking out fresher, less-processed food options. In fact, per capita consumption of canned tuna dropped 42% in …

Kombucha Gains in Popularity as Functional Beverage Market Growth Continues

Amid the growth of the “better for you” beverage category, one drink in particular has experienced massive gains. The kombucha category grew from $1 million in sales in 2014 to $1.8 billion in sales in …

Coffee Innovations Hitting Higher Gear

Coffee’s popularity in the U.S. shows no signs of slowing. More than half of Americans over 18 years old drink coffee daily, with the average coffee drinker consuming three cups of coffee per day, as …

Worker Shortages Spurring Rash of Labor Unrest

Chronic labor shortages and mandatory overtime appear to be fueling union unrest as the economy bounces back from the pandemic, with workers realizing they aren’t as powerless as they once were. “With the pandemic and …

Is the U.S. Cattle Oversupply Finally Cleared?

After a tumultuous year of COVID-related meat processor backlogs, is the U.S. beef supply finally evening out? One banking and financial services company thinks so: the U.S. oversupply of beef appears to have “finally cleared,” …

Sports and Energy Drinks Ascending Thanks to Health-Conscious Consumers

Sports and energy drinks have seen significant sales growth over the past year. Sales of sports drinks were up 14.3% on a dollar basis to almost $5 billion in the 52 weeks ended Aug. 8, …

National Dog Day: Food Companies Catering to Pets Like Never Before

As the calendar turns to National Dog Day, it’s apparent as ever that food and beverage companies are catering to pets these days. BEER BRANDS CATERING TO DOGS Is American beer going to the dogs? …

Labor Shortages Continue to Drive Supply Chain Woes

Massive supply chain disruptions continue to pervade the U.S. food sector, with labor challenges triggering shortages from raw materials and ingredients to packaged goods. Some of the largest U.S. food distributors, including United Natural Foods …

POULTRY UPDATE: Thanksgiving Turkeys Could Be in Short Supply

The latest industry to be impacted by supply constraints is poultry. LABOR AND SUPPLY ISSUES THREATEN HOLIDAY TURKEY AVAILABILITY A broker for Shady Brook Farms, one of the nation’s largest turkey suppliers, said in a …

GUEST COLUMN: 5 Predictions for the Wine World

What will the post-pandemic future hold for wine retailers? The global wine sector is large and highly fragmented, so it’ll take some time to fully measure and understand COVID’s impact on the segment. For wine …

Update: Major Food Companies Ramping up ESG Efforts

With ESG topics becoming increasingly important to consumers, food companies are noticeably increasing their efforts. Below are a few recent examples of new ESG initiatives in the industry. MCCORMICK ADVANCES SUSTAINABILITY STANDARD McCormick & Company …

Hard Cider Could Be the Next Big Thing for the Alcoholic Beverage Market

With signs of the beer industry slowing and hard seltzer fizzling out, what’s the next big thing for the alcoholic beverage market? It might be hard cider. Made from the fermented juice of apples, hard …

The Allure of Unconventional Food Mashups

Mac ‘n cheese ice cream and baked bean smoothies? Yes, believe it or not, those food items have become realities in 2021. And those are just a couple of the unusual food mashups that are …

Why Encapsulated Flavors and Fragrances are as Popular as Ever

Encapsulation of flavors and fragrances is widely popular in the consumer goods and food and beverage industries. The technique aids in minimizing degradation or loss of fragrance and flavor during the process of production and …

Do the Dew (Responsibly, of Course): Boston Beer, PepsiCo Partner on Mountain Dew Drink

One of America’s favorite sodas is getting a boozy makeover. The Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo are teaming up to produce an alcoholic version of Mountain Dew called HARD MTN DEW. The new drink will …

Report: Vegan Chocolate Increasingly Popular

The global chocolate confectionery market is anticipated to reach $154.5 billion (USD) by 2025. Its growth has been aided by the pandemic, during which consumers have often turned to comforting, indulgent foods, like milk chocolate …

‘Fishless’ Fish: The Next Big Thing in Vegan Food Industry

Plant-based meat alternatives have a longer history than some might realize. And, they have proven to be effective in replacing meat products without compromising quality and nutritional value. Plant-based fish has been gaining traction as …

Molson Coors Prioritizes Premium Beer, Splashes into Spirits

Molson Coors is mixing up its long game by eliminating eleven economy beers and launching a new line of whiskey. The moves align with the company’s recent shift towards portfolio premiumization, which has been led …

Big Soda Departs from the Juice Market

PepsiCo has announced plans to sell Tropicana, Naked, and other juice brands across North America to private equity firm PAI Partners for about $3.3 billion. The soda giant is just the latest such company to …

What’s Brewing with U.S. Beer Makers? COVID-Related Shifts

With the rise of hard seltzer and other low-cal alcohol options, Americans seem to be drinking less beer, and U.S. producers are making less of it. Boston Beer Co. the maker of Samuel Adams beer, …

Hard Seltzer Market Could Be Softening  

The hard seltzer market may be falling on hard times. While it may not seem that long ago that beverages like Truly Hard Seltzer were a highlight of many summer get-togethers, the popularity of the …

The Implications of Higher Inflation and COVID-19 Infection Rates for the Food Industry

Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: higher inflation and COVID-19 infection rates, public health policy changes, vaccine passport, the …

Danone and Harmless Harvest – Reading Between the Lines

Danone’s recent majority stake in Harmless Harvest is a curious market event.  Not because they took a majority. Because coconut water is not growing anymore in the U.S. based on sources I’ve reviewed. The pandemic …

How High Can Prices Go? Inflation Spurs Price Hikes Among CPGs

With inflation on the rise, major CPG companies are projecting price increases. Here are a few of the top brands to announce such pending hikes: UNILEVER After already raising prices 1.6% in the second quarter, …

EARNINGS UPDATE: Coca-Cola Reports Strong Second Quarter Results

Coca-Cola Co. released its second quarter earnings this week—and sales rebounded faster than expected. HIGHLIGHTS: Net Revenues grew 42% Organic Revenues (Non-GAAP) grew 37% Operating Income grew 52% Operating Margin was 29.8% versus 27.7% in …

Yeast Extract – A Game Changer in the Modern Food Industry

With millennials and Gen Z consumers now hyper-aware of their eating habits and food choices, yeast extract is gaining traction as a versatile ingredient used for savory flavor and quality food. The COVID-19 outbreak encouraged …

DTC Delivery, New Flavors Key to Alcohol Growth

The pandemic, revision of direct-to-consumer delivery laws, and development of new flavors helped lift U.S. distilled spirits consumption in 2020, but it was unclear whether the trend would hold. IWSR reported consumption was up 2% …

Exclusive: Wells Fargo Economist Addresses State of U.S. Agriculture

Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: an interview with Wells Fargo agricultural economist Dr. Michael J. Swanson on a …

CPI Sees Largest One-Month Change Since 2008

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.9 percent in June on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.6 percent in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was the …

USDA Taking Steps to Boost Meat and Poultry Market Competitiveness

To address concerns about competition in the U.S. ranching and farming system, USDA will allocate $500 million to expand meat and poultry processing capacity across the nation. The agency said the move was “one of …

Equity Markets Update: Chobani Files for IPO

The latest food company to ride the IPO wave is Chobani. The company announced early Wednesday that it has filed for a confidential draft registration statement for a proposed IPO with the Securities and Exchange …

Survey: Millennials, Gen Z Big Fans of Bubble Tea

The beverage industry has seen an increase in demand for premium beverages among younger consumers, and boba tea is a growing niche in that specialty segment. According to a recent CLSA survey of consumers, 94% …

Food Industry Financials: GenZ Unemployment, McCormick, and more

Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: Gen Z Unemployment, Robinhood and new generation of investors, earnings from McCormick (MKC), …

Food Industry in the Spotlight as Fourth of July Celebrations Return

Two-thirds of Americans plan to return to normal Independence Day celebrations this weekend, according to Numerator. So, as pandemic restrictions ease and Americans resume their Fourth of July traditions, The Food Institute takes a closer …

Spurred by Innovation, Beverage Market Making Waves in 2021

U.S. beverage demand is forecast to increase 2.9% yearly in nominal terms through 2025, as income rises and the population grows, according to Beverages: United States, a report by Freedonia Focus Reports. Here’s a look at which …