What Will Americans Eat During the Super Bowl?

Super Bowl parties may look different this year, but food will still be a major part of them. Frito-Lay estimates a 21% increase in snacking vs. previous Super Bowls as more consumers plan to watch …

Restaurant Earnings Show Continued Recovery  

Foodservices’ latest quarters have seen mixed results as restaurants continue to cope with pandemic-related losses. In 2020, restaurant and foodservice industry sales fell by $240 billion, from an expected level of $899 billion, according to …

Consultants: Restaurants Must Adapt Quickly to Pandemic-Era Changes

Tim Hand and Bruce Reinstein, partners with food industry consulting firm Kinetic12, and Wade Hanson, principal with foodservice consulting firm Technomic, participated in a webinar yesterday hosted by The Food Institute and DMA titled “2021 …

Direct-to-Consumer Model Picks Up Speed

As consumers largely continue to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, several food brands have shifted to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model. Bimbo Bakeries USA was one such brand who recently launched a DTC platform. And, …

ADM Fourth-Quarter Profit Bolstered By Growth in Nutrition Segment

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company reported fourth quarter earnings of $687 million. Here are some highlights from the report: NUTRITION ADM’s Nutrition business delivered 24% year-over-year operating profit growth. “Our Nutrition business continued to harvest investments, lead in …

Beyond Meat, PepsiCo Team up on Plant-Based Products

The plant-based protein trend continued to gather momentum this week, when Beyond Meat and PepsiCo announced a joint venture to sell snacks and drinks made from plant-based protein. A WIN-WIN FOR TWO MAJOR PLAYERS The …

Major Brands Sack Super Bowl Ads as Upstarts Kick Off for First Time

Some upstart brands that saw strong sales in 2020 will keep the momentum going by airing Super Bowl advertisements for the very first time. Other, more established brands are directing traditional ad budgets for the …

Rising Commodity Prices Bring Relief to Farmers

Soybeans and other commodities are seeing a jump in prices due to dry weather and strong export demand from China. Could this lead to higher prices for consumers? RISING COMMODITY PRICES ​Prices for corn, soybeans, …

FI Agriculture Roundup: Vilsack Focused on Climate Change

Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden’s nominee for U.S. agriculture secretary, pledged this week to increase USDA programs to combat climate change, expressing confidence that farmers will embrace the chance to make money by sequestering carbon within …

Will 2021 Be the Breakout Year for Meal Kits and Fresh Food?

The meal kit and fresh food segments have experienced tremendous growth over the course of the pandemic on a combination of limited dining-out options, families with little time to spare for preparing and cooking food, …

Give Peas a Chance: Global Pea Protein Market Primed to Surge

Could pea protein be the next big plant-based alternative? One major food company appears to be banking on it. WORLD’S LARGEST PEA PROTEIN PLANT BEGINS OPERATIONS Roquette, a France-based food ingredient company, has begun operations …

CBD Market Likely to Expand Under Biden Administration

More consumers are trying hemp-derived CBD products, inspiring supermarket chains like Fresh Thyme Farmers Market to increase CBD offerings, reported Forbes (Jan. 18). PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET Brightfield Group estimates the total U.S. CBD market …

Restaurants Receive Boost from Stimulus, But Can it Last?

Restaurant chains are getting a sales bump from the latest round of stimulus money, but if patterns mimic the first round, the lift could be short-lived. STIMULUS IMPACT While the amounts given in the roughly …

How Healthy Are Plant-Based Diets as They Grow in Popularity?

A record 54% of Americans between the ages of 24-39 are incorporating more plant-based foods into their diets this year, according to a survey commissioned by Sprouts Farmers Market. WHY ARE CONSUMERS ALIGNING WITH THE …

BlueNalu Raises $60M, Pushing Cell-Based Seafood Closer to Mainstream

First came plant-based seafood. Now, cell-based seafood is riding a wave of momentum. Cell-based, or lab-grown, meat is produced by harvesting animal stem cells in nutrient-dense bioreactors. Startups like Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms, and BlueNalu …

Carbon Footprint Labeling for Food Manufacturers and the Foodservice Industry

Editor’s Note: This article was excerpted from the January 2021 edition of the Food Institute Report. To read more articles regarding food industry news, leadership, markets, commodities, and regulatory issues, consider a membership with the …

Gene Editing for Hogs Just Around the Corner

At least five other nations are moving toward gene editing hogs, which could put them miles ahead of the U.S. in producing disease-resistant and faster-growing hogs that cost less to grow, the National Pork Producers …

Citrus Market Seeing Surge in Demand

The citrus market is on the rise, as consumers look to get their vitamin C fix. New data show the citrus category across all varieties saw increased demand in 2020, with more than 20% increases …

Food Companies Incentivizing Workers to Get COVID-19 Vaccinations

Though not requiring workers to get COVID-19 vaccinations, some food retailers are incentivizing them to get the shots. Among the first to do so was Dollar General, which offered employees four hours of pay to …

Major C-Store Operators Look to Expand

During the COVID-19 pandemic, gas stations emerged as key, profitable parts of oil companies’ operations as more consumers turned to them for food and drink purchases that were a bit closer to home. While fuel …

FI Tech Trends: The Latest in Lab-Grown Meat, Food-Allergen Detection

Editor’s note: Leah Zitter is a longtime Food Tech/Agri Tech writer with a PhD in Research. Welcome to our Food Tech news roundup! Given that recent days have dished up slathers of technology news within …

How the Food Industry Is Tackling Food Waste in 2021

An estimated one-third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste, likely enough calories to feed every undernourished person on the planet. But wasted food isn’t just about food insecurity. It’s also …

New Stats Show Snacking Intensifying During Pandemic

New stats suggest consumer eating habits are shifting away from the traditional three meals per day toward more frequent snacking. Over the past five years, Americans added 25 between-meal snacking occasions per capita, from 505 …

Boston Restaurant Owner Gets Creative, Offers Location as Vaccination Site

With the coronavirus pandemic raging throughout much of the U.S., countless restaurant owners have faced indefinite closures. When dealt with that situation himself, Marc Epstein took matters into his own hands. Epstein, owner of The …

Rising Food Prices Represent Awakening Risk in 2021

New data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics note that food prices are up due to demand. The food index rose in December, as both food at home and the food away from …

Hot Dogs, Cigarettes and Soufflé: Couche-Tard Makes Play for Carrefour

Alimentation Couche-Tard, the Canadian owner of Circle K convenience stores, is exploring a takeover of French grocer Carrefour SA in a roughly $20 billion deal that would create a trans-Atlantic retail giant. The not-so-typical move comes on …

Protein Producers Reach Agreements to Settle in Legal Battles

Multiple protein producers are agreeing to settle in various legal battles regarding price fixing and anticompetitive activity. TYSON, PILGRIM’S PRIDE Tyson Foods Inc. and Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. both struck agreements on Jan. 11 to help …

Celebrity-Backed Oatly Poised for Significant Growth with IPO

Celebrity-backed plant-based milk brand Oatly has seen success among vegans and non-vegans alike. Once only found in trendy cafes and niche grocery stores, the company’s oat milk can be found in mainstream foodservice outlets and …

For the Dogs: Ben & Jerry’s Delves into Pet Food Market

Is your dog begging for dessert? Well, now you can treat them with Ben & Jerry’s latest offering: Doggie Desserts. The premiumization of pet food was a major trend during 2020. Spending on dog treats …

Booming Online Chipotle Sales Open the Door for New Growth Areas

Chipotle’s online business soared during 2020, making up more than half of sales. With that, the digital boom is likely leading the company to consider more drive thrus and introduce breakfast options. DRIVE THRUS COULD …

Food Industry Bugging Out Over Insect Protein

The edible insect market, which surpassed $112 million in 2019, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26.5% from 2020 to 2027 to reach $4.63 billion by 2027, according to Research …

Demand for Cold Storage Continues Higher on Strength of Food and Pharmaceuticals

Main Points:  Total capacity of refrigerated warehouses worldwide was 719 million cubic meters in 2020, 16.7% higher than 2018. Among the factors driving growth are online grocery sales, subscription meal services, consumer preferences for fresh …

Jobs Report: Restaurants, Bars Among Hardest Hit in December

Employers across the U.S. decreased hiring in December, as COVID-19 cases were up and cities reimposed business restrictions. Throughout the month, job losses were largely concentrated among restaurants, bars, hotels, casinos, and other entertainment venues, …

Plant-Based Seafood Coming Ashore in 2021

While plant-based beef held center stage in 2020, vegan-friendly seafood appears to be waiting in the wings for its big moment. Veganism is as popular as ever, according to Google data showing vegan-related searches were …

Grain Prices Spiked Ahead of USDA Report

With the USDA expected to issue a report Jan. 12 reducing its domestic corn stock outlook, grain prices spiked with corn prices nearing $5 per bushel Jan. 5. The increasing prices could signal a boon …

Impossible Foods Cuts Wholesale Prices to Better Compete with Traditional Ground Beef

Impossible Foods is cutting foodservice distributor prices for the second time in a year as part of its push to better compete with traditional ground beef. The maker of soy-based meat alternatives is dropping prices …