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Plant-Based Industry Looking to Sustain Growth

Impossible Foods will use the $700 million it raised in 2020 to double its research and development team to focus on plant-based milk, steak, bacon, and fish products, reported The Washington Post (Oct. 21). The …

Immunity-Boosting Products Attract Consumers

Six out of 10 global consumers are increasingly looking for food and beverage products that support their immune health, with one in three saying that concerns about immune health increased in 2020 over 2019, according …

Positive Outlook for Restaurants Despite Bankruptcies

Many restaurants may be waiting until COVID-19 uncertainty fades to declare bankruptcy as there is a lack of interest in turning some chains around in the current business climate, reported Forbes (Oct. 20). There were …

Albertsons Adds Contactless Options to Simplify Grocery Shopping

Albertsons Companies introduced Albertsons Pay, a new zero-touch checkout experience. Available through its updated just for U loyalty app, it offers shoppers with a secure and contact-free way to pay, use discounts, and earn rewards. The new technology is …

Grocers Prepare for a Second COVID Wave During Holidays

Grocers and suppliers feel more prepared for a second surge of COVID-19, reported The Boston Globe (Oct. 19). Most grocers and wholesalers began stockpiling items that were popular during the first wave of shutdowns. Some …

Creating More Diversity in Leadership Roles

While diversity in leadership roles in the food industry has historically been lacking, companies today are making the business case for inclusion and upping their commitment to advance racial equality. For instance, the Multicultural Foodservice …

Bumble Bee & Nutrisystem Aim to Reestablish Brands

Many companies in the food industry are continuing their quest to refresh their images during the coronavirus pandemic. Bumble Bee Seafoods and Nutrisystem are the two latest examples. The 120-year-old Bumble Bee is trying to …

Aluminum Can Shortage is Crushing Craft Brewers

Americans are currently drinking so many things out of aluminum cans that it’s causing a shortage. Ball Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer of metal beverage containers, even told investors this past week that the U.S. …

Nestlé & Coca-Cola Refresh Beverage Portfolios

An insider says Nestlé SA will sell some of its American water brands, which include Pure Life, Poland Spring, and Deer Park, reported Reuters (Oct. 15). The brands being sold, which also include Deer Park, …

Vertical Farming Investments Grow

Vertical farming company Plenty Unlimited Inc. attracted $140 million in a Series D financing round that included existing investor SoftBank Group Corp., as well as berry producer Driscoll’s, reported Bloomberg (Oct. 14). The new raise …

Chicken Wars with a Plant-Based Twist

Although plant-based beef is usually in the spotlight, meatless chicken is now taking center stage. Jack in the Box unveiled the Unchicken Sandwich, its first plant-based offering, reported Forbes (Oct. 15). It will be tested …

Plant-Based Companies Raise Capital

The plant-based trend isn’t going away anytime soon as more vegan-friendly companies are raising significant capital from investors. The LIVEKINDLY Collective, a global multi-brand plant-based food company, raised $135 million in capital in a round …

Foodservice Goes from Pivoting to Transforming

In wake of the pandemic, foodservice is continuing to adapt in unique ways to survive. UK-based Pret A Manger has struggled during the pandemic without the commuter crowd. In August, weekly sales in Britain were …

Amazon Strikes Deal with SpartanNash

Amazon issued a warrant to purchase up to 5.4 million shares in SpartanNash, according to a filing with SEC, reported The Motley Fool (Oct. 9). The warrant has been issued specifically to Amazon.com NV Investment …

World Food Programme Wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Committee awarded the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, reported Bloomberg (Oct. 9). The organization is being honored “for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas …

Retailers Rethink Strategy

Several retailers have been working on re-strategizing their operations recently. Dollar General is looking to attract more high-income shoppers, reported The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 8). The company is planning to open a new brand …

Chicken-Industry Execs Indicted on Price-Fixing Charges

Six current and former chicken-industry executives were indicted on price-fixing charges, according to a release from the Department of Justice (DOJ). A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court in Denver, CO, returned a …

California Wildfires Ruin Wine, Grapes

California wildfires mean Napa area wine producers are losing stored wine and warehouses, reported The New York Times (Oct. 5). Damage to vineyards has been less severe in the fires in the last weekend of …

Whole Foods Feels Pressure from Pandemic

Although much of the grocery industry is prospering, trips to Whole Foods in September were down 25% from a year earlier, according to Placer.ai, reported Bloomberg (Oct. 7). Some of the decline is due to …

Are Another Wave of Meat Plant Shutdowns Likely?

Another wave of coronavirus-driven closures of meatpacking facilities is unlikely, according to Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA Holdings Inc., reported The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 5). Nogueira noted that worker testing and safety practices …

Innovative Products Lead in 2020

Innovation will drive business growth in the new normal, according to Nielsen. Nielsen recently released its 2020 U.S. BASES Top 25 Breakthough Innovations List which includes several food and beverage products. Trending themes among the …

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Coca-Cola Reimagines Beverage Lines

Coca-Cola is discontinuing its Zico coconut water brands, reported The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 4). The decision to halt production of the drink by the end of the year “comes at a time when [the …

CPG Brands Continue to Profit as Consumers Stay Home

Several CPG brands recently released quarterly earnings, displaying high demand for snacks and ingredients as consumers cook at home.   PepsiCo Quarterly sales for PepsiCo grew by more than 5%, fueled by higher sales of …

Walmart Sells Majority Stake in Asda

Walmart sold a majority stake in Asda to a consortium that includes brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa and the private equity firm TDR Capital in a deal that values the supermarket chain at about $8.8 …

Can NYC Restaurants Survive with COVID Restrictions?

After six months, indoor dining reopened in New York City at 25% capacity, despite concerns about both spread of the virus and severe operating margins, reported The New York Times (Oct. 1). “It’s crucial, of …

UK Resumes Beef Exports to U.S. After 24 Years

The U.S. is allowing UK beef on market for the first time in over 20 years, reported BBC (Sept. 30). The initial ban was imposed in 1996 when British cattle were infected with Mad Cow …

New Sugar Limits Urged to Curb Obesity

A federal committee working on a revision of U.S. dietary guidelines recommends cutting sugar consumption, reported The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 28). The committee suggests Americans limit their consumption of added sugars to 6% of …

How CPG Companies are Strategizing to Thrive During Pandemic

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, such as Mondelez and Nestlé, are finding new opportunities to stay competitive and succeed during the pandemic. Mondelez Mondelez International has been successful in direct-store delivery (DSD)—a logistics fulfillment system …

USDA Funds Research on COVID-19 in Supply Chain

USDA will run a $1 million research project on how COVID-19 may be transmitted through the beef supply chain, reported Reuters (Sept. 25). The two-year project, which begins in October, aims to reduce the risk …

Retailers Prepare for Possible Second Wave

Grocers are stocking up to prepare for a possible surge in sales amid a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the holiday rush, reported The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 27). Food companies …

Key Crops Impacted by Extreme Weather

Several crops are suffering from the effects of severe weather over the last month or so. Rice Arkansas’ rice harvest is off to a slow start because of weather not conductive to drying grain and …