By most accounts, it’s not a matter of if, but when. The minimum wage appears to be headed towards $15 in much of the U.S., if not all, in the near future. And restaurant chains are bracing for that impact. “Restaurants need to engineer …
Hormel is reportedly in talks to buy Planters from Kraft Heinz for approximately $3 billion. Citing people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal said the deal could be announced as early as next …
Retailers across the U.S. posted record seafood sales in 2020, according to data presented at the National Fisheries Institute’s Global Seafood Marketing Conference. Sales rose across all categories. Frozen seafood sales soared 35% to $7 …
About 270 workers have died in meatpacking plants since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and research from the CDC suggests plants at times served as transmitters to spread the virus in surrounding communities. Cold temperatures, cramped …
With the pandemic keeping consumers away from restaurants, bars and other establishments, the growth in at-home alcohol consumption continues. When the pandemic began, Americans turned to convenient, familiar alcohol and bought name brand items in …
As the demand for alternative meat products continues to grow, companies are cutting prices to keep up with competition and to become more accessible to all consumers. PLANT-BASED MEAT REDUCES RETAIL PRICES Impossible Foods recently …
Several food retailers are revamping their advertising businesses and appear to be modeling their approach after companies like Google and Amazon. Walmart is the latest to do so, which could have far-reaching business implications. The …
The number of people aged 65 years or older has surpassed those under five globally for the first time since 2018, according to United Nations data. The number of countries with over 20% of the …
We’ve come a long way from fighting off a cold with grandma’s chicken soup. From the healthier products touted by food and beverage companies to the renewed focus of consumers on better nutrition and wellness …
Big CPG companies did well in the first half of 2020, but they failed to meet consumer demand in the year’s second half, giving way, to an extent, to upstart CPGs. CPG sales increased by …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
