Lamb: The Latest Meat in High Demand

Lamb sales are surging. While shoppers used to be wary due to its higher price tag, store sales of lamb jumped 28% year-over-year as of last month, according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, beef sales rose 25.6% …

Quesadilla Wars Ramping Up Among Taco Bell, Chipotle

While the fast-food “chicken wars” have been going on for some time, Taco Bell and Chipotle are now headed for battle on another front. The two largest Mexican-food chains are testing new items and jockeying …

Carbon Labeling Gains Momentum Despite Challenges

Unilever plans to introduce carbon-footprint details for all 70,000 of its products and is researching best methods for gathering and presenting the information. A key motivator for the company is that brands perceived as sustainable …

Big Food Companies Using Consumer Data as Creatively as Ever

Big foodmakers are taking advantage of a pandemic-driven rise in online shopping to track consumer analytics. “For a food brand it’s really no longer about who has the biggest factory, or who has the biggest …

Seafood Fraud Becoming a Costly Global Concern

Seafood mislabeling is rampant throughout the industry, accounting for as much as 55% of product sold in some countries with little regulatory framework in place to prevent the practices, an analysis by The Guardian indicated. …

Oat Milk Is Gaining Considerable Ground in the Plant-Based Milk Category

Plant-based food and drink companies are tapping into rising consumer demand for animal product alternatives, including milk. In fact, sales of plant-based milks grew five percent in 2019, making up 14 percent of the entire milk category, according to …

Tofurky Case Stoking Alt-Meat Labeling Debate

A federal appellate court has ruled a state law that prohibits companies from marketing alternative protein products as meat does not violate free speech rights, but it begs the question of whether consumers really would …

As More States Legalize Marijuana, What Does it Mean for the Food Industry?

New York and New Mexico are primed to join 15 other states in legalizing marijuana, which could have far-reaching implications for the food industry. NY & NM JOIN IN ON LEGALIZATION Shortly following legalization in …

Frozen Food Sales Surging Amid Pandemic

Frozen food sales have been anything but icy of late. Frozen foods were among the fastest growing categories in grocery stores over the past year, according to the American Frozen Food Institute’s Power of Frozen …

Unionization Threatens to Increase Amazon Costs

Some 5,800 Amazon employees at the company’s Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse voted in the last two months on whether to unionize in a move that could energize the labor movement and mean higher prices for those …

Coffee Prices on the Rise, But Sellers Aren’t Concerned … Yet

Some coffee purveyors say they’re not too worried – at least in the short term – about the shipping container shortage that is pressuring already tight coffee supplies, the result of a South American drought …

Case Study: Cereal Companies Dealing with PR Concerns in Contrasting Fashions

A pair of cereal brands, General Mills’ Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Post’s Grape-Nuts, have been under the spotlight of late, by both the media and those on social media. Although their situations are different, both …

Major Meat, Dairy Companies Behind in ESG Efforts, but Making Strides

Most the world’s largest meat and dairy companies haven’t made commitments to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Researchers from New York University noted in a recent study that the largest meat and dairy producers are …

Pandemic Changing Consumer Attitudes Towards Dining Out, Retail

As the pandemic continues and vaccines become more readily available in the U.S., here are some insights into how consumers feel about dining out and shopping in stores: Dining Out A significant number of Americans …

Seaweed Could Be Key in Fighting Climate Change and Food Waste

Sure avocados, legumes and blueberries are superfoods, but can they solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges like climate change and food waste? Seaweed, the Asian cuisine superfood ingredient that’s starting to gain traction …

Rising Pet Ownership and Premium Products Driving Pet Food Market

While it may seem like some of your friends and family are a little over the top when it comes to lavishing their four-legged friends with top-shelf pet foods and specialty items, they’re actually part …

A Look at Pizza Chains’ Big Post-Pandemic Plans

Pizza has been in high demand throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But, as indoor dining resumes and competition between food pick-up and delivery services heats up, how will major pizza chains maintain sales momentum?   Major …

Restaurant Recovery: How Chains are Growing Amid the Pandemic

During the pandemic, restaurants have had to find new ways of winning over consumers. Those who are innovating seem to be recovering well from pandemic-related losses. “300 million people wake up hungry each day, and …

JBS SA Beats Earnings Estimates, Looks to Expand

The world’s largest meat supplier, JBS SA, recorded fourth-quarter profits that spiked 65% from a year earlier. Sales were boosted by strong food sales in China and the U.S. and a sharp devaluation of Brazil’s …

Chick-fil-A Turning to Food Trucks to Leave Pandemic Challenges in Rear-View Mirror

Fast-food restaurant chains are turning their attention to food trucks as a way to give pandemic-beleaguered franchisees an alternative channel to boost sales damaged by restrictions on the number of customers who can dine in …

Is Big Yogurt Dead?

Manufacturers of traditional dairy yogurts are increasingly selling and moving toward plant-based options. Here’s a look at all the industry trends that are rapidly reshaping the yogurt market. GENERAL MILLS General Mills recently announced that …

Industry Insiders: Current Market ‘Very Conducive to M&A’ in Food Industry

On March 17, The Food Institute hosted a webinar on the prospects for mergers and acquisitions activity in the food industry. The event provided a deep dive into M&A trends, with analysis from Lech Czerski, …

Dining Off-Premises, Boosted During Pandemic, Looks Like It’s Here to Stay

Consumers are increasing their off-premises dinner purchases, according to the latest weekly survey from the National Restaurant Association. In the early spring 2021 period, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers have increased their weekly off-premises dinner …

Kellogg Raises ESG Bar with 2022 Renewable Energy Goal

Kellogg plans to shift its manufacturing electricity sources to over 50% wind energy globally by the end of 2022. The ambitious goal speaks to growing social and environmental concerns within the food industry. The company signed a long-term …

MeatOut Day in Colorado Sparks Debate

Saturday, March 20, was declared MeatOut day by Colorado’s governor, which prompted defiant gatherings supporting farmers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, pointed to the health and environmental benefits of …

The NASA-Agriculture Connection and a Look Towards Tomorrow

Amid soil erosion, tens of millions of U.S. farmland acres lost to development, and global food demand rising upwards of 98% by 2050, there are serious concerns about how the agriculture industry will meet tomorrow’s …

UPDATE: Shipping Logjams Have West Coast Ports Scrambling

Congested ports in the U.S. continue to cause major supply chain disruptions. The California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — which together handle more than a third of U.S. container imports — are …

Why is Hard Seltzer So Popular with Consumers?

Anheuser-Busch is boosting production of its latest hard seltzer offering after the beverage, developed alongside rapper Travis Scott, saw furious demand. The drink — called Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer — launched earlier this week, reported CNBC …

Online Grocery Sales Dropped Significantly in February; Here’s Why

Total U.S. grocery online grocery sales pulled back to $8 billion for February, representing a 14% drop from January, according to data from Brick Meets Click. Here’s a deeper dive into those stats, and what …

Today’s Animal Lovers Especially Attuned to Pet Food Recalls

Pet food recalls have become a concern for pet owners across the U.S. On Dec. 30, 2020, Midwestern Pet Foods announced a recall of Sportmix pet food products after the FDA received reports of dozens …

Restaurants Seeing Signs of Recovery, Glimmer of Hope

There have been recent signs of recovery for the restaurant industry, but obstacles still need to be scaled before the industry is back to a full bill of health. RESTAURANT SALES SHOWING RECOVERY Restaurant sales …

7-Eleven Adjusts, Pushes for On-Site Alcohol Consumption in Ontario Amid Pandemic

Just like grocery stores and restaurants have changed operational strategies during the pandemic, so have convenience stores. Whether it’s selling more ready-to-eat and heat-and-eat foodservice items to make a dent in lower gasoline sales or …

Does America Have an Overreliance on Major Meat Companies?

Meat and poultry producers were among America’s hardest hit sectors earlier in the pandemic, impacting production of chicken, beef, and pork at the country’s largest producers. The shortages across the country displayed how reliance on …

It’s High Time for Cannabis Beverage and Delivery Companies Amid Legalization Efforts

With more states legalizing the use of marijuana, 2021 could be a big year for cannabis beverage and delivery companies. CANNABIS-INFUSED BEVERAGES GAINING TRACTION The global cannabis beverage market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of …

Why Essentia’s Growth and Exit is a Critical Model for Strategics and Smart Investors

Many investors are chasing the next RX Bar deal. They scan trade PR, follow Bevnet, and angle in aggressively on the latest fad-driven startups. When these folks approach founders, they like to pressure the founder …

Revisiting the No- and Low-Alcohol Beverage Market Ahead of St. Patrick’s Day

COVID-19 restrictions on parades, parties and pub crawls will likely dim the mood of many this St. Patrick’s Day. For the producers of no- and low-alcohol beverages, however, spirits remain high with a veritable pot …