Pet Adoption, Food Sales Grow as Birth Rate Slips
Birth rates fell for the sixth consecutive year to the lowest levels since 1979, according to the CDC. The number of births in the U.S. declined last year by 4% from 2019, double the average annual …
Focus Archive > Page 78
Cinco de Mayo 2021 Highlights Thriving Avocado Market
Nothing says Cinco de Mayo like tacos and guacamole, and this year avocados appear to be plentiful – at least in the near term. Some 100 million Americans are expected to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, …
NYC Becoming Epicenter for Growing Vegan Movement
Coming as no surprise, plant-based food is making headlines again. In addition to other news, one of the world’s most renowned restaurants is going entirely vegan. FINE DINING MAKES THE SHIFT Perhaps the biggest plant-based …
UPDATE: Cell-Cultured Seafood Gaining Support
Would you eat lab-grown lobster? Cell-cultured seafood — protein produced directly from fish cells in nutrient-dense bioreactors — is getting ever closer to consumer’s plates. Investments in alt-seafood startups have seen an uptick over the …
Wing and a Prayer: Restaurants Scramble During Chicken Shortage
Restaurants throughout America are dealing with a frustrating shortage of chicken wings that shows no signs of slowing. This has pushed executive chefs like Dan Miles to do what was previously unthinkable: either sell a …
Report: Snacking Spiked During Pandemic Lockdowns
As people spent more time at home during the pandemic, snacking rose significantly as a means to ease sadness, boredom, and stress. In fact, the average U.S. consumer reported eating 37% more snack foods and …
Food Industry Financials: American Families Plan, MCD, ADM, KHC, and more
Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: American Families Plan, restaurant reservations, McDonald’s (MCD), Archers-Daniel-Midland Company (ADM), Kraft Heinz Company …
Grocery Delivery Platforms Chipping Away at Food Waste
Most consumers recognize the importance of addressing climate change. What may not be top of mind, however, is food waste’s impact on climate change. When food is wasted, so is the water, fuel and other resources that were used …
Next competitive group of job applicants? Those with criminal records
Competition for workers is intensifying with President Biden raising the federal contractor minimum wage to $15 an hour, Amazon, which already pays a minimum wage of $15 an hour, awarding increases of as much as …
PR Pro Perspectives: How Companies Should Deal with Social Issues
The days of companies keeping “quiet” about social issues appear to be long gone. In the past, companies were never expected to comment on social causes, but times have certainly changed. In 2021, consumers of …
Study: Delivery Apps Destined for Steep Decline in Business
The food delivery app industry is facing a potentially drastic slump in sales, according to a new study by the Social Sciences Research Network, which tracked 27 delivery apps, including Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats. …
Alcohol Industry Innovating Like Never Before
With Memorial Day around the corner and signs of the pandemic easing, the alcoholic beverage industry is gearing up for summer and beyond. Here are some recent highlights and innovations from the sector. Champagne sales are popping Whether it’s for meeting up with friends and loved ones in person or …
Digital Coupons Overtake Print Circulars Amid Shifting Consumer Landscape
The days of a wallet stuffed with cents-off coupons is coming to a close with research indicating digital coupons have overtaken print circulars as a more direct way of reaching consumers. An analysis by Inmar …
Beyond Meat Adding Faux Chicken as Alt-Protein Trend Gathers Steam
With each passing day, we’re seeing an abundance of new alt-meat products in 2021. Just within the past few days, Nathan’s Famous revealed it will launch plant-based Meatless Farm hot dogs, while Buona Beef unveiled …
Is Viome the Future of Food?
Viome has built an AI-driven platform that analyzes the interaction between food, a person’s microbiome, and human cells to develop precision nutrition to prevent and reverse chronic diseases. On April 15, The Food Institute presented …
Agriculture Is Embracing Automation with Robotics and Drones
As recent headlines suggest, the agriculture industry is embracing new forms of automation. Here’s a look at a few companies offering innovative solutions to producers. AUTONOMOUS WEEDING ROBOT Startup Carbon Robotics revealed the latest iteration …
Millennial Brand Favorites Revealed in New Survey
Millennials’ favorite food and beverage brands in 2021 highlight a taste for convenience, comfort, and quality with a focus on affordability. The popularity of private labels and non-traditional retailer formats are also on the rise. …
Advocates Applaud FASTER Act, Recognition of Sesame Allergy
Most everyone is aware of milk, wheat and peanut allergies, but sesame? About 1.5 million Americans may be allergic to sesame, some of the 32 million Americans who suffer from potentially deadly food allergies overall. …
UPDATE: Restaurants Forced to Get Creative to Lure New Hires
Restaurants are struggling to win back employees so far in 2021. The Food Institute reported on this issue back in early April when QSRs were finding hiring new workers particularly challenging, and the issue has …
Food Industry Financials: Surging Commodities, Coca-Cola, and more
Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: unemployment benefits, global debt, surging commodities, restaurant reservations, Coca-Cola (COKE), and more Trending …
Celebrities Land Roles in Food Partnerships, Endorsements and Investor Groups
While COVID-19 has kept celebrities off the red carpet, a number of product collaborations, endorsements and corporate finance endeavors have kept them in the spotlight. And while star power has certainly proven to be a …
Premium Private Labels Continue to Disrupt Grocery Market
The demand for private label grocery products remained strong throughout the pandemic, with higher-end premium lines driving sales for traditional grocers, clubs, and mass merchandisers. Now, Kroger plans to add 660 items to its private …
Is the U.S. Facing a Megadrought?
“Every moving thing lifted the dust into the air: a walking man lifted a thin layer as high as his waist, and a wagon lifted the dust as high as the fence tops, and an …
Amazon, Walmart Taking Different Approaches on Retail Technology
Amazon-owned grocery stores are poised for a technology upgrade, specifically in checkout. AUTOMATION Amazon is bringing automated checkout technology to full-size supermarkets, reported Bloomberg (April 22). Planning documents for a store under construction in Brookfield, …
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Food Brands Celebrate Earth Day with Focus on Sustainability
As sustainable practices become increasingly important to today’s consumers, food brands are making their environmental goals and initiatives clear. In honor of Earth Day, here’s a closer look at companies taking steps to become more …
A Closer Look at Gen Z’s Eating and Shopping Habits
Food is Gen Z’s No. 1 wallet priority at 23%, according to Piper Sandler’s annual Taking Stock with Teens survey. The survey highlights discretionary spending trends and brand preferences from 7,000 teens across 47 U.S. …
Food and Beverage Companies Signal Higher Prices
Many food companies are raising prices to offset higher costs. Higher commodity costs are pressuring companies’ profits, while some are also starting to lap their surging sales sparked by stockpiling in 2020, reported CNBC (March …
Consumers Fire Up Grills as Outdoor Cooking Gains Momentum
Grilling season started early this year – or maybe it never ended, statistics from market research company NPD Group indicate. NPD reported consumers spent more than $4.9 billion on grills, smokers, camping stoves, accessories, and …
Big Meat Buying Up Competition, Expanding into Plant-Based Space
The world’s largest meatpacker is looking to appeal to those who want to eat less meat. Brazil’s JBS will buy Dutch vegetable-based protein company Vivera for $408.1 million, reported Reuters (April 19). Vivera includes a …
Food as Medicine: A Primer on a Growing Trend
While the concept of “food as medicine” has been around for centuries, the philosophy is gaining momentum of late. So much so, in fact, that The Food Institute will highlight the concept and the growing …
Foreseeable Future Appears Bright for Grocers
Online grocery usage has skyrocketed in recent years: 73% of consumers had purchased grocery items online within the last three months, compared to 17% in 2017, according to a survey by Power Reviews. Of course, …
Once a Fringe Movement, Veganism Goes Mainstream
A vegan diet is essentially the strictest form of vegetarianism. That is, in addition to avoiding animal flesh, vegans also cut out dairy, eggs and animal-derived ingredients, such as gelatin whey and casein. And as …
Delivery Platforms Experiencing Upheaval
In many ways, the pandemic has been a boom time for third-party delivery platforms, which have benefited from consumers largely hunkering down at home and summoning dinners to their doorstep. But business is rapidly changing …
Beef and Pork Consumption Rises as Consumers Go with What They Know
The Food Industry Association and the Meat Institute Foundation reported that grocery store meat sales increased by 20% last year, with three-quarters of consumers saying meat belongs in a healthy diet. “All protein sales at …
Supply Chain Update: California Shipping Logjam Finally Easing
A persistent kink in the global supply chain is getting straightened out – slowly, but relatively surely. The backlog at southern California ports appears to finally be easing, even as imports continue to flood into …
Mushroom Market Booming on Alternative Protein, Other Trends
Mushrooms are currently thriving at the intersection of multiple industry trends, including alternative proteins, food as health, and countertop gardening. A recent report by Grand View Research projected that the global mushroom market value is expected to exceed $50 billion in …