When Whole Foods Market opened its first Chicago shop in 1993, direct competition was minimal. Jewel-Osco, Dominick’s and some natural-food stores sold organic fare, but none of them could offer the wide range of organic …

Americans are not spending more dining out than for groceries, contrary to a report by Bloomberg. They are, however, not always doing so at their local supermarket. The 87-year old Food Institute has been tracking retail …

The projected crop for Florida grapefruits was dropped by over 10% in USDA’s March estimate. USDA reduced the 2014-15 projected Florida grapefruit crop by 2 million boxes to 13 million boxes, a 13% drop from …

Last winter’s snowfall in the Northeast was bad enough that it could hurt more than regional chains, with Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. expecting its same-store sales down by 1 to 1.6 percentage points thanks to …

Millennials are more likely to spend their money on intangible goods, such as fun experiences, than previous generations. This trend carries over to the food world, where a study by Eventbrite found three out of …

Beta glucan, a protein that can be derived from algae and yeast, could become the replacement product for a substantial portion of agricultural antibiotics, according to Geoff Horst from Algal Scientific. He admits that it …

The effects of avian bird flu that have hit turkey farmers in North America are not expected to have an adverse effect on the supply chain. The H5N2 avian influenza strain has been reported at …

How would you like to know that 2.2% of your annual revenue was going to come from fees people pay to just to buy your products or services? There might be some administrative costs incurred …

Drones have been the topic of a lot of buzz the past few months, and rightfully so: the mechanical devices have the ability to improve efficiency in a seemingly endless number of ways for all …

The rise of the avocado can be considered “meteoric” as the sun-loving green fruit has become a staple of the American diet due to its versatility. The food can be included with eggs for breakfast, …

While overall production was down for U.S. citrus farmers, value increased by 7% to $3.39 billion, according to the recently released 2013-2014 Florida Citrus Statistics from the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service. Driving the value up …

The kinds of venture capital investments that made Silicon Valley into a tech powerhouse are becoming involved with agriculture and food, which saw investments increase by 54% to $486 million last year, according to Dow …

Facing pressure from dollar stores and other deep discounters, Walmart is working to hold onto its title as the country’s low-price leader. One of its biggest initiatives is pressuring suppliers to cut costs on their …

American consumers have always demanded perfection. We want the best product available for the lowest possible price. Our entire economic system is fashioned so that we reward products with beautiful form and efficient function by …

The 2015 salmon harvest is projected to be 40% larger than last year. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecast released March 30 predicts the 2015 total commercial salmon catch at 220.9 million. That …

Larger food companies may increase acquisitions of smaller organic producers in the wake of Kraft Foods Group and H.J. Heinz Co.’s merger, according to analysts. The two companies could be busy dealing with the merger …

It’s no secret that Americans are dealing with health issues stemming from their food choices. Nearly two-thirds of people over 20 years of age are overweight, and a third of Americans over age 20 are …

Looking at the latest personal expenditure data from the government, in 2014’s final quarter, consumers spent 9% less than the prior year on gasoline for their vehicles than the year before – or about $33 …

February shrimp landings in the Gulf of Mexico are up from a year ago. For the entire Gulf of Mexico, 2.9 million-lbs. of shrimp were landed according to data from NOAA. Looking across count sizes, …

As the winter snows thaw and spring makes its way out of hibernation, U.S. fruit and vegetable production will begin to prop up, offering relief to anyone who has been awaiting the joy of eating …

The overall liquid refreshment beverage sector grew 2.2% in 2014 even as soda sales declined for the tenth straight year. Overall soda volume fell 0.9%, with Coke as the biggest seller and Pepsi overtaking Diet …

According to a Food Institute analysis of the USDA Cold Storage monthly report, frozen vegetables and fruits both saw declines for February. For frozen vegetables, cold storage declined 2% to 2.0 billion-lbs. overall with potatoes …

In the news reports about the $46 billion merger of Heinz and Kraft Foods, most analysts immediately noted that the new company would be the 3rd largest U.S. food company (or 5th largest in the …

Technology has had a profound effect on the way we transact business, from automating inventory to connecting buyers and sellers around the world. Technology permeates the business world, from simple phone calls to massive databases. …

While consumer tastes seem to be shifting away from soda and toward healthier beverages, Coca-Cola Co.’s CEO Muhtar Kent believes the company’s best course of action is simply selling more cola. The company’s plans include …

As the decline of orange juice production and sales continues, Florida farmers are contemplating an advertising campaign that would downplay the state’s prominent production role. The USDA recently reduced the estimate of this season’s orange …

While a record 15.0 million tons of tomatoes are estimated to be harvested in California this coming year by the USDA, a couple of red flags have appeared to cast doubt if the number will …

Produce for Better Health Foundation recently released its State of the Plate 2015 report which noted a 7% decrease in per-capita consumption of fruit and vegetables over the last five years, fueled by a 14% …

As the U.S. becomes more multicultural, the tastes and buying habits of younger consumers are reflecting growing ethnic populations. Multicultural consumer purchasing power reached $3.4 trillion in 2014, and has been growing at more than double …

Disposable coffee cups may be the norm with takeout coffee, but that could be changing. Despite the introduction of reusable cups into the marketplace, most people still throw out their beverage containers when they are …

It seems all varieties of food and drink are entering the “craft” marketplace, and Mountain Dew is no exception. The company will release Mtn Dew DEWShine on Mar. 23, marking the brand’s first foray into …

Import and exports of canned beans showed strong increases in the first month of 2015 despite overall volume and dollar values being mixed. January imports for shelled beans increased 5% in volume to about 7.3 …

Tuna has received some prominent attention lately, as Greenpeace ranked 14 well-known tuna brands for sustainability. Their overall grade was not great; in fact, their assessment stated that most companies in the industry did not …

After losing ground to the Greek yogurt market General Mills’ Yoplait brand is once again growing, boosted by a reformulation that reduced sugar content by 25% in combination with a new marketing campaign. The result …

Even though the use of newspaper circulars is decreasing, they remain important for attracting customers. When Walmart shifted its marketing funds over to digital advertisements in several markets, reducing spending on newspaper circulars, traffic declined …

The demand for organic, locally-sourced, all-natural food is growing and growing. Gone are the days of infinite shelf-life and preservatives; instead, consumers today are looking for the freshest produce, meats, dairy and grains. Although the …