SNAP Users Face New Struggle in 2023

Nearly one-third of survey respondents (30%) are currently skipping meals to account for their financial shortfall.

EVs Can Galvanize Farming and Agriculture

Today’s smart vehicles and robotics can do everything from operate autonomous implements in the field to monitor crucial silo volume and quality data, make precision adjustments to spraying and irrigation, and even assess crop and animal health. And that’s just scratching the surface.

Four “Toxic” Food Additives that Increase Appetite

Across the U.S., the number of households purchasing products that contain potentially harmful food additives appears to be on the rise. Between 2001 and 2019, the proportion of purchased food products that contained additives increased …

Fungi in the “New Age” of Functional Energy Drinks

While functional fungi are now a well-established ingredient in coffees, powders, and shots, their use in the ready-to-drink (RTD) energy category is just starting to gain momentum.

Investors Are Waiting for Consumers to Trade Down (or Not)

In the face of inflation, the U.S. consumer has shown impressive resilience. As a result, branded food manufacturers posted strong pricing-driven profit growth in 2022, and stocks in the sector rose sharply even in a …

Emerging Tech a Hot Topic at Digital Food & Beverage 2023

The recent Digital Food and Beverage conference illustrated that first-party data and AI are fast becoming transformative tech drivers of industry evolution.

The Better-for-You Blockbuster Snacking Season Has Arrived

As families gear up for movie night across the country and CPG companies figure out how to get their snacks off the shelves and into the hands of consumers before the previews even start, what constitutes a typical movie night snack, for many, is going the way of the dinosaurs.

Experts: El Nino (and Food Industry Upheaval) is Coming

Everyone knows “El Nino” by now – hot weather. Big winds. And once again in 2023, much of the world will gain a better grasp of this unpredictable meteorological phenomenon. El Nino generally refers to …

Analysis: Why Coffee Remains Inflation-proof

Inflation is causing consumers to rethink spending in numerous ways. Coffee, however, is one category that remains untouchable. Coffee, after all, is an affordable luxury. “Despite cutting down on dining out or travel, you can …

Plant-Based Treats Take Center Stage at Summer Shows

Vegan indulgences are a hot trend this summer. Here are a few featured products and award winners from the Sweets & Snacks Expo and NRA Show.

Analysis: Asian Food Winning Over America

New research illustrates the palate Americans have developed for Asian food over the years. Pew Research found that nearly three-quarters of all U.S. counties (73%) now have at least one Asian restaurant of some kind. …

Lifelong Vegetarian Tries Lab-Grown Wagyu Beef

Vegetarian and FI business writer, Christine Zulkosky, sampled Ohayo Valley’s lab-grown wagyu beef at the Vegan Women Summit in Brooklyn, NY.

Poll Shows Americans Have Become Adventurous Eaters

A recent survey suggests there’s pent-up demand to eat out — and to try new flavors — as American consumers become more adventurous eaters. Nearly half of the survey’s respondents (47%) said they’re tired of …

Restaurant Show Offered Plenty of Plant-Based Alternatives

Restaurant operators looking to add plant-based options to their menus had no shortage of options at the recent National Restaurant Association Show.

Is the Trucking Demand Slowdown a Bellwether for the Economy?

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s effort to slow the economy by raising interest rates without triggering a recession may have failed if conditions in the trucking industry are any indication.

3 Key Takeaways from the 2023 Sweets & Snacks Expo

CHICAGO – Nearly 18,000 people attended the National Confectioners Association’s 2023 Sweets & Snacks Expo recently, the final show to be held in Chicago before moving to Indianapolis (2024, 2025) and Las Vegas (2026). At …

Exec: Upcycled Food Movement Set to Gain Major Momentum

As consumers exhibit growing interest in waste and sustainability, companies are looking at taking what would once have been discarded and creating a new product – and the food industry is part of this approach, …

Study: Plant-Based Attains Popularity with Gen Z

An eye-opening 81% of college students will choose a plant-based food offering when it’s the default option, according to a recent study led by foodservice provider Sodexo. And these Gen Zers are more interested in …

Study: Lab-Grown Meat Potentially Worse for Environment than Retail Beef

If proper technology and facilities can be developed to lessen the current emissions costs of lab-grown products, then yes, the research team found cultured meat to be much more environmentally competitive and with a potential wide range of applications. Today, though, the scientific/environmental/cultural jump “from pharma to food” remains an expensive and taxing endeavor for mother Earth.

Analysis: The Healthiest Superfoods

Eat a balanced diet. We’ve heard that edict since we were children, but now all the shouting is about superfoods and supplements that can do everything from lower blood pressure to improve gut health to …

Groundbreaking Consumer Insight: The Snack 50 Psychological Ranking

According to Circana Group and reported by The Wall Street Journal, nearly half of American consumers snack three times or more every day, a figure up 8% in the past two years. Last year, U.S. snack sales soared to over $180 billion, up 11% from the previous year.

American Jerk: The Salty, Smoky, Spicy, and Thriving Business of Jerky

There are many notable jerky and meat snack companies out there and most are thriving as the snackification of America continues apace. Jerky in any form has been a staple snack since navigators used sextets to sail the seven seas and discover more jerky, as John Smith is purported to have in the early 1600s when he marked a map of Virginia and wrote, “as drie as their jerkin beefe in the West Indies.”

COLUMN: For Tyson and JBS, the Problem is Not Just the Cycle

Input costs are up, prices are falling, volumes are down. It’s an unprecedented environment.

Top Candy Innovations of 2023

This is fastly becoming the year of functional confectionery and “super sour” candy. Manufacturers are taking note in an era in which consumers are receptive to brief indulgences.

OPINION: Beyond Predictable – The Perils of Losing Focus After Initial Success

Why is Beyond Meat struggling? What will last in the plant-based category, and will it ever grow again? And what can other founders learn from this classic case of irrational exuberance? The answers may still surprise you.

Future of Soda: Less Sugar, More Influencers

The global carbonated soft drink market size is expected to grow at a modest CAGR of 4.7% through 2028, and industry experts say consumers demand more creative products like craft sodas.

Why Lemon8 May Replace TikTok as Top Marketing App

As Congress considers a ban on the social media platform TikTok due to questions about the privacy of data, online safety concerns and connections with the Chinese Communist Party, many individuals and businesses alike are …

Food Waste: Investment in Upcycled Food Gaining Steam

The process of upcycling food – finding new, higher-value uses for items that would otherwise go to waste – appears to boast untapped potential for businesses these days.

How to Win in the 2023 Snacking Universe

“Snacking is still a lifestyle in the U.S., fueled by the younger generation,” Wyatt began. “We’re in an unprecedented situation as price hikes in this category are outpacing other food/bev categories.”

COLUMN: Resilient Consumers Aren’t Going Anywhere – Yet

With price hikes easing and food company earnings strong, it appears resilient consumers aren’t going anywhere – yet.

How to Reduce Waste While Monetizing Your Side Streams

This article is sponsored and written by GTF Technologies. By now, everyone in the food industry knows that 30-40% of food produced1 and almost half of all fruits and vegetables grown worldwide2 go to waste. …

Report: ‘Shrinkflation’ Top of Mind for Consumers

Shrinkflation is hitting Americans – hard. Almost three out of four consumers are concerned about the trend of shrinkflation – when companies keep their prices the same, yet give customers less of their products – …

Analysts: Global Rice Shortage Likely to Last for Months

The ramifications of weather and war have resulted in a global rice shortage, which could be among the worst in nearly a quarter century. Rice production for 2023 appears destined for a severe shortfall. “The …

Taking Sustainable Snacks “Beyond the Plant”

Plant-based snacks can be a confusing category for consumers to navigate. The Food Institute spoke with Nora Witt, VP of Marketing at Dole Packaged Foods, about the evolution and key elements of plant-forward snacks across the supply chain.

8 Common Food Sickness Culprits

Most consumers are aware that products like deli meat trigger occasional foodborne illness outbreaks. Those same people might be surprised, however, to find that items like onions, peaches, and flour are also common culprits of …

What the Health Star Rating (HSR) System Reveals

Nestle SA recently announced that only 30% of its portfolio is considered healthy after conducting a self-assessment using the Health Star Rating (HSR) system. The rating test also showed that a third of Nestle’s sales …