Bird Flu Approaching Danger Point

The USDA is ramping up efforts to stem H5N1 avian influenza as the virus has spread to a third worker, and cattle in at least nine states,

Meat Producers Look For A Bottom — And For Answers

The cycle has turned against meat producers with a perhaps unprecedented vengeance. In response, investors and industry participants face two key questions. First, when does the cycle turn? More importantly, what can meat producers do …

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.

The Food Industry’s ‘Unique Vulnerabilities’ to Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks at food companies have sounded alarms throughout the industry, leaving many businesses wondering when they will be attacked.

Data-and-Dash: Cybersecurity and the Food Industry

Crime is a malicious (and inevitable) branch of progress. As industry and technology evolve, so too do the machinations of those willing to test, infiltrate, and break the system for personal profit. As integrated web …

Cultivated Meat Heating Up as Big Food Enters Market

When Dutch professor Mark Post unveiled the first cultivated meat burger in 2013 at a cost of $330,000, few could have imagined how the category would evolve. In fact, companies can now create a patty …

Food Businesses Step Up Sustainability Efforts

For Earth Day, The Food Institute takes a closer look at recent industry efforts to meet the growing sustainability expectations of consumers. RETAILERS Sam’s Club recently revealed new sustainability efforts for its Member’s Mark private-label …

CPG Companies Eye Plant-Based Market with Different Goals

More major CPG companies are playing in plant-based, flagging the alt-protein category as a potential catalyst for growth. But industrywide, the depth of that value is not easily measured in broad strokes. “When you factor …

How Food Companies Can Prepare for Retaliatory Cyberattacks from Russia

U.S. companies should be prepared for retaliatory cyberattacks following Biden Administration sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine. U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, said private companies should be …

Prospects for Cultivated Meat Boosted by JBS, Upside Foods Investments

As alt-meat technology continues to make innovative strides, recent investments by major industry players suggest the long-term potential of the cultivated, or lab-grown, meat sector. Last week, JBS announced plans to invest $100 million in …

Aquaculture Industry on the Rise as Wild Fishery Production Slows

Global fish consumption continues to rise faster than other proteins, driven by a growing and increasingly prosperous world population that recognizes the health benefits of eating seafood. In fact, since 1961, the average annual 3.1% …

FI Fast Break audio news: July 7, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down the latest customer satisfaction ratings for fast-food chains (featuring a surprising last-place finisher), the increasing global demand for poultry, and more. The …

Swedish Grocery Chain Coop Latest Victim of Kaseya Cyberattack

Coop, one of Sweden’s largest supermarket chains, was forced to close some 500 stores due to an ongoing cyberattack affecting organizations around the world, reported BBC (July 4). Though the supermarket itself was not targeted …

FI Fast Break audio news: June 30, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down the historic heatwave impacting crops in the Pacific Northwest, Dunkin’ Donuts’ shift away from plant-based sausage, and the increasing interest surrounding grocery-anchored …

FI Fast Break news: June 23, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down one QSR’s solution to the hot wing shortage, food suppliers’ desperate search for truck drivers, and Amazon’s bold autonomous trucking plans. The …

FI Fast Break news: June 17, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down the wave of resignations currently taking place at U.S. businesses, restaurants’ recovery, and increasing drought concerns. The Food Institute Podcast · FI …

FI Fast Break news: June 10, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down QSR menu price hikes, alt-meat’s ascent, and the so-called “meme-stock” trend that’s starting to impact restaurant chains. The Food Institute Podcast · …

FI Fast Break: June 3, 2021

This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down the JBS cyber attack, Tesla’s reported restaurant plans, and the abrupt departure of Tyson’s CEO. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast …

UPDATE: JBS Poised to Reopen Following Cyber Attack

JBS has made “significant progress” in resolving the cyberattack that hit its global operations and will have the vast majority of its plants operational today, reported Bloomberg (June 2). “Our systems are coming back online …

JBS Cyber Attack Signals Threat to Global Food Supply 

Major meat producer JBS SA is grappling with a recent cybersecurity attack which affected servers supporting the company’s IT systems in North America and Australia. The attack disrupted two shifts and halted processing at one of Canada’s largest meatpacking plants, reported Bloomberg (May …

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 …

FI Fast Break: April 23, 2021

In the first installment of The Food Institute’s quick-hitting news podcast, we break down the trend of major food companies raising prices, worsening drought conditions in the western U.S., meatpacker JBS’ move into the plant-based …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Did the Meat Industry Do Enough to Protect Workers from COVID?

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 …

Trade Groups Seek Priority COVID-19 Vaccine Access for Meat Workers

Three leading meat-industry trade groups are asking U.S. governors to prioritize COVID-19 vaccine access for meat workers, reported Winsight Grocery Business (Dec. 9). The North American Meat Institute, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the …

Are Another Wave of Meat Plant Shutdowns Likely?

Another wave of coronavirus-driven closures of meatpacking facilities is unlikely, according to Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA Holdings Inc., reported The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 5). Nogueira noted that worker testing and safety practices …