This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we break down the latest innovations in plant-based protein, a predicted slump for delivery apps, millennials’ favorite brands, and more. To listen, click the play/arrow button …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
While grocery store owners benefited from a rush of customers throughout much of the past year as the pandemic raged, owners now have growing concern that their bottom line will look far less rosy in …
Gluten-free diets are all the rage, but aside from benefitting the small percentage of people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, there is little to no evidence showing that a gluten-free diet is effective …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
While the gap between food insecurity and food waste is significant, increased government, industry and community efforts can narrow the divide. But with global food demand projected to rise anywhere between 59% to 98% by 2050 …
A mentoring session from nearly six months ago still sticks in the mind of Talita Ramos Erickson. When speaking with a recent business school graduate, Ramos Erickson was informed the fledgling professional wouldn’t even consider …
Fruit and vegetable production, like all agricultural practices, must adapt to climate change. That is, producers – already experiencing soil depletion and water supply issues – will also have to contend with severe weather disruptions …
The combination of wanting to eat a healthier diet and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change has led to a meteoric rise in meat alternatives. But while consumers are increasingly incorporating plant-based proteins …
Lizzy Freier, senior research manager of menu at Technomic, spoke with The Food Institute’s Susan Choi about the so-called chicken sandwich wars in the quick service restaurant segment, the impact of the pandemic on sales, …
On February 18, The Food Institute, in conjunction with DMA, hosted a webinar that examined the recent explosion of ghost kitchens and virtual brands. The event, which featured executives from Denny’s, Kitchen United, and Lettuce …
The food industry is one of many accelerating the use of special purpose acquisition companies. But with SPACs positioned to quadruple this year, are these companies poised to become the next Internet bubble or subprime …
Each February, Black History Month not only celebrates the achievements of African Americans, but also highlights some of the mistreatment African Americans have endured over the course of our history. Perhaps it’s appropriate, then, that …
To no one’s surprise, the consumption of chocolate and other comfort food is on the rise as consumers lean more on guilty pleasures to cope with pandemic-related anxiety. In fact, the stress of 2020 coupled …
Now, more than ever, food companies are leveraging loyalty programs to generate sales. At the same time, customers are demanding them. Wade Hanson, Principal with Technomic Inc., said the Baby Boomer generation especially values loyalty programs like the Royal Perks initiative recently launched by Burger King. “Boomers are …
While Sunday’s Super Bowl will be the perfect platform to highlight the changing of the guard between superstar NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, the food industry will also have some significant changes on …
By most accounts, it’s not a matter of if, but when. The minimum wage appears to be headed towards $15 in much of the U.S., if not all, in the near future. And restaurant chains are bracing for that impact. “Restaurants need to engineer …
We’ve come a long way from fighting off a cold with grandma’s chicken soup. From the healthier products touted by food and beverage companies to the renewed focus of consumers on better nutrition and wellness …
Tim Hand and Bruce Reinstein, partners with food industry consulting firm Kinetic12, and Wade Hanson, principal with foodservice consulting firm Technomic, participated in a webinar yesterday hosted by The Food Institute and DMA titled “2021 …
Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden’s nominee for U.S. agriculture secretary, pledged this week to increase USDA programs to combat climate change, expressing confidence that farmers will embrace the chance to make money by sequestering carbon within …
The meal kit and fresh food segments have experienced tremendous growth over the course of the pandemic on a combination of limited dining-out options, families with little time to spare for preparing and cooking food, …
An estimated one-third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste, likely enough calories to feed every undernourished person on the planet. But wasted food isn’t just about food insecurity. It’s also …
Main Points: Total capacity of refrigerated warehouses worldwide was 719 million cubic meters in 2020, 16.7% higher than 2018. Among the factors driving growth are online grocery sales, subscription meal services, consumer preferences for fresh …
