Projecting the Plant-Based Future

Plant-based meats are about to become much more mainstream – Christina Russo is convinced of it. As alt-meats have found their way onto the menus of fast-food chains like Burger King, McDonald’s and KFC, plant-based ...

No Cap in Sight for Booming Mushroom Market

Retailers are digging up new ways to boost fresh mushrooms sales in the produce department and beyond, as consumer interest in fungi functionality continues to thrive. The global mushroom market size is expected to reach …

3 Key Shopping and Dining Trends Forming in `The New Normal’

Like many things, consumer behavior has changed over the past two years. In fact, a new report from Placer.ai found that hybrid work, increased economic uncertainty, and more leisure activity, dramatically accelerated the rate of …

7 Ways CPG Companies Accelerated Growth in 2021

In a recent IRI webinar on consumer packaged goods (CPG) company performance in 2021, senior leaders from three of the category’s top performing companies — Michael Del Pozzo from PepsiCo, Gary Osifchin from Reckitt, and …

Is Beyond Meat Beyond Repair?

Investors appear to have soured on Beyond Meat, sending its stock price from a $160.28 to as low as $35.74 in the last year, as competition in the alternative-meat sector has increased and the company’s …

Is the Future Consumer Flexitarian?

As reported in a recent FoodThink white paper, flexibility is among the top priorities for U.S. consumers when it comes to food shopping and eating behaviors. With food habits and social wellness trends evolving rapidly, …

Rapid Shutdowns for Rapid Delivery

When U.S. delivery startup Zero Grocery abruptly closed recently, it stunned northern California businesses that sold its products. Many were owed money and questioned what went wrong with the fast-growing startup, reported San Francisco Chronicle (March …

CPG Brands Aligning with Mental Wellness

Society has come a long way on normalizing discussions about mental health. With that, a growing list of brands are highlighting mental wellness in their marketing. As the issue is increasingly destigmatized—with celebrities and athletes openly discussing their …

Seafood Prices Spiking Amid Russian Sanctions

Sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine are hitting the supply of seafood in the U.S., sending prices higher. Data from IRI pegs fresh fish volume prices up 8.9% for the 52 weeks ended …

Goat Milk Gaining Steam, Due to Versatility

We might be seeing more goat milk products in the near future. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% and reach $17.9 billion by 2030, according to a new report by …

3 Keys for Successful Social Media Marketing

Food businesses are losing faith in Instagram following a change in its algorithm. The social media platform’s choice to prioritize videos over photos has created unforeseen costs for small businesses, leaving many owners frustrated, reported …

Why One Company is Going All-In on ‘Bee-Less’ Honey

If all the world’s bees were to die, the face of the earth would resemble Mars, the website for MeliBio bee-less honey maintains. It’s imperative to save the roughly 20,000 native and wild bee species, …

IFMA CEO: 3 Key Issues Likely to Drive Foodservice Forward

Phil Kafarakis knows the pandemic has created dire situations for many restaurants. At the same time, he’s also encouraged by the resilience displayed by many operators. “I think this pandemic gave people an opportunity to …

Recent Economic Data Could Be a Good Sign for Hiring Managers

While there certainly are signs of improving labor market conditions in the food industry, pandemic-inspired trends are causing headaches for hiring managers. In fact, the pandemic changed the way a lot of people think about ...

Make No ‘Mis-Steak’: Steakhouse Visits on the Rise

After two years of COVID-related limitations on indoor dining, one segment of the restaurant industry is surpassing pre-pandemic traffic figures: steakhouses. That’s according to a recent report from location analytics firm Placer.ai, which reported growth …

The 5 Healthiest Yogurts Currently on Store Shelves

With so many yogurt brands and styles to choose from these days, it can be confusing to determine the best option in the dairy aisle. From Greek to Icelandic, full-fat to fat-free, and a plethora …

Report: Bacon, Refrigerated Snacks Big CPG Winners Since 2020

Consumer data analysis firm Catalina reports two years into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans are snapping up certain packaged foods at a rapid clip, and there’s little evidence the trend is slowing much. Bacon, refrigerated snacks …

Analysis: Is There Too Much Plant-Based Competition?

Seemingly any product you can think of has a plant-based alternative these days. When The Food Institute attended this years’ Natural Products Expo West, we found a plethora of plant-based brands with items like alt-chicken …

The Plant-Based Protein Movement and Market Outlook

Plant-based innovations are disrupting the food industry, as the category’s growing prevalence in environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) matters drives investor interest from farm to fork – and beyond. Research from Bloomberg Intelligence suggests the …

Kerry: Health, Wellness Primary Concerns for Modern Consumers

What’s the mindset of the average American consumer in 2022? Kerry, a global food company, examined that question last week in a webinar titled “How America Eats: Creating Data-Driven Success for Food Brands.” “We’ve been …

Report: Groceries Becoming an E-Commerce Force

Online grocery shopping is reshaping e-commerce and is expected to become the top category this year, Adobe Analytics recently reported. “E-commerce is being reshaped by grocery shopping, a category with minimal discounting compared to legacy …

Functional Beverage Market Percolating

In 2022, consumers have a growing thirst for functional beverages. The global functional beverage market size was estimated at nearly $120 billion (USD) in 2021 and, according to researchandmarket.com, is projected to grow at a …

Report: QR Code Usage on the Rise for Young Consumers

One of the lasting pandemic-related changes in consumer behavior could be the adoption of the QR code, according to a new FoodBytes report from Datassential. A year ago, just a quarter of consumers had encountered …

Crisp Executive Sees Supply Chain Problems into Next Year

Supply chain backups are easing – if ever so slightly – according to one industry executive. “As economies open back up, there are fewer restrictions on the movement of people and goods,” Barry Bradley, head …

Food Safety Testing Market: Concerns About Public Health Boosts Demand

This article is written and sponsored by Transparency Market Research. Industrial production of food is subject to handling errors, undercooking, and inappropriate storage conditions that could lead to contamination. Additionally, new pathogens, chemical hazards, and disease …

3 Key Takeaways from New York’s Recent Wine Industry Events

In a strong sign that the COVID pandemic is (finally) on its wane, two important wine events, Vinexpo and La Paulee, took place in New York City recently, after a nearly 2-year hiatus. Judging by …

TikTok is Becoming a Food Industry Influencer

Users sharing their food on social media is nothing new, but TikTok is taking the phenomenon to new heights. Earlier this week, the hashtag for “food” had garnered a whopping 268 billion views on the …

As Masks Come Off, Restaurant Industry Outlook Tempered by Labor Shortage

With masks coming off, restaurants are bracing for a surge in business, evidenced by increased job posting for servers, bartenders and a host of other rolls, reports PeopleReady, an on-demand labor company. Unfortunately, many of …

Can Indulgent Treats Improve Health and Wellness?

The pandemic era strengthened food and beverage trends like health, wellness and nostalgic indulgence. While contradictory at first glance, these behaviors are finding alignment as consumers redefine what constitutes “healthy” behavior. Health and wellness are …

Can Plant-Based Innovation Boost Store Brand Sales?

On the heels of a stagnant sales year for store brands, Amazon and Kroger are bulking up their private label portfolios with plant-based products. Is category innovation on the horizon? The Food Institute Podcast · …

Poll: Most Americans Have ‘Trust Gap’ Over Food-Source Information

According to a new poll, less than 25% of U.S. adults strongly trust information about where their food is grown and how it’s produced. The recent University of Minnesota survey of 1,022 Americans revealed that …

Does the Keto Diet Have Staying Power?

The keto diet is still making headlines after surging in popularity several years ago. Food sensitivity specialist YorkTest researched the most viewed diet-related hashtags on TikTok and found that Americans can’t get enough of the …

Is There an Inflation Tipping Point for Restaurant Spending?

Are consumers willing to shell out $20 for a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake at their favorite fast-casual restaurant? As inflation and gas prices soar, we’re likely to find out soon. In fact, consumers appear …

Why Functional Ingredients Have Consumers Hooked

It doesn’t look like the health and wellness trend is going anywhere – and functional food ingredients are sure to benefit from it. So much so, that the market is projected to reach $118.4 billion …

Nestlé Boosts Dairy Alternatives Investment with New Arizona Beverage Facility

As Americans grow ever more enamored with alternatives to milk, cream and other dairy-based items, Nestlé USA has decided to make a major investment in the sector with a $675 million beverage facility in Glendale, …

Analysis: Companies stand to lose millions in pulling out of Russia

Burger giant McDonald’s led the way among fast-food chains, suspending operations in Russia less than two weeks after the Kremlin began its invasion of Ukraine and the West began imposing sanctions on Moscow. The likes …