Things can move very quickly in the food industry, and Tom Vilsack is the perfect example. In less than a week, the former agriculture secretary resigned from his post and landed as the head of …
Here’s a fun trivia question for you: who was President Barack Obama’s longest-serving Cabinet secretary? USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack lays claim to that feat, but all good things must come to an end. On Jan. …
Jan. 10 was a busy day for packaged food rivals The Kellogg Co. and General Mills as both unveiled their product portfolio plans for the new year. New products, new varieties and new takes on …
McDonald’s has done a lot of work to turn around its business in the U.S. in recent years, and the company is now making moves to turn around its fortunes overseas. The company reached a …
Things haven’t been easy for Dungeness crabbers on the West Coast in recent years. Algae blooms and Domoic acid outbreaks have led to a variety of harvest closures from California through Canada. However, now that …
Daily readers of Today in Food likely have noticed a trend in our Washington section over the past few years. From Hershey’s to McCormick Spices and seemingly every company in between, food and beverage producers …
Shoppers looking through the meat case for the holiday season and the new year will likely see lower retail prices on beef, even for popular holiday cuts like the tenderloin and rib roast. What’s driving …
We are in the final stretch of 2016: Thanksgiving is over, and grocery retailers are looking forward to holiday sales fueled by Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza and New Year’s Eve celebrations. However, certain things will be …
The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Microsoft vs. Apple. Star Wars or Star Trek? The list of classic rivalries goes on, but in the food sector, is there one as storied as …
Is there anything more polarizing thna genetically-modified crops? Proponents note that the GMO traits allow farm products to be perfected and grown even in the most adverse conditions, while those against the production technique cite …
It’s the week after Thanksgiving, and people across the nation are starting to think about the upcoming holidays. After enjoying a calorie-loaded feast Nov. 24, and anticipating more food opportunities as the end of the …
U.S. consumers enjoy bananas just as much as anyone, but I was surprised to see that Japan is also one of the biggest banana-devouring nations in the world. The country relies upon imports for over …
In a few days, the vast majority of Americans will sit down for a meal with their loved ones and give thanks for a nearly-completed year. However, how those Americans will celebrate varies greatly by …
Sometimes bigger isn’t better, as more companies are looking at smaller store formats to grow its business. Three grocery operators, Sendik’s Food Markets, WinCo and Raley’s, recently revealed plans to open smaller format stores, while …
Eat your vegetables. Who didn’t hear this phrase as a kid? I know I certainly did, and the chorus has been immortalized in television shows and advertising campaigns for years. And you know what? It …
As 2016 comes to an end, producers and retailers are looking at what the future will hold for the food industry. While analysts differ on many fronts, both Mintel and Innova Market Insights had plant-based …
We’ve kept a close eye on McDonald’s in the Food Institute Blog since CEO Steve Easterbrook took the helm. Under his leadership, the company has made a number of successful changes to the company, including …
It’s November 9th, and America has elected a new president. Donald Trump will assume the office of the chief executive on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, and it is certain things will be changing in the …
The darling of specialty food buyers and producers everywhere, Whole Foods Market seems to be making some shifts to better serve the customers and shareholders. From loyalty programs to CEO streamlining, the company is attempting …
For the better part of the year, avocados have been hard to come by. Despite high volumes and great prices for consumers in 2015, 2016 hasn’t been kind to the popular super-fruit. Weather and labor …
Meat lovers: USDA has good news for you. U.S. red meat and poultry producers had a banner year in 2015, according to USDA. During the year, the two industries combined for a record high of …
It’s been quite a year for Chipotle Mexican Grill. As previously reported in the Food Institute Blog, Chipotle Mexican Grill has been on the offensive to woo back customers following disasterous foodborne-illness outbreaks in 2015. …
Amazon has long been a pioneer when it comes to new methods of shopping. From Amazon Prime to Amazon Dash, it constantly works to find new avenues to deliver products into its customers’ hands. However, …
Earlier this year, Dunkin’ Donuts launched cold brew coffee at its locations nationwide after a successful trial in the New England market. The program, which began in Los Angeles and New York City on June …
C-stores were once seen as a place to grab grub on the go, but recently, operators in the industry have begun to propel the traditional c-store format to something that is closer to a grocery …
Technology is developing at an exponential rate, and it’s not isolated to Silicon Valley startups. Food companies across the globe are starting to grapple with the use of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and robotics in …
Ah, yes. Millennials: everything you thought you knew is wrong, and everything you thought was right is about to change. In some variation or another, this headline gets repeated throughout the year as writers try …
While not the largest food producer in the world, Brazil is no slouch either: most estimates note the country represents nearly 7% of the global food market. It is the world’s largest exporter of soy, …
On this, everyone can agree: last year’s avian flu outbreak was a disaster for producers and consumers. And I think everyone can also agree that it is a good thing the disease has not resurfaced …
Emotion, commonly understood as the most significant driver of customer loyalty, can pay huge dividends for companies. And for the food industry; that’s a good thing. According to the 2016 Temkin Emotion Ratings, consumers are …
What’s for dinner? This timeless question has haunted Americans for ages. For many American consumers, the answer involves traveling out of the house to enjoy a meal prepared by someone else in a business setting, …
Last week, I wrote about whether or not Americans were ready to eat more pork and meat. While USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) clearly believes that to be the case, there is one subset of …
For nearly a decade, red meat and pork consumption in the U.S. has been falling. According to USDA, U.S. beef production dropped 15% while pork consumption dropped 4% during the past ten years. And despite …
Imagine this scenario: you walk into your local grocery store and are presented with two options for your favorite style of cereal. One is packaged with a bunch of cartoon characters and images of the …
When it comes to food-borne disease, E. coli, along with Listeria and Salmonella, is a fairly common culprit. Most often encountered in undercooked meats, the bacterium can cause a number of medical conditions, ranging from …
Starbucks didn’t become one of the biggest foodservice operations in the U.S. by sitting on its laurels. The company is often-cited as an innovative one, with initiatives including new products, expansive employee benefits, unique stores …
