Food For Thought

Amanda Buonopane, senior manager of strategic insights for Rich Products, returns to talk about Rich’s MegaTrends reports, which the company develops and then shares with the industry. In the current report, Buonopane says the data shows snacking is on the rise with consumers, and also how e-commerce and online shopping are impacting the food and beverage industry today. This is the latest guest a...

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a rule that would require a front-of-package nutrition label for most packaged food products, listing saturated fat, sodium and added sugars content for each product. Natalie Rainer, partner and member of the Health Care and FDA practice at K&L Gates, discusses the proposed rule and the industry’s initial reaction. She also digs into what i...

As we tear down our 2024 calendars and replace them with 2025 versions, it’s a good time to look back on the year in food safety challenges, accomplishments and trends that might push into the new year. Andrew Lorenz, who consults processors on food safety, quality and regulatory issues as CEO and founder of We R Food Safety!, offers his insights into the uptick in recalls in the past year and wha...

According to Alissa Davis, vice president of marketing for Golden Waffles, breakfast is coming back as people begin traveling again, both for work and pleasure. As such, Golden Waffles — which manufactures and sells its own waffle batter and provides waffle irons and accessories to foodservice operators and institutions — has rebranded itself and positioned its business to take advantage of the tr...

As we begin to turn the page on the 2024 calendar year, John Robertson of Life Cycle Engineering joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss the workforce challenges facing manufacturing and food and beverage processors and how automation is helping ease some of the burden. Robertson warns that processors who have not fostered a strong plan to capture legacy knowledge and support the next genera...

The Food For Thought podcast will be taking this week off, but don't worry, we will be back "on the air" next Wednesday, Dec. 4, with all the great insights and conversation you've come to expect! Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and here's to the best food holiday of the year!

Circana’s vice president of Thought Leadership, Joan Driggs, joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss the trends driving Thanksgiving shopping for food and beverage products this year. Shoppers are not wavering on the products they want on this American food-fest of a holiday, and retailers and processors, fortunately, are stepping up to offer deals and make the cost a little more affordable...

The term “recycling” has been around for decades, but how much progress have food and beverage companies made? And how have consumers been supported in their efforts to recycle? John Hewitt, senior vice president of packaging and sustainability on behalf of the Consumer Brands Association, talks about where industry stands, and then offers a learning session on molecular recycling — a recycling pr...

As consumers seek healthier options in their food choices, fermented foods have seen a resurgence in popularity, and Fermented Food Holdings, or FFH, hopes to take advantage of the rising demand. The company recently promoted Jorge Azevedo from chief operating officer to be its first CEO, and he joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss the company’s growth and its mission moving forward. In a...

Food and beverage plants are constantly chasing improved productivity and efficiency, and Bill Remy, CEO for TBM Consulting, joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss strategies to help them reach those goals. Remy also reminds processors of the importance of getting skilled workers on board to maintain the equipment at a high level, despite the complexity of the automation being installed, an...

This episode is brought to you by Robroy Industries. For food and beverage processors, designing facilities, equipment and components requires a sharp focus on mitigating safety risks to product and the workforce. Taken singularly, the bar has been raised for most of these standards. Yet, as Steve Voelzke, president of the Electrical Division at Robroy Industries, explains, an all-encompassing, wi...

The popularity of private-label food and beverage products continues to grow, and it’s being driven by a variety of factors from inflation over the years to continued price pressure to the influence of the Gen Z shopper. Nichole Jones, principal in EY-Parthenon’s retail strategy practice, and Don Johnson, principal in the consumer products and retail strategy practice at EY-Parthenon, join the pod...

This episode is brought to you by Regal Rexnord. Food and beverage processors aim every day to deliver increased sustainable productivity to get products out the door quicker. However, that goal often can be impeded by routine or unexpected conveyor line maintenance. Barry Voshell, strategic account manager for Regal Rexnord, joins us in this episode to discuss the various solutions in the industr...

When it comes to cultivated meat, the food industry remains in a holding pattern around what the future might hold for this segment of the meat industry. Some folks see cultivated meat as an uncertainty — and maybe even a threat to the traditional meat industry. Others, however, believe cultivated meat should have a seat at the table regarding how the industry will feed the growing global populati...

This episode is sponsored by Marel. In many segments of the food industry, in particular meat, poultry and seafood, manufacturing products requires multiple processing steps to get from live animal to a food portion. Automation and robotics can help processors where speed and efficiency are needed to create uniform, consistent products and package them in such a way that protects the products and...

Shawn Gilronan is a partner with CohnReznick and the leader of the company’s digital advisory practice. He joins us today to offer insights as to how food and beverage processors can start in on their own digital transformation journey, as well as how the latest wave of innovation has impacted the data revolution. Additionally, Gilronan gives his thoughts on how the industry can get ready for more...

Today’s episode is brought to you by Ingredion and is the third in a three-part series. Episode 1 aired on Aug. 14 , and Episode 2 aired on Aug. 28 , on this channel. This episode is part 3 of a three-part series, in which we’ve been speaking with experts about beverage trends and ready-to-mix proteins. In this episode, we will dig into the trends driving beverages overall, including sugar reducti...

In this episode, Karina Zimerfeld, global vice president of R&D for Mars Food & Nutrition, discusses how her company is aiming to help at-home cooks address the three primary demands they have when it comes to meal planning and preparation. Zimerfeld also talks about the technologies that have opened the door for companies to more easily address consumer demands today, and how Mars Food &a...

Today’s episode is brought to you by Ingredion and is the second in a three-part series. Episode 1 aired on Aug. 14 , and Episode 3 will air on Sept. 11, 2024, on this channel. In this episode, we will dig into the formulation, development and regulatory side of creating ready-to-mix protein products that help consumers meet their health and wellness requirements through food and beverage products...

Earlier this month, we talked ice cream trends — in today’s episode, we’re actually moving backward on the backyard barbecue timeline and discussing cheeseburger trends with Mike Bierbach, marketing director, Meals Cheese Business for Sargento. To kick off the summer grilling season, the Plymouth, Wisconsin-based cheese processor decided to survey Americans about their cheeseburger preferences acr...

Today’s episode is brought to you by Ingredion and is the first in a three-part series. Episodes 2 and 3 will air on Aug. 28 and Sept. 11, 2024, on this channel. Ready-to-mix protein products are sought after by consumers to meet their needs for a wide range of lifestyles, but those consumers seek added benefits beyond the protein packed into those products. Catherine Lochner, senior insights anal...

Summer is winding down, and even though ice cream is associated with summer, that doesn’t mean the frozen treat is overlooked any other time of the year. According to data from 84.51° , however, it seems that retail sales for ice cream products this year have been a bit sluggish. Bridget Allerton is a director of insights consulting for the retail data science, insights and media company, and she...

Johanna Velez, vice president of quality assurance for Monin Americas , sits down with us to discuss how technology has impacted quality assurance and quality control for food and beverage processors in recent years. In addition, Velez explains how corporate culture initiatives must involve the QA and QC teams, what success looks like in that arena, and what innovations she’d like to see develop t...

Today's episode is sponsored by Horizon Systems. Food and beverage processors are constantly on the lookout for a competitive edge that will help their products stand out amongst the crowd. Often, those companies look to new varieties, flavors and functionalities for their products, swapping out ingredients or introducing new formulations devised by their product development teams. However, as Tod...

How important is employee wellness to your company? Maybe you have support from above to take care of your team members’ physical health, or maybe their mental and emotional needs. What about their digital wellness? Bethany Baker, Wellness Director for Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company , joins the Food For Thought podcast to talk about how the beverage company has put an even greater emphasis...