Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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Let's make a deal: How Nestlé is using M&A and multibillion-dollar divestitures to shape its portfolio
With more than $30 billion in transactions since 2018, the world's largest food company is refocusing its offerings on faster-growing categories popular with consumers.
Christopher Doering • March 01, 2021 -
Motif FoodWorks
Will 2021 be the turning point for food technology?
What we eat and drink could soon change thanks to advances that allow for the creation of better ingredients, crops and animals. The biggest challenge: explaining the science to consumers.
Megan Poinski • Jan. 26, 2021 -
Retrieved from Algenuity on August 06, 2020
How algae's potential could make other ingredients green with envy
The one-celled organism can be cultivated anywhere — and with research and Big Food partnerships, it might be the next great sustainability story.
Megan Poinski • Jan. 21, 2021 -
Creative-Family/Getty Images
Could 2021 be the breakout year for cannabis-infused food and beverages?
Although the pandemic slowed progress, the outlook is brighter as more companies enter the market and the regulatory environment has the potential to change.
Lillianna Byington • Jan. 19, 2021 -
Thai Phi Le
CPGs wake up to breakfast's new future after coronavirus shakeup
With more people at home, a less hectic pace has boosted demand for sausage, waffles and cereal — a shift food manufacturers are confident will stick around after the pandemic.
Christopher Doering • Jan. 12, 2021 -
"Woman in Yellow Tshirt and Beige jacket Holding a Fruit Stand" by Anna Shvets is licensed under CC BY 1.0
5 trends fueling food and beverage innovation in 2021
Consumers will pick up their pursuit of immunity boosts, new plant-based options, global flavors and tech-enhanced foods after a tough year.
Lillianna Byington, Christopher Doering and Megan Poinski • Jan. 04, 2021 -
Samantha Liss, Healthcare Dive
5 questions to ask before adopting a coronavirus vaccine policy
Vaccines are still one arrow in an employer's COVID-19 quiver, an attorney said. Incentives and education may also be preferable to mandates.
Ryan Golden • Dec. 22, 2020 -
Courtesy of Eat Just
From science to reality: What approval of cell-based meat means for the industry
Singapore's approval of cultured meat is the beginning of a journey to bring something new to the business and potentially change how the world makes food.
Megan Poinski • Dec. 15, 2020 -
Permission granted by Mars
Breaking down Mars' maverick move for a more sustainable palm oil supply chain
Reducing its palm oil mills from 1,500 to 50 in three years to meet internal goals is a decisive move that will almost certainly work, but the impact beyond Mars' supply chain is less certain.
Emma Cosgrove • Dec. 14, 2020 -
'It's our Super Bowl': How food manufacturers are preparing for an unorthodox holiday season
The pandemic has upended how consumers plan to celebrate, prompting CPG companies to reduce product sizes, tout offerings for novice cooks and shift more resources online.
Christopher Doering • Nov. 23, 2020 -
Adeline Kon/Food Dive
By the numbers: Examining the cost of the pandemic on the meat industry
Over the last eight months, some of the largest companies have spent millions to deal with the coronavirus and seen thousands of workers get infected, while meat supply and pricing fluctuate.
Lillianna Byington • Nov. 19, 2020 -
Courtesy of Tofurky
Talking Tofurky: How its mission and fun approach made a quirky company a plant-based leader
While the 25-year-old family-owned company may be named after its Thanksgiving roast, a diverse array of products and leadership have helped establish the now-trendy segment.
Megan Poinski • Nov. 19, 2020 -
Retrieved from USDA photo by Preston Keres via Flikr.
OSHA comes under fire for 'paltry' fines and lax guidance to meat plants
While critics call the citations "less than a slap on the wrist," companies including Smithfield and JBS have denounced the fines, saying they followed the agency's recommendations for the pandemic once they were available.
Lillianna Byington • Nov. 17, 2020 -
Heineken
Once mocked, nonalcoholic beer creates a buzz as traditional brew sales stagnate
New offerings from brands like Guinness and Budweiser are flooding the space as the segment, which pulls in nearly $200 million in sales, suddenly heats up.
Christopher Doering • Nov. 12, 2020 -
Permission granted by Celsius Holdings
How a Monster competitor plans to be the next $1B brand in energy drinks
Fast-growing Celsius Holdings has shaken the $14 billion beverage segment dominated by deeper-pocketed players like Red Bull by eschewing questionable ingredients and promising faster calorie burning during exercise.
Christopher Doering • Nov. 09, 2020 -
Permission granted by Tyson Foods
Meat processors expedite plans to implement robotics as pandemic increases pressure
The future of meat manufacturing could include 3D scanners and automated cutting. Tyson, Smithfield, Cargill and JBS are all looking at ways to incorporate more automation.
Lillianna Byington • Nov. 02, 2020 -
Less sugar, more problems: How reducing the popular sweetener causes reformulation challenges
Sugar helps with the texture, structure, color and shelf-life of products — all aspects that need to be replaced when manufacturers reduce the amount of the ingredient they use.
Megan Poinski • Oct. 22, 2020 -
Courtesy of Yuengling
Yuengling survived Prohibition and both World Wars. But can it beat the pandemic?
Despite recent challenges, the sixth-generation leaders of America's oldest brewery are leaning into its reputation as a "traditional" beer company, while pushing ahead on new initiatives including a partnership with Molson Coors.
Christopher Doering • Oct. 19, 2020 -
Yunjin Kim/Food Dive
Is coronavirus accelerating the growth of plant-based meat?
Sales for the category have exploded as the pandemic disrupts business as usual. Is this because people are turning away from animal-based eating, or is it keeping with the segment's trends?
Megan Poinski • Oct. 13, 2020 -
Permission granted by Ferrero
Pandemic forces Halloween candy makers to get creative to protect $5B in sales
Mars Wrigley, Hershey and Ferrero, which prepare years in advance for the holiday, have quickly altered their strategies on packaging, selling and marketing their sweets.
Christopher Doering • Oct. 12, 2020 -
Adeline Kon/Food Dive
Where they stand: Political donations from 10 of the largest food and beverage makers
Companies appear to be sitting out of the heated election cycle as contributions across the board dropped this year, with Democrats receiving 30% less and the GOP and trade group PACs seeing a 50% drop.
Christopher Doering • Oct. 05, 2020 -
Permission granted by Canopy Growth
Canopy Growth's beverage head is 'bullish' on the future of the cannabis category
After a delayed launch and an ongoing turnaround effort for its earnings, the Constellation-backed company is No. 1 in dollar share in drinks in Canada and plans to launch into the U.S. in the near future.
Lillianna Byington • Sept. 17, 2020 -
Christopher Doering/Food Dive
Innovation takes on a different meaning as pandemic forces CPGs to get creative
Conagra and Campbell Soup are among companies that have tried new development strategies during the coronavirus — from mailing products for at-home testing to a greater social media presence — or risk losing ground.
Christopher Doering • Sept. 14, 2020 -
Big CPGs struggle to gain market share during COVID-19 despite sales boost
IRI data shows while large manufacturers grabbed shelf space at the height of the pandemic, upstarts are taking advantage of out-of-stocks and demand for variety to win it back.
Christopher Doering • Aug. 31, 2020 -
How food innovation has continued during the pandemic
Coronavirus has shifted the reasons, processes and funds for new ideas and products, but manufacturers, funders and experts agree: Stopping the process is not an option.
Megan Poinski • July 27, 2020
