Deep Dive: Page 5

Industry insights from our journalists


  • private labe
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    Christopher Doering/Food Dive
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    Private label prospects brighten as recession hits cash-strapped consumers

    Even before the pandemic, sales growth in the sector was forecast to outpace that of national brands for the fourth straight year, according to IRI.

    Christopher Doering • June 17, 2020
  • Custom header image for Food Dive story on the egg market during the coronavirus pandemic by Adeline Kon.
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    Adeline Kon/Food Dive
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    How coronavirus scrambled eggs

    Prices have swung dramatically as the markets and demand have changed and consumers clamor for the protein staple.

    Megan Poinski • June 15, 2020
  • pepsico
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    Permission granted by PepsiCo
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    Consumers and manufacturers rethink DTC's promise as pandemic alters shopping habits

    PepsiCo, Mondelez and Unilever are among the companies that have deployed direct-to-consumer shipping, which offers convenience for shoppers but complicated logistics. 

    Christopher Doering • May 26, 2020
  • Blue Mountain Brewery
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    Permission granted by Blue Mountain Brewery
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    Once thriving craft beer industry dealt crippling blow by coronavirus

    With brewpubs and taprooms shuttered and consumers less willing to experiment, thousands of brewers could go out of business or experience major changes to their operations.

    Christopher Doering • May 19, 2020
  • Minibar
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    Permission granted by Minibar
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    Online alcohol sales may see permanent rise as coronavirus alters shopping habits

    Data insights firm Kantar estimates that 30% of new customers who try buying booze through e-commerce for the first time during the pandemic will remain long-term users. 

    Christopher Doering • May 6, 2020
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    Photos by Getty; photo illustration by Kendall Davis/Food Dive
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    Meatpacking workers wonder whether job is a 'death sentence' amid outbreaks

    Many are criticizing the industry’s response for waiting too long to implement safety precautions and close processing plants as thousands have tested positive for coronavirus.

    Lillianna Byington • April 28, 2020
  • The IFT19 show floor
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    Megan Poinski/Food Dive
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    What will a virtual IFT be like?

    Companies and scientists among the 25,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors usually at the annual event speculate about how the experience can be replicated online.

    Megan Poinski • April 23, 2020
  • Veestro
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    Permission granted by Veestro
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    Food startups grapple with financial roadmap as coronavirus sows uncertainty

    The pandemic has made it harder to assess valuations for companies, forcing businesses to alter strategies on how and when to raise money.

    Christopher Doering • April 20, 2020
  • Crystals of MSG, or monosodium glutamate
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    Permission granted by Ajinomoto
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    From the blacklist to the spotlight: How MSG is staging a comeback

    Ever since a 1968 editorial, consumers have shied away from monosodium glutamate, but manufacturers have continued to use it. Now the ingredient is beginning to lose its bad reputation. 

    Megan Poinski • April 16, 2020
  • Antitrust concerns cloud DFA's purchase of Dean Foods' assets

    Although the bankruptcy court approved the sale, it needs the U.S. Department of Justice to sign off. Some are hoping that roadblock will stop the deal.

    Lillianna Byington • April 16, 2020
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    Emma Cosgrove
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    Coronavirus casts a spotlight on risks facing food workers, employers

    While many CPG manufacturers have increased pay and improved safety within their facilities, some unions and employees have asked whether it is enough.

    Christopher Doering • April 6, 2020
  • Expo West show floor
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    Lillianna Byington/Food Dive
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    'It's a huge blow': How businesses are moving forward after coronavirus canceled Expo West

    The annual trade show is critical in helping launch products, and the loss of face time with retailers and buyers has left many companies searching for creative solutions to recover. 

    Lillianna Byington, Christopher Doering and Megan Poinski • March 19, 2020
  • dairy timeline pic
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    Danielle Ternes/Food Dive
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    How two years of changes in dairy led to two major bankruptcies

    Struggling with competition from milk alternatives, innovative startups and private label, this timeline shows how Borden and Dean Foods got here and what’s next for the industry.

    Nami Sumida and Lillianna Byington • March 4, 2020
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    Emma Cosgrove
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    CFO in the Know: Getting acquired in a 'snack-eat-snack' market

    Small food companies often form in hopes of acquisition by giants like Hershey or Mondelez. How can CFOs best help their companies prepare for such large-scale acquisitions?

    Jane Thier • March 3, 2020
  • Anheuser-Busch
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    Anheuser-Busch
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    Farm to pint: How Anheuser-Busch cultivates its ingredients amid a changing climate and consumer

    In addition to stringent farming protocols, the company is investing millions to find the next rice, hops and barley varieties that can be grown using less water or are more resilient to diseases.

    Christopher Doering • Feb. 20, 2020
  • Just's cell-based chicken is chopped to make a chicken salad
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    Just
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    Cell-based meat products are years away, so why are states making so many laws about them?

    Seventeen laws about meat labeling were passed in 14 states in 2019, and nine states are considering similar legislation this year.

    Megan Poinski • Feb. 12, 2020
  • These labels were approved by USDA to disclose if a product contains GMO, or bioengineered, ingredients.
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    (2018). [illustration]. Retrieved from US Department of Agriculture.
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    Food manufacturers can put GMO labels on their products in 2020. Will they?

    Large manufacturers need to disclose detectable bioengineered ingredients by 2022, and attorneys and analysts think many will wait until the last minute.

    Megan Poinski • Jan. 27, 2020
  • Once a sidekick in food, the pea finds itself the star of the show

    The little round legume has grown in popularity as a way to add nutrients, replace allergens and respond to consumer demand for more plant-based meats, beverages and other products.

    Christopher Doering • Jan. 23, 2020
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    Christopher Doering
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    Big Beer quickens pace of innovation as sales of iconic brews languish

    With volumes of the popular alcohol dropping for the fourth straight year in 2019, hard coffee, kombucha, spiked seltzers and flavored versions of popular brews could be the future.

    Christopher Doering • Jan. 21, 2020
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    Dollar General
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    6 trends that will shape the food and beverage industry in 2020

    What will this new year bring? We see the launch of meat substitutes that go beyond the burger, the elevation of alternative dairy products and smaller M&A deals. 

    Lillianna Byington, Megan Poinski and Christopher Doering • Jan. 8, 2020
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    Follow Your Heart
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    How to have nearly 50 years of success in plant-based food: Follow Your Heart

    With unflinching ethics and a commitment to sustainability, the company that practically started the animal-free segment grew from a vegetarian lunch counter to a grocery store CPG staple, selling Vegenaise, cheeses and yogurts.

    Megan Poinski • Dec. 3, 2019
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    Aleksandr Kravtsov/Getty Images
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    Cannabis is hot, so why are investors wary?

    The regulatory gray area for the substance in food and beverage has led to hesitation, causing some brands to struggle with fundraising.

    Lillianna Byington • Nov. 25, 2019
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    Yujin Kim/Food Dive; photograph by Dean Foods
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    How Dean Foods' bankruptcy is a 'warning sign' to the milk industry

    Struggling with debt and changing consumer demands, ​the largest dairy producer in the U.S. filed for Chapter 11. Food Dive looks at how the company got here and what's next for the sector.

    Lillianna Byington • Nov. 21, 2019
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    Christopher Doering
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    Behind the scenes: Data and technology bring food product R&D into the 21st century

    With CPG companies under pressure to develop items faster and stretch their spending, Conagra, Mars Wrigley and Ferrara are rethinking the decades-old way of creating new things for consumers.

    Christopher Doering • Nov. 20, 2019
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    Arctic Summer/White Claw/Truly
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    After the summer's hard seltzer spike, will the segment lose its fizz?

    This year, market leader White Claw saw exploding sales and even a shortage — and legacy brewers are trying to cash in on what they hope is a lasting trend.

    Lillianna Byington • Nov. 14, 2019