Flowers Foods offers buyouts to help position company for future growth

The maker of Wonder Bread and Tastykake does not know how many employees are likely to participate in the initiative, which will be completed by the end of the year.

By Christopher Doering • July 18, 2017

Pilgrim's Pride CEO advocates for transparency in chicken farming

The poultry executive said there is a widening gap between the consumers' perception of where the food they eat comes from and the reality of how it's produced.

By Sandy Skrovan • July 18, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

How AI is transforming the food and beverage industry

Companies are leaning on the technology across nearly all parts of their operations, from marketing to product design.

By Food Dive staff

Food makers bulk up on simple ingredients as consumers embrace clean labels

General Mills, Hershey, Campbell Soup and Nestle are among the companies replacing artificial colors and flavors with natural ones and using a smaller roster of components.

By Christopher Doering • July 17, 2017

Lucky 7: The food industry's top targets for squeaky clean labels

As consumers favor simple items with easy-to-understand ingredient lists, artificial colors, HFCS, trans fats and gluten have been among what's phased out by manufacturers.

By Caroline Macdonald • July 17, 2017

Victory and defeat: How food companies have succeeded and failed in reformulation efforts

Cleaning up the label on a known and loved product is always a risk, as these examples demonstrate. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 17, 2017

Cleanliness conundrums: The challenges in clean label reformulations

The ingredients list may be more consumer-friendly, but experts say the product might not look, taste or behave the way shoppers expect.

By Megan Poinski • July 17, 2017

General Mills patents new cereal coating that could cut sugar by 30%

The manufacturer claims it has found a way to cut sweetener amount without changing the product's texture, appearance or bowl life. 

By Caroline Macdonald • July 17, 2017

Finding opportunity at the intersection of food production and distribution

Ensuring key parts of the supply chain are geographically convenient improves quality, and Missouri Partnership CEO Steve Johnson explains how to determine if this setup works for manufacturers.

By Steve Johnson • July 17, 2017

Hazardous chemicals found in boxed macaroni and cheese

Consumer advocates are urging Kraft Heinz and other manufacturers to clean up their products after research found harmful chemicals in the favorite kids’ food.

By Sandy Skrovan • July 17, 2017

Study: Meat, it's what's for snacking as consumer demand sizzles

The category is forecast to rise by 9% annually through 2021, fueled by new products and increasing demand for portable, healthy, low calorie and high protein snacks.    

By Sandy Skrovan • July 17, 2017

As market share wanes, Big Food needs to pay attention

In a commentary in Forbes, a supply chain expert said companies should do a better job using data and social media to respond more quickly to changes.

By Megan Poinski • July 14, 2017

Patron takes a shot with premium tequila launch

Growth in this popular liquor is being driven largely by the millennial generation’s appetite for pricey spirits instead of beer and wine.

By Sandy Skrovan • July 14, 2017

Cinnamon Toast Crunch gets re-imagined as a doughnut hole

General Mills is extending its brand across grocery aisles in a product mash-up that turns a cereal beloved by millennials into a portable frozen snack. 

By Sandy Skrovan • July 14, 2017

Judge says lawsuit against Nature Valley's 'natural' claim is 'not plausible'

Without a definition of the term by the FDA, the dismissal of the class action case may make it harder to argue that a label is misleading.

By Megan Poinski • July 14, 2017

Paleo may be a fad, but trends toward healthy ingredients are here to stay

The movement toward functional foods to address health and wellness issues will keep growing, and manufacturers are incorporating more items known to have natural benefits and healing powers.

By Sandy Skrovan • July 13, 2017

Constellation products have opportunity for 'huge' growth, says CEO

Rob Sands said that category management and reallocation of shelf space could further boost his company's high-performing brand sales. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 13, 2017

Why the food and beverage industry should be eating up email marketing

While the inbox is older technology, many companies aren't taking advantage of the opportunities it provides. Response Media CEO Josh Perlstein explains how to use it better.

By Josh Perlstein • July 13, 2017

Study: Nearly all consumers find transparency in food and beverage important

According to a report from Response Media, most shoppers would pay more for a product that offers more information about ingredients, manufacturing and sustainability.

By Megan Poinski • July 13, 2017

Alternative ice creams are more prevalent, but most consumers still want to indulge

Vegan, non-dairy and allergen-free varieties are growing in number, but traditional creamy flavors still dominate customer preferences.

By Megan Poinski • July 13, 2017

Is generic the new premium? How an online retail startup could shake up food

Brandless began selling environmentally and health-conscious product staples such as peanut butter and maple syrup for $3 online on Tuesday.

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 12, 2017

Private equity firm invests $10M in Sonoma Creamery

The Svoboda Capital Fund will help the cheese and snack company expand production, create new products and hire new employees. 

By Megan Poinski • July 12, 2017

Investment firm buys dairy icon Borden

The Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm is no stranger to the food sector with investments in Hispanic retailer Fiesta Mart and Igloo coolers.

By Christopher Doering • July 12, 2017

Land O'Lakes launches incubator to challenge plant-based alternatives

The agricultural cooperative's program will help nascent dairy companies in efforts such as brand building, financing, manufacturing and distribution.

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 12, 2017

Higher prices sweeten PepsiCo's Q2 earnings

The beverage giant posted revenue of $15.71 billion and expects to meet its fiscal 2017 goal of organic revenue growth of at least 3%.

By Emma Liem Beckett • July 11, 2017

Echo Capital invests in three on-trend food startups

The mission-based, nutritious products from Back to the Roots, Nona Lim and Wilde will bring a sought-after millennial consumer to the investment firm's portfolio. 

By Caroline Macdonald • July 11, 2017