Key takeaways for the legacy food and beverage industry — from entrepreneurs

"Hold the integrity of your product above anything else," said White Moustache Yogurt founder Homa Dashtaki. "If you can produce one cookie a week, make sure it’s the best damn cookie."

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 15, 2016

Kellogg CEO wants company to have 'soul of a startup'

John Bryant also warns against sacrificing top line growth to focus solely on margins.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 14, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

Mergers and acquisitions

Declining sales and slowing consumption have more companies divesting brands, opening the door for smaller players and private equity firms to expand their portfolios.  

By Food Dive staff

Report: 5 trends among high-performing CPG companies reveal winning growth strategies

Still, even the top quartile of high-performing CPG companies struggled with net sales growth rates last year.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 14, 2016

Danone displays confidence in cost-cutting efforts, boosts 2016 margin target

The CEO's plan to return the company to sustainable growth by 2020 has centered in part around an overhaul of the dairy business.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 14, 2016

Tyson promotes CCO Tom Hayes to president, Smith to stay on as CEO

Hayes' career experiences at Hillshire Brands, Sara Lee, ConAgra, and Kraft Foods align with Tyson's shift toward expanding its packaged food offerings.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 14, 2016

Analysts squash speculation of a Nestle-Hershey takeover

Hershey doesn't seem to fit into Nestle's current strategy of building global brands and boosting its global health science initiatives.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 14, 2016

Sweet deal: Hostess completes first acquisition under new ownership

Hostess appears focused on innovation, categorical expansion, and aligning with the "upward indulgence trend" in baked goods.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 14, 2016

SodaStream aims to soak up disappointed Keurig Kold users with limited-time promo

It's offering free SodaStream sparkling water makers to Kold owners that send in a selfie of themselves with their discontinued device.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 10, 2016

B&G Foods preps Green Giant for battle in frozen foods aisle

Armed with disruptive innovations and substantial marketing support, B&G believes Green Giant can recapture market share lost to competitors like Pinnacle's Birds Eye frozen brand.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 10, 2016

Hershey stock spikes on Nestle takeover rumor

Regulatory concerns squashed previous speculation of such a takeover more than a decade ago.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 10, 2016

Increase in CPG exits demonstrates intensity of recent M&A activity

Mergers and acquisitions remain prevalent at all levels of the food and beverage industry, but it's likely 2016 will be a slower year than 2015.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 10, 2016

Smucker sees bright future for profitability, US retail coffee

The manufacturer's profit predictions for fiscal 2017 far surpass analysts' expectations.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 9, 2016

ConAgra to divest JM Swank, spend $200M on Lamb Weston plant expansion

It separately announced Thursday it stopped using PHOs in its entire spreads portfolio starting June 2.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 8, 2016

Corbion expands IL facility to produce PGME emulsifiers for sweet goods

PGME emulsifiers can help manufacturers of sweet goods and baking mixes adapt recipes to PHO removal.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 8, 2016

Hormel focuses on new markets for growth opportunities

The manufacturer balances internal innovation with an understanding of its R&D and operational capabilities to guide acquisition decisions and drive growth.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 8, 2016

Kraft Heinz releases PA plant closure details amid ongoing merger aftermath

Lehigh Valley is one of seven plants that Kraft Heinz announced in November it would be closing by the end of 2017, affecting about 2,600 jobs. 

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 8, 2016

McCormick acquisition strategy displays dual appetite for growth, restraint

It closed 12 acquisitions and joint ventures since 2007, all with "a consistent focus on flavor" that will carry into the future, CEO Lawrence Kurzius said at a recent conference.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 7, 2016

Not so hot: Keurig pulls Kold system, lays off 130 employees

With JAB Holding now in control, it's unclear whether the Keurig Kold will reappear.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 7, 2016

Nestle outlines achievements, challenges in 2015 Creating Shared Value report

The CSV and its companion reports also point out struggles that leaders face in achieving and maintaining sustainability throughout vast global supply chains.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 7, 2016

JBS appoints Morgan Stanley vet Russ Colaco as spinoff's CFO

Colaco headed to JBS in February as director of strategy and corporate development after nearly a decade at Morgan Stanley.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 7, 2016

Back to the Roots expands crowdfunding campaign to $10M Series A

"We decided to take on additional funds to really accelerate our impact," Back to the Roots cofounder Nikhil Arora told Food Dive.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 6, 2016

Fortune 500 list sheds light on sweeping food and beverage industry moves

Constellation Brands (No. 429) jumped significantly and the freshly merged Kraft Heinz (No. 153) cemented its spot, though most of the top 100 food and beverage companies maintained a steady rank from last year. 

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 6, 2016

General Mills debuts new 'Tiny Toast' cereal brand. Is it the right market move?

For Tiny Toast to succeed, it will have to maintain positioning that resonates with consumers — easier said than done amid a competitive market.

By David Oliver • June 6, 2016

Unilever tops Gartner's supply chain top 25, boosted by CSR initiatives

Without this year's CSR component, Gartner's rankings may have looked different for food and beverage companies.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 6, 2016

Dream tea(m): AB InBev, Starbucks partner for new RTD Teavana line

RTD tea production will enable AB InBev to better fill capacity at its breweries as U.S. beer volumes decline.

By Carolyn Heneghan • June 3, 2016