Food For Thought
Business & Finance
About
Food Processing’s Food For Thought podcast takes you beyond the headlines of the food and beverage manufacturing industry. Join host Erin Hallstrom and the team of award-winning Food Processing editors as they talk about issues affecting food and beverage processors.
Episodes
- AI’s Future Impact: A Disconnect Between Manufacturers and Employees
Randstad USA
- Private Label Continues to Grow as Consumer Perception, Demands Change
Sally Lyons Wyatt of Circana discusses the increasing significance of private-label brands in the food and beverage industry, driven by changing consumer perceptions and evolving shopping behaviors influenced by e-commerce and AI.
- Analyzing the M&A Landscape in the Food and Beverage Industry
Jake Steslicki from PMCF discusses the merger and acquisition landscape in the food and beverage industry, covering the outlook for 2025 and the upcoming year. He analyzes past trends, current conditions, and potential industry impacts of…
- Americans Want Food Flexibility, ‘Culinary Individualism’ Instead of Rigid Diet Rules
Maheen Khan of Challenge Butter discusses new research indicating Americans prefer flexible eating and 'culinary individualism' over rigid diets. The findings suggest a future prioritizing flavor, quality, and enjoyment, reflecting a shift…
- Can the Meat Industry Capitalize on Its MAHA, Dietary Guidelines Moment?
Brian Brozovic shares insights from the Annual Meat Conference, exploring culinary and product trends, and the meat industry's preparation for the MAHA movement and new Dietary Guidelines. He also addresses the U.S. cattle supply chain's r…
- How Hormel Foods Responds to Evolving Consumers, Protein Demand
In today’s episode, Jason Baskin, director of Retail Strategy and Business Transformation of Hormel Foods Corporation talks about the ways in which the 135-year-old company continues to evolve and grow. Guided by a tight focus on consumers…
- Using Automation to Advance Dry-Cleaning Processes
This episode is brought to you by Control Concepts Inc. Food and beverage processing engineers have much to balance when designing and optimizing facilities and production lines — including maintaining optimum food safety and process perfo…
- GLP-1 Drugs, UPFs, Labeling Issues Continue to Hound Food and Beverage Companies
Nolan Lewin, director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and vice president of the New Jersey Food Processors Association , joins the podcast to discuss a wide variety of topics hounding the food and beverage industry. First, Lewin disc…
- Humanoids: Coming to Food and Beverage Plants Sooner Than You Might Think
The robots are coming! Well, in food and beverage processing, robotics and automation are already here, sure — but what we see today pales in comparison to what the future may hold. Berk Pehlivanoglu and Ozan Ozaskinli of Value Gene Consul…
- New Dietary Guidelines May Portend Battle Over Certain Ingredients and Additives
We’ve got a new set of Dietary Guidelines, and as the industry has had some time to digest them, Natalie Rainer, partner and member of the Health Care and FDA practice at K&L Gates, offers her thoughts on how food and beverage processors c…
- Conagra Brands Reports Four Key Trends Driving Frozen Foods in 2026
Conagra Brands has released its third annual Future of Frozen Food report , and we’re speaking with Alie Burnet, director of Enterprise & Portfolio Strategy for Conagra, about the report’s findings this year. She talks with the Food For Th…
- 2026: A Turning Point for Food and Beverage on Health, Tech and Consumer Trends
As January rolls on, we bring you another 2026 outlook episode. This time around, Rob Dongoski and Katherine Black, both partners and business sector leads for management consulting firm Kearney, discuss everything from the Dietary Guideli…
- How Snacks Have Gotten More Nutritious, Still Target Health Demands
Rocco Renaldi, secretary-general of the International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA), returns to the Food For Thought podcast to discuss the various ways in which snack foods have gotten more nutritious for consumers, often discreetly and…
- Developing Nutritious Foods That Kids Will Actually Eat
As any parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent knows, feeding kids nutritious, healthful foods that taste good and are beloved by those children can be a real challenge at times. Michael Allen, CEO of Kidfresh, joins the podcast this time aroun…
- 2026 Food & Beverage Economic Outlook: Affordability, Tariffs, GLP-1 Drugs and More
As we wrap up 2025 and turn the calendar page to 2026, Billy Roberts, senior analyst, Food & Beverage, for CoBank, joins the Food For Thought podcast to offer an economic outlook for the food and beverage industry in the new year. Roberts…
- Charcuterie Can Capitalize on Demands for Affordable Indulgence, Unique Experiences
Jeff Tripician joins the podcast this time around to discuss his move from leading international cultivated meat company Meatable to now becoming the CEO of Charcuterie Artisans, owners of Daniele and Creminelli Meats. First, Trip details…
- Mintel Makes Three Predictions for Food and Beverage Products in 2026
Jenny Zegler, director of Food and Drink for Mintel, joins the podcast this time around to dig into the details of three predictions that Mintel has made for 2026 for the food and beverage industry. Will consumers be more interested in lon…
- Jackson’s Expands Muskego Plant to Meet Demand for Healthier Snacks
Jackson’s, a snack company that focuses on better-for-you snacks cooked in avocado oil, recently celebrated the grand opening of its Muskego, Wis., facility expansion, and CEO James Marino joined the Food For Thought podcast to detail the…
- Wayne-Sanderson Discusses Innovation, Flavors Driving Chicken Demand
In conjunction with our November cover story, in which we honor and feature Wayne-Sanderson Farms as our 2025 Processor of the Year, I had the opportunity to visit the company’s Decatur, Ala., prepared foods processing complex and its Cust…
- Advancing Food Safety, Traceability Through Digital Tech Innovation
This episode is brought to you by Aptean. As food and beverage processors seek ways to operate efficiently while monitoring and maintaining food safety and a traceable supply chain, they’re looking for advanced technology to help them achi…
- Finding Hidden Value in Food & Beverage Waste Streams
This episode is brought to you by Envita Solutions. As food and beverage processors look for ways to enhance their sustainability efforts, more of them are turning toward their production waste streams to find hidden value. Scott Cole, sen…
- Deep Indian Kitchen Balances Authenticity with Frozen Foods Convenience
Americans continue to be attracted to trying new cuisines and ethnic foods, and Indian foods are growing in popularity, according to Kiernan Laughlin, general manager for frozen Indian foods processor Deep Indian Kitchen. In this episode,…
- 4 Educational Sessions to Check Out at the EATS Food & Beverage Show in Chicago
At the upcoming Equipment, Automation and Technology Show (EATS) for Food & Beverage slated for Oct. 28-30 in Chicago, attendees will see over 300 exhibitors across eight sectors along with three live production lines and demos from Jeff M…
- Impact of Tariffs on Paperboard, Plastics and Packaging Industry Overall
While attending Pack Expo Las Vegas earlier this week, I was able to sit down for a few minutes with Xinnan Li and Jim Owen, both senior analysts with Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness team. In this episode, the experts discuss…
- 5 Things to Know Before Attending the EATS Food & Beverage Show in Chicago
For any industry trade show, it's important to prepare and plan your visit so you get the most out of your time at the event and leave feeling inspired. In this special bonus episode, you'll hear five quick tips for navigating the upcoming…
- Is Pumpkin Spice Cancelled? Trendy Seasonal Food & Beverage Flavors to Consider
Pumpkin spice lovers, rejoice! Shannon O’Shields, vice president of marketing for Rubix Foods, explains that even though pumpkin has become ubiquitous, it is not cancelled — and in fact, it has established itself among consumers as an anch…
- 8 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Experience at the Equipment, Automation and Technology Show
For the Food & Beverage processing industry, equipment and operations make up a huge part of overall production costs. One line going down for an hour can add up fast, and when you layer in labor challenges, energy use and long sanitation…
- Beef Processors Continue to Benefit from More Automation, High-Tech Solutions
Automation continues to make inroads into the beef industry as technology improves. Dr. Phil Bass, associate professor of meat science in the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences at University of Idaho, explains that plenty o…
- Middle East, African Markets Hungry for U.S. Food & Beverage Products
Enterprising food and beverage processors in North America know that global growth, particularly into emerging markets clamoring for new products and American tastes, can lead to extremely lucrative business. Leena Al-Kathiri, senior busin…
- Consumers Reset Views on Value, Price, Health Demands for Food and Beverage
With 2025 more than halfway over, and 2026 looming large on the horizon, Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor in consumer goods and foodservice insights for Circana , joins the Food For Thought podcast to of…
- Sargento’s Innovation Focuses on Big, Bold Flavors, Simple Ingredients
Rod Hogan, senior vice president of Innovation for Sargento, walks us through the development of the company’s new Natural American Cheese Slices product — a journey through the product pipeline that demonstrated the company’s commitment t…
- Sustainable Packaging Continues to Advance, But Challenges Still Remain
John Hewitt, senior vice president of packaging and sustainability on behalf of the Consumer Brands Association, joins the Food For Thought podcast today to share his insights on sustainable packaging trends and initiatives in the food and…
- Advancing Food Safety Through Tech, Workforce Innovation
This episode is brought to you by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Food safety presents some of the industry's most significant challenges — the kind that keep plant operators up at night and require continu…
- Danimals Pushes to Capitalize on Kids Yogurt, Snacking Trends
Lindsey Lee, senior director, Family & Kids Yogurt at Danone North America, joins the podcast to discuss the Snack Hero campaign that the Danimals brand embarked upon earlier this summer and how it worked to keep the brand top of mind for…
- How to Approach CDP Reporting, Sustainability Initiatives for Food & Beverage Companies
Nathalia Macedo, senior climate and ESG consultant for NSF International, joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) reporting for food and beverage processors. What should companies focus on…
- Lack of Training, Development of Leaders Hold Food and Beverage Processors Back
At the Food Safety Summit in May, we sat down with Tia Glave, president and co-founder, and Jill Stuber, vice president and co-founder, of Catalyst Food Leaders, to discuss food safety culture and leadership trends. During our conversation…
- Be Proactive on Ultraprocessed Foods Discussions, Actions
Rocco Renaldi, secretary general of the International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA), discusses the movement toward defining foods on the processing spectrum from “not processed” to “ultraprocessed,” and how the challenges run deeper than…
- Fermented Ingredients and Their Role in the Future Food Supply
Fermentation, especially precision fermentation, continues to grow as a solution for numerous challenges in and around the food and beverage industry. McKinsey & Co., a management consulting firm, recently completed research on precision f…
- SunOpta SVP Digs into Trends in Plant-Based Foods, Better-For-You Snacking
Lauren McNamara, senior vice president of business management for SunOpta, joins the podcast to discuss trends in plant-based foods and better-for-you snacking, and offers her insights into how SunOpta is preparing for future determination…
- Grupo Jumex Works to Bring Back Odwalla Juices, Smoothies to U.S. Market
Odwalla juices and smoothies are back, and Carlos Madrazo, U.S. country manager for Grupo Jumex, joins the podcast to talk about the brand’s relaunch and the work done to bring it back after five years off the market. He also discusses the…
- Egg Industry Remains Confident in Bird Flu Battle
This episode is brought to you by the American Egg Board. With spring migration of wild birds well under way, egg farmers are working overdrive to keep their flocks safe and healthy as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) c…
- How Cultivated Meat Can Win Over Traditional Processors, Consumers
In mid-February, Food Processing senior editor Andy Hanacek was invited to moderate a panel discussing the U.S. meat industry for cultivated meat company Meatable in the Netherlands. Joining Hanacek on stage were longtime meat industry exe…
- Don’t Be Cringe: Nassau Candy’s Tips for Marketing to Gen Alpha
In this episode, Dana Rodio, director of marketing and branding for Nassau Candy, offers her insights into the up-and-coming consumer group, Generation Alpha. Rodio talks about the consumption and media trends driving the habits of Gen Alp…
- Reflecting on the Growth of the Chicken Industry, Discussing the Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Clint Rivers, president and CEO of Wayne-Sanderson Farms, has had a long, esteemed career in the poultry industry, and he is retiring March 31, 2025 , after leading several chicken companies over the last few decades. Rivers sat down with…
- Addressing Meat Industry Challenges, from New Administration to Food Safety
At the IPPE Show in Atlanta at the end of January, we caught up with Nicole Johnson-Hoffman, who recently took over as chief operating officer for the Meat Institute for longtime executive Mark Dopp, who is retiring. Johnson-Hoffman shares…
- Wayne-Sanderson's Ongoing Journey into AI, Machine Learning Implementation
In this episode, recorded during the IPPE show in Atlanta in January, Juan DeVillena, senior vice president of quality assurance and food safety at Wayne-Sanderson Farms, walks through Wayne-Sanderson’s digitalization journey and how the c…
- Rich’s MegaTrends Report Shows Rise in Snacking, Comfort with E-commerce Options
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 s…
- FDA Proposed Rule Requiring Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels: Prepare, But Don’t Freak Out
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, partne…
- Analyzing the Food Safety Challenges, Opportunities Facing Industry in the New Year
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 processo…
- Rebranding Initiative Helps Golden Waffles Meet Growing Breakfast Popularity and Demand
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 a…