New York…For millions of Jews celebrating Passover, it was a holiday like none other. Inflation caused prices to rise as much as 20% over last year in some areas. Food prices in March hit a record increase of 10%, the highest in 41 years, but it was recorded only days before the beginning of the […]

Tel Aviv…Faced with a chronic shortage of beef, Israel has been searching for new sources that could address the extraordinary spike in demand. About two-thirds of Israeli beef consumption consists of imported frozen beef from such countries as Poland and from several countries in South America. Since 1996, a relaxing of trade restrictions has allowed […]

The food industry, which uses over 70% of the world’s freshwater supply, is largely unready for future shortages, according to a new report by sustainability nonprofit Ceres. In Feeding Ourselves Thirsty, the group graded the water scarcity strategies of 38 food and beverage companies on their governance and corporate oversight, risk assessment, reduction targets and financial support for growers. The average score out of a total possible of 100 was 45….

“…As part of their study, Deloitte and FMI surveyed more than 150 food and beverage companies in March and April 2021, conducted in-depth interviews with 15 industry leaders, and analyzed board diversity data. They found that women and historically marginalized people made up only 35% of the executive boards of food and beverage companies in 2020, compared to 47% who make up the boards of nonfood consumer product businesses….”

From food commodities to transportation, increasing costs have been the hallmark of the post-COVID-19 era. Prices for corn, soybeans and wheat recently hit their highest level in eight years, The Wall Street Journal reported, while oil is at a two-year high.

While the lasting impact the pandemic has had on grocery-shopping habits may take some time to become clear, FMI research suggests at least some of the shifts in how consumers relate to food consumption are here to stay.

For the first time in 9 years, a major Jewish population study has some relatively good news for the kosher food industry. The new Pew Research puts the number of Jews in the US as 7.5 – 8 million, although most are not practicing Jews or may in fact live in a household with non-Jewish members. Yet, a good number of them do eat kosher foods, even if occasionally. Among Jews 18 to 29, 70% say they often or sometimes cook or eat traditional Jewish foods, identical to the percentage of Jews 65 and older.

Several studies have shown a long-term increase in snacking, but the reasons for grabbing a bite or beverage have shifted over the past year. With the full force of the COVID-19 health crisis weighing on consumers, it’s clear that emotions are playing an even greater role in their choices.

Most parents of young children cannot identify key ingredients in children’s drinks after reviewing the packaging, Nutrition Facts and the ingredients list, according to research emailed to Food Dive from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut and the School of Global Public Health at New York University. This includes the presence of added sugars, no- and low-calorie sweeteners and the percentage of juice.

Adelle’s doctor was full of advice on how to eat healthier in an age of Corona. She gave Adelle a list of foods that were not common on her shopping list. “These are all foods that help boost the immune system,” the doctor stressed. According to one supermarket manager, Adelle is part of a growing number of consumers that are searching for kosher products that help the immune system in an age where people are concerned about having antibodies to ward off chances of contracting the Coronavirus.