“…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.

As consumers stocked up their pantries during the onset of the pandemic in March, few companies came to symbolize the unprecedented run on food staples as much as Del Monte Foods.

After vowing he would never enter the nonalcoholic beer space, Sam Adams founder Jim Koch’s stance on the fast-growing category appears to have softened with Boston Beer set to debut offerings next year, even if the craft pioneer’s opinion of products already on the market remains resolute. 

Prairie Farms Cream Cheese has been named Grand Champion of the North Central Cheese Industries Association annual cheese contest.