Food Processing's Food For Thought Podcast

Welcome to the third season of the Food For Thought Podcast. We’re kicking things off by asking: What can we expect in the food and beverage industry this year? Food Processing Editor in Chief Dave Fusaro and Senior Editor Pan Demetrakakes offer their perspectives on the big issues facing the industry this year. We talk about labor issues and the supply chain as well as the why and how inflation came into play. We also talk about what product development trends we can expect to see this year as well as where things stand with 2021’s star categories. Note: This episode was recorded prior to December 21, the date Kellogg strike ended.  Enjoy the episode. Read the transcript of this episode ***** Know an Influential Woman in Food & Beverage? Is there a woman on your team or in your organization that is effecting change and making a big impact for the rest of the company? Consider nominating her for Food Processing’s Influential Women in Food. In 2022, Food Processing will be honoring women moving the needle forward for the food and beverage industry. Through peer-submitted nominations, we’ll select a group of women who best illustrate what it means to be an influential woman in the food and beverage industry. But it all starts with you. Head to the Food Processing website to learn more. 

With us today is Maggie Slowic, Global Industry Director for Manufacturing at IFS. During the episode, we talk about the biggest challenges facing the industry right now, including how food and beverage companies are operating in an environment that's influenced by a lot of change. We hone in on why is traceability so important and its essential role in maintaining an efficient – and resilient – supply chain. We cap things off talking about data, the Internet of Things, and how manufacturers can work with companies like IFS to better utilize their ERP systems.  Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website. Let us know YOUR Predictions for 2022 Let us know YOUR predictions for food manufacturing in 2022 by taking part in Food Processing’s annual Manufacturing Outlook Survey in November. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. The results will be available in January 2022. Complete they Survey

In today’s episode, we’re talking with Liz Sertl, Senior Director of Community Engagement at GS1 US. If you’re not familiar with GS1 US, you’re certainly familiar with their barcodes. With more than six billion scans a day, those barcodes are what helps keep product moving, and the supply chain efficient. We talk a lot about efficiency versus resiliency in the supply chain and where food manufacturers got it right – and where they can still improve. We examine the growing importance of data and digital transformation while ending the episode talking about how GS1 US is helping food processors prepare for FMSA’s Proposed Rule 204, which comes out in November 2022. Read the transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website Learn more about Liz’s podcast, Next Level Supply Chain Let us know YOUR Predictions for 2022 Let us know YOUR predictions for manufacturing in 2022 by taking part in Food Processing’s annual Manufacturing Outlook Survey in November. Give us your insights and let us know your predictions for what manufacturing will look like next year. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Your answers will be confidential, so feel comfortable giving us your thoughts. The results will be available in January 2022. Complete the Survey

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Ryan Powell about how Insite AI is working with food companies and retailers to better understand consumer behavior. Over the course of 25 minutes, we talk a lot about data. We touch on clean data, predictive modeling, microsegments, ecosystems, and so much more. If you’re in charge purchasing, planning, or predicting, you won’t want to miss this episode. We also address issues relating to the supply chain, including how AI tools like this can help forecast disruptions and how food companies can be better positioned to stay ahead of the game. Enjoy the episode and be sure you’re signed up for Food Processing’s Daily E-Newsletter, so you can stay in the know about the news impacting the food and beverage industry. Head to foodprocessing.com/newsletters to get on the list for our daily e-newsletter that comes straight to your inbox every weekday morning.   Let us know YOUR Predictions for 2022 Let us know YOUR predictions for manufacturing in 2022 by taking part in Food Processing’s annual Manufacturing Outlook Survey in November. If you head to the show notes in this episode, you'll be taken to a brief survey where you can give us your insights let us know your predictions for what manufacturing will look like next year. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. Your answers will be confidential, so feel comfortable giving us your thoughts. The results will be available in January 2022. Complete they Survey

In this special bonus episode, Bartek Ingredients’ Jeff Billig and Matthew Patrick talk about the challenges that formulators and manufacturers encounter when working with pectins. We kick things off talk talking about Bartek’s focus in the bakery, beverage and confectionery markets as well as how the company, which specializes in malic and fumaric acids helps companies optimize their applications. We then shift into a conversation about pH and the challenges of producing pectin-based gummy products before rounding out the episode learning more about Bartek’s new buffer salt, Pecmate. Learn more about Bartek Ingredients on their website. Read the full transcript of this podcast episode on the Food Processing website.

Did you know that we waste about 40% of our food across the United States and most of that ends up in landfills. Did you also know there is a solution to reduce that much food waste while also making a new product category? It’s true and it’s called Upcycling. Here to talk about upcycling and how it can benefit people and processors is Kaitlin Mogentale. Mogentale is the creator and founder of Pulp Pantry, which takes the waste from juiceries and produce companies and turns it into upcycled gold, resulting in Pulp Pantry’s Pulp Chips. Throughout this episode, we talk about the statistics behind food waste and its impact on people and our planet. We discuss upcycling and how companies and consumers are responding to it, while ending the episode talking about the potential for this newer product category.  Enjoy the episode.  You can read the full transcript of this episode here. Kaitlin Mogentale was recently featured on our website as one of our Entrepreneurs to Watch, which you can read on Food Processing.com 

What’s satiating, healthy, earth-friendly and becoming more popular with consumers with each passing day? If you guessed plant proteins, you’d be right.  In this special bonus episode, Ingredion’s Yadu Dar and Carolyn Phillips are talking about what’s new in plant-based proteins, why consumers are so interested in plant-based food and what Ingredion has found in its proprietary studies that food and beverage manufacturers can use to help differentiate their brands. Learn more about Ingredion. Read the full transcript of this episode on Food Processing  

From atypical deep freezes to hurricanes, floods, and fires, natural disasters can have a significant impact on the food and beverage supply chain. Here to talk about that on this episode of the Food For Thought podcast is Michael Gehrt. Michael is an insurance recovery attorney and he works with companies to litigate on their behalf against insurance companies. He also offers advice to companies on how to plan and prepare for any business interruptions brought about by natural disasters. Join us as we talk about what the definition of a natural disaster is – and the answer may surprise you. We talk about different types of policies and coverage as they pertain to food and beverage businesses, as well as how to mitigate the risks associated with operating a business in the event of a disaster. Enjoy the episode.   Read the full transcript of this episode on the Food Processing Website

When we hear about entrepreneurs and startups in the food and beverage industry, the category that often gets lost in the shuffle is one that has the most ‘spirited’ approach to new product development.  Here to talk about the untapped market for advising and mentoring the independent brand owners and entrepreneurs in the wine, beer, and spirits category is Taylor Foxman, creator of the Industry Collective. Launched in 2020, the Industry Collective takes the wisdom of numerous experts around the world in the Beer, Wine, and Spirits category and uses it to advise entrepreneurs, start-ups, and others on how to make the biggest splash into the market. Throughout the episode, Taylor walks us through why organizations like the Industry Collective are needed in the wine, beer, and spirits category as well as how she’s turning the collective into the ultimate resource for the entire beverage industry.  Learn more about The Industry Collective Read the Full Transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website 

Despite all of the pantry stocking and comfort food eating that took place in 2020, sales for the food and beverage industry’s top 100 manufacturers came in at only 1.7% over 2019’s sales figures.  In this episode, Food Processing's Dave Fusaro and Pan Demetrakakes talk with host Erin Hallstrom about the findings in Food Processing's 46th annual list of the top food and beverage processors.  Our Top 100© list for 2021 ranks food and beverage processors based on their sales of value-added, consumer-ready goods that were processed in U.S. and Canadian facilities. Throughout the episode, we talk about how the pandemic impacted many food and beverage processors' bottom lines. We cover issues like labor and lawsuits while wrapping up the episode with our predictions for the rest of 2021.  Read the analysis of the Food Processing Top 100© for 2021 Visit the interactive chart that ranks the Top Food Companies for 2021 The interactive chart also serves as a research tool for those with an interest in the business of the food and beverage industry. Within the tool, columns are sortable and each row includes a link to the company and their corresponding profile. Each company profile includes headquarters address, top executives, subsidiaries, food categories, brands, and in most cases manufacturing plants.