Food Processing’s Food For Thought Podcast

The Fundamentals of Food & Beverage Funding

Have you ever wondered what venture capital firms look at when considering whether or not to fund a food and beverage start-up?
Sarah Foley, Partner at SWAT Equity Partners is giving us the low-down on food and beverage funding. In the next 30 minutes, we talk about trends, sustainability, why SPACs are seeing a resurgence, as well as providing actionable advice for anyone considering launching their own food and beverage brand. 
Read the full transcript on Food Processing
Learn more about SWAT Equity Partners

On the Move with Cablevey Conveyors

In this Special Bonus Episode, Cablevey Conveyors’ Karl Seidel sits down with Food Processing’s Food For Thought Podcast to talk about the powerful, yet gentle, way to move materials around your facility.
Cablevey Conveyors is a tubular drag conveyor manufacturer that has design, engineer, and service enclosed cable and disc tube conveyors for almost 50 years and in more than 65 countries. In this episode, we're talking about conveyor systems and how Cablevey Conveyors works with manufacturers to ensure materials are moved from Point A to Point B in a safe, efficient, and clean way. 
Listen as we discuss the types of materials Cablevey Conveyors can handle, how the company helps manufacturers move materials in clean and sanitized ways, as well as how they work with processors to ensure everything fits within the building envelope. 
This episode was sponsored by Cablevey Conveyors 
Enjoy this special bonus episode. 

The Risks & Rewards of Being A CPG Entrepreneur

We’re continuing our conversation about CPG entrepreneurship. In this episode, we talk to Dr. James Richardson about the risks and rewards of growing a CPG brand, in particular the risks entrepreneurs should—and shouldn’t—take as well as what it means to be memorable versus unique. 
Learn more
Learn more about his book Ramping Your Brand
Learn more about his company, Premium Growth Solutions
Read more
Read ore listen to Part 1 of the CPG Entrepreneurship series: A CPG Entrepreneur's Guide to Growth
Read the full transcript of this episode on Food Processing 

A CPG Entrepreneur's Guide to Growth

In today's episode, we're talking to Dr. James Richardson. 
Richardson is a Ph.D, a cultural anthropologist, and the author of Ramping Your Brand. Through his company, Premium Growth Solutions, he helps CPG entrepreneurs create strategic plans to achieve exponential growth. 
In this episode, we talk about why entrepreneurs want to grow fast and set unrealistic forecasts as well as the mistakes that CPG entrepreneurs repeatedly make.
 
Learn more about his book Ramping Your Brand
Learn more about his company, Premium Growth Solutions 
Read the full transcript of this episode on the Food Processing website

The Mother of All Food And Beverage Disruptors

What do you get when you pair up a food scientist with a passion for infant nutrition and a cellular biologist with a passion for novel applications of cell culture technology? You get Biomilq, one of the latest disruptors in the food and beverage space.
Launched in 2020, Biomilq is aiming to change the way we think about infant nutrition. The small company out of North Carolina is on a mission to produce cultured breastmilk that offers supplemental nutrition to mother’s milk with the convenience of formula.
For the next half hour, listen as CEO and Co-Founder Michelle Egger and our host talk about how the BIOMILQ team is changing the way we think about infant nutrition. We talk about the science, the safety, and the strategies behind this revolutionary approach to cultured food. We also tackle the topics of funding, naysayers, and how to know you're on the right track with your product. 
Read the full transcript on FoodProcessing.com
Learn more about Biomilq

What Will 2021 Have in Store for The Food and Beverage Industry?

On our Season 2 opener, the Food Processing team has gone into forecast mode. Listen in as Editor in Chief Dave Fusaro and Senior Pan Demetrakakes talk about what we can expect in the food and beverage industry in 2021. 
Throughout the next half-hour we talk about what trends we can expect to play out this year as well as how COVID-19 and a new Presidential administration will continue to impact the industry as a whole. 
Read the full transcript on our website, and catch up with the latest news and trends in the food and beverage industry on FoodProcessing.com.

Manufacturing the Food & Beverage Workforce

According to a recent LinkedIn survey, 40% of employees leave their job within the first year unless they receive training and education from their employer. Meanwhile 74% of employees feel that they're not reaching their full potential unless they receive training from their employer. Where does that leave employees… and employers for the future of food and beverage?  
In this episode, we talk Andy Drennan, senior vice president at the Food Processing Suppliers Association about its 180 Skills training program. We also talk about vocational skills, soft skills, and how the food and beverage industry can attract new talent.
Learn more about FPSA's 180 Skills Program
Read the full transcript of this recording on FoodProcessing.com

Formulating Flavor Trends for 2021

How do you predict what new flavors will be trending when your forecast calls for homebound with a chance of COVID? 
In this podcast episode I talk to Dax Schaefer, Corporate Chef and Director of Culinary Innovation, for Asenzya. Join our fun and informative conversation about what 2021 has in store for formulation and flavor trends.  Enjoy the episode and make sure you head to FoodProcessing.com to see what else is in store for the food and beverage industry in 2021.  as we feature experts in Food Safety, Plant Safety, Product Development, and much more. 
Learn more about Asenzya by visiting www.asenzya.com

How Ocean Spray is Rethinking Product Innovation

When you think about innovation and new product development, does Ocean Spray come to mind? You might be thinking “how can anyone innovate a cranberry?” In this episode of Food For Thought, we talk to Rizal Hamdallah, Chief Growth Officer for Ocean Spray Cranberries, about how this 90-year old cooperative is changing the way we think about health and wellness. 
Learn more about Ocean Spray Cranberries 
Read the transcript on FoodProcessing.com

How Mobile Technology is Taking the Sting Out of Corporate Communication

This week I sat down with Daniel Sztutwojner chief customer officer and co-founder of Beekeeper. During this episode, we talk about how food processing companies have used the tool to keep their employees updated on processes and procedures—including COVID-specific logistics. We also discuss how mobile technology is actually helping companies become safer and more efficient.