Once a year, RaboResearch takes the Consumer Foods to Go podcast off-piste. Last week, instead of recording from behind our desks, we once again picked up our microphones and visited the Private Label Manufacturers Association’s (PLMA) World of Private Label trade show in Amsterdam. Given the tremendous run that private label market share has had in recent years, the million-dollar questions is: What’s next? Could the widened price gap between name brands and their private label counterparts provide opportunities for private label? We have asked five exhibitors their opinion. And – of course – we got five different answers.

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Like every year, RaboResearch visited Natural Products Expo West, one of the largest food trade shows in the US. In this episode of Consumer Foods to Go, analysts Tom Bailey, Nick Fereday, and JP Frossard share their observations of this year’s edition. In their view, with more “real food” and products with shorter ingredient lists, the 2025 Expo West trade show lived up to its “Natural Products” name more than previous editions. Of course, there was much more. Consumer favorites such as protein, convenience, and global flavors were also well represented.

On February 13, RFK Jr was confirmed as the US Health and Human Services secretary in the Trump administration. That same day, some of his plans were unveiled, all aligning with the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) initiative. While some of RFK Jr's ideas are considered controversial, this is a good opportunity to evaluate the policies at face value and assess their potential impacts. To this end, hosts Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interviewed their colleague and US resident Nick Fereday once again. His message: We don’t know yet, but…

Years ago, we released podcasts exploring the fascinating changes and developments in China's food retail sector, particularly in the online space, often referred to as "new retail." However, the growth of online food retailing in China is now slowing, and offline models are making a strong comeback. It's time to update the Consumer Foods-to-Go audience on these rapid changes. To provide insights, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interviewed fellow RaboResearch analyst Rena Ma.

Energy prices are crucial for food businesses. In the previous episode of Consumer Foods to Go, we discussed the outlook for agri-commodities in 2025. However, energy prices are equally important for food processors. In this episode, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview their RaboResearch colleagues Florence Schmit and Joe DeLaura about the outlook for natural gas and crude oil prices. Interestingly, these prices are unlikely to move in the same direction.

As 2024 came to a close, Rabobank released its annual agri commodity markets outlook for 2025. In line with tradition, the Consumer Foods-to-Go podcast highlights the key points of the report and their implications for food companies. In this episode, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview Carlos Mera, Head of Agri Commodities Markets Research, to discuss his predictions for 2025. Key commodities to watch include palm oil, coffee, and cocoa!

Over the past 12 months, Ozempic and similar drugs have been hailed in the news as miracle solutions for rapid weight loss with minimal side effects. Weight loss often happens because of the changes in food and beverage consumption that these drugs trigger. In this episode of Consumer Foods to Go, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott discuss the impact of GLP-1 drugs on the food sector with podcast regular Nick Fereday. There is an impact, but much remains unknown.

Private label now has close to 20% market share in US food retail. This is much lower than the share in the UK and other European markets, where private label commands 40% or more. However, private label growth in the US is accelerating. Consumers are demanding affordable products, partly because of the cost-of-living crisis. Growth is not constrained by demand, though. The quality of supply is the constraint. What we notice is that the quality of private label products is improving because retailers are more actively look for consistent, good supply. Sebastiaan Schreijen and Cyrille Filott question Tom Bailey and very special guest Arjan Both on the topic of private label growth in the US in this episode of Consumer Foods to Go.

Now might just be the time for food manufacturers to think about robots again. Constraints on the labor force are unlikely to go away soon, and help is needed on the factory floor. Also, robots are improving in terms of size, price, and flexibility. In this episode of Consumer Foods to Go, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott speak with Sebastiaan Schreijen to discuss the findings of his survey on the potential adoption of robots in food processing. Are we on the brink of a revolution?

Half a decade ago, everyone in food was all over startups – young, exciting companies set to disrupt the food market. A lot has happened since, of course, including Covid and the inflation spike. Startups felt the impact of both, and there has been a bit of a funding crisis to boot. Still, a lot of startups are trying to bring new ideas to the food market. In this podcast, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview Rabobank’s Foodbytes team to discuss the trends in food startups. Foodbytes is a platform where more than 2,000 food and agribusiness startups have provided information, including pitch decks, on their business. Unsurprisingly, a common theme among startups right now is AI. Listen to the podcast to learn more.