The Food For Thought podcast checks in with Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor in consumer goods and foodservice insights for Circana, for a mid-year update on how the food and beverage industry has fared through the first half of the year. In this episode, Lyons Wyatt shares insights on inflation and how consumers are spending differently at this point in 2024.

She shares the four factors the team at Circana will be monitoring for guidance on how 2024 may pan out for food and beverage CPGs. Lyons Wyatt also delves into some of the fascinating ways consumers have been trading in and out of certain products and segments, looking for a higher-value, higher-end experience.

Lyons Wyatt shared her thoughts earlier this year in our 2024 Food & Beverage Industry Outlook, featured in our January 2024 issue of Food Processing magazine.

Sarah Gallo, vice president of Product Policy at the Consumer Brands Association, discusses the increasing activity around state legislatures attempting to flex their muscle and ban or restrict food additives in recent years.

Gallo shares her thoughts on how processors can navigate their way through the highly charged political atmosphere while defending the science that has been done to prove these ingredients safe.

In addition, Gallo discusses what industry might expect from the FDA moving forward in this arena, and what the long-term impacts could be if this trend continues to gain traction.

Food safety remains one of the issues that keeps food and beverage processors up at night, and many experts in the field will suggest that, by building a strong food safety culture, processors can drive successful implementation and execution of their food safety strategies across all operations.

Sharon Beals, current owner of SKKB LLC and former food safety leader for several food processors and foodservice operators over the years, discusses her thoughts on why such a strategy can be important and help set the tone for the company — but also how food safety culture alone cannot create an atmosphere in which food safety is truly the top priority.

In this bonus audio, Food Processing senior editor Andy Hanacek asks what has various federal agencies particularly concerned about the most recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during a Town Hall panel at the Food Safety Summit in Rosemont, Ill.

To read the news article summarizing the Town Hall takeaways, visit www.foodprocessing.com.

Food Processing editor-in-chief Dave Fusaro stops by the studios to discuss his trip to Natural Products Expo West. Fusaro is a veteran attendee of the show, and he’ll recount the sights — and tastes — that caught his eye while in Anaheim this spring.

From mushroom-based products to tinned fish, Fusaro discusses a variety of products exhibitors had on display — and don't forget the 'turducken of confections,' Fusaro says. Get a good look at the trends in product development and R&D through this episode of the podcast.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Loadsmart

In this episode, George Swartz, vice president of sales for Loadsmart’s Transportation Solutions Group, talks about the logistics challenges that food and beverage processors face currently, as well as the trends leading operations into the future.

Swartz also offers his viewpoints on how the industry can manage its carbon footprint and reach its sustainability goals through innovative logistics opportunities and tactics, and gives his thoughts on how and when he believes electric vehicles will start to really impact supply chain and logistics.

Learn more about how Loadsmart Managed Transportation can help lower freight costs.

In this episode of the Food For Thought podcast, Andy Hanacek, senior editor of Food Processing, joins the editors of several brands in the Endeavor Business Media family, of which Food Processing is a member, to discuss what the outcome of the upcoming presidential election could mean for the various segments of the manufacturing industry they cover.

The video was hosted by Industry Week and published as a part of its “Production Pulse” series, and Hanacek represented Food Processing to shed some light on how the political landscape is affecting the food and beverage industry. Laura Putre, senior editor of Industry Week, moderated the panel and led the discussion. Thanks to our friends at Industry Week for allowing us to share this content directly with you, our listeners. I hope you enjoy the episode.

You can also visit Industry Week’s site to view the video of this panel discussion.

Having recently retired from her role as chief strategy and brand officer for Bon Appetit Management Co., Maisie Ganzler still has a special place in her heart for helping the food and beverage industry reach its sustainability potential. Ganzler remains a strategic advisor for Bon Appetit, but she also has published a book titled, “You Can’t Market Manure at Lunchtime, and Other Lessons from the Food Industry for Creating a More Sustainable Company.”

In conjunction with the release of the book this week, Ganzler joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss how processors can better communicate their sustainability initiatives and achievements, avoiding greenwashing and improving their image and the trust their customers and consumers have in their brands.

Amanda Buonopane, senior manager of strategic insights for Rich Products, says social gatherings are in flux, and Rich’s sees consumer preferences shifting accordingly.

In this episode of the podcast, Buonopane shares the research Rich’s has gathered around the eating occasions that come with social gatherings today, and also shares some of the analysis that the team has done around those findings.

Brett Erickson, director of Prepared and Packaged Solutions for Certified Angus Beef, discusses how value-added product trends are driving changes for consumers, foodservice operators and processors — and how innovation is helping to push the envelope further. Additionally, Erickson offers his insights into how CAB and the industry can adjust to consumer demand in response to inflation and higher food prices overall.