This Episode is Sponsored by: Koelnmesse

Snacking in the U.S. has been on the rise for many years, but is this a global phenomenon? Sabine Schommer, Director, ISM, and Guido Hentschke, Director, ProSweets Cologne and ISM Ingredients, explore European and global snacking trends, and how the trio of ISM, ISM Ingredients, and ProSweets Cologne serve as a meeting place for the global snacking industry. 

More About Sabine Schommer:

Sabine Schommer loves the energy on the show floor, the excitement of the sweetest of all industries and the joy of being part of a team striving to create the perfect surrounding for both business opportunities and memorable moments. She has been in the trade fair business for more than 30 years, having led the ISM team as Director since 2015. For her, being Director ISM is a unique opportunity to shape the customers' trade fair experience, introduce new features, liaise with experts, watch trends and developments and realize every year the best possible version of the world’s largest trade fair for sweets and snacks – ISM in Cologne, Germany.

More About Guido Hentschke:

Guido Hentschke has been the Director of ProSweets Cologne since January 2021. With more than 25 years of experience in the international trade fair industry, he brings extensive expertise from roles in Europe, the U.S., and Brazil. At ProSweets Cologne, he has continuously developed the show in line with market needs, positioning it as a content leader within the sweets and snacks sector. Building on these insights, he successfully launched ISM Ingredients — the new platform for suppliers of raw materials, ingredients, and semi-finished products — which will debut as a new format starting in 2026. His goal: to unite all key players along the entire value chain through close alignment and integration with ISM.

More About ISM:

The ISM in Cologne is the world's leading trade fair for confectionery and snacks and offers impulses, innovations, exciting networking, top-class exhibitors and expert visitors in a combination that is unique in the world. There you will find the world's largest range of private labels in the sweets and snacks sector. From 2026, the new trade fair ISM Ingredients will offer a platform for innovation, expertise and networking around raw materials, ingredients and semi-finished products as part of ISM - with the aim of strengthening the value chain and promoting sustainable solutions.

More About ProSweets Cologne:

ProSweets Cologne is a trade fair for the entire industry-specific supply spectrum of the confectionery and snack industry. This ranges from confectionery and snack packaging and packaging technology to the raw materials and ingredients required specifically for confectionery and snack production and process technology. Secondary areas such as refrigeration and air conditioning technology, operating and auxiliary equipment, and the topics of food safety and quality management for the confectionery and snack industry round off the profile.

Relevant Links:

https://www.ism-cologne.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ism_cologne/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ism-cologne/

https://www.ism-cologne.com/newsletter/

https://www.prosweets.com/

https://www.instagram.com/prosweets.official/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pro-sweets-cologne/

https://www.prosweets.com/newsletter/

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine the numerous CEO roles that changed hands at major CPG brands in 2025.

Adam Michaels, CEO of Mama’s Creations, joins Food Institute Vice President of Content and Client Relationships Chris Campbell to discuss how the deli category is evolving and why this rapidly growing segment is primed for innovation. A veteran of global CPG and strategy roles at Booz Allen Hamilton and Mondelez, Michaels shares how Mama’s Creations has transformed from a regional meatball company into a national, full-service deli solutions provider serving retailers across all 50 states.

During the conversation, Michaels explains how the company is addressing some of grocery retail’s most pressing challenges, including labor shortages, changing consumer meal preferences, and the need for greater efficiency in the deli case. He outlines how Mama’s Creations supports retailers with a wide range of prepared foods, proteins, sides, and globally inspired flavors — all designed to simplify in-store execution while maintaining quality and consistency for shoppers.

Michaels also details how strategic acquisitions, vertically integrated manufacturing, and a disciplined focus on metrics are fueling the company’s growth. As the only publicly traded deli company in the U.S., Mama’s Creations is leveraging scale, operational rigor, and data-driven decision-making to compete in the $40+ billion deli prepared foods category, while continuing to expand its national footprint and product capabilities.

More About Adam Michaels:

Adam Michaels is an experienced food industry executive and former management consultant with broad experience transforming consumer-focused companies. Previously, Adam served with Mondelez International, a multinational food and beverage company with operations in over 150 countries. Over the past nine years, he has held numerous roles with increasing responsibility at Mondelez across Supply Chain, Commercial Sales & Marketing and Strategy. Adam led Mondelez’s North American Insights & Analytics organization and was most recently responsible for M&A and Commercial for North American Ventures – a business unit comprised of high growth brands including Perfect Snacks, a refrigerated snacks brand, Hu, an ultrasimple multi-category lifestyle brand, and Tate’s Bake Shop, a premium cookie brand, among others. Before joining Mondelez, Adam was a Principal at Booz & Company, a management consulting firm, for seven years where he specialized in the Food & Beverage sector. He started his career at Capital One Financial and holds an MBA in Marketing & Management from Columbia Business School, as well as a BSE in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Adam has lived and worked in the US, England and France. He lives with his wife and their two boys in New Jersey.

More About Mama's Creations:

Mama’s Creations is your ultimate destination for fresh, easy-to-prepare dishes that capture the essence of grandma-quality food. Built off the authentic Italian heritage of Mama Mancini’s, our name pays tribute to the treasured kitchens of grandmothers worldwide, where each meal is crafted with passion and care. At Mama’s Creations, we understand the value of convenience without compromising on quality. We bring together a diverse range of culinary traditions and flavors, offering you an unforgettable taste experience. With fresh ingredients and our simple preparation methods, we ensure that every dish is a celebration of authentic homemade goodness. Learn more: https://mamascreations.com/

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we touch on Circana's revised 2026 outlook for the F&B sector, which projects continued volume tightness.

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine Starbucks' intensifying labor issues.

In this episode of Food for Thought Leadership, Food Institute vice president of content and client relationships Chris Campbell sits down with Barry Thomas, senior thought leader at Kantar, to unpack the rapid rise of agentic AI — a new class of AI systems that don’t just generate information, but take action on behalf of the user. Thomas explains why agentic AI represents a foundational shift in how consumers discover, evaluate, and shop for products. He explores how AI-powered shopping apps, answer-engines, and agentic browsers are reshaping the digital journey, and why businesses should prepare now for changes that will accelerate through 2026.

The conversation also dives into how this technology impacts retailers, CPG manufacturers, and foodservice operators — from the rise of metadata marketing and AI-optimized product visibility to the growing influence of user-generated content in agentic shopping environments. Thomas outlines the challenges ahead: data governance, shifting retail media dynamics, consumer trust, and the delicate balance between authenticity and automation. With younger demographics adopting AI at record speed, the companies that invest in upskilling and AI-readiness today stand to gain the strongest competitive advantage tomorrow.

More About Barry Thomas:

Barry is one of Kantar’s foremost global commerce experts with a distinguished history of serving customers, partners, and people throughout his more than 30 years in the retail, food service, and FMCG industries. His 25-year career with The Coca-Company featured landmark achievements in the areas of customer leadership, customer marketing, ecommerce, innovation, consumer insights, category management, and future strategies. Before joining the Coca-Cola system, Barry worked for Pfizer (formerly Wyeth-Ayerst) for seven years in commercial, customer, marketing, and insights roles. Barry earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of North Florida and an MBA from Mercer University. He is currently on the advisory boards of the Digital Marketing Institute, George Washington University Digital Marketing Program, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

More About Kantar:

Kantar is a data and evidence-based agency providing insights and actionable recommendations to clients, worldwide. We combine the most meaningful attitudinal and behavioral data with deep expertise and technology platforms to track how people think and act.

To learn more, visit https://retailiq.kantar.com/.

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are reshaping consumer habits in rather unique ways heading into 2026.

In this episode of The Food For Thought Leadership podcast, CEO Mike Messersmith unpacks how Lasso’s SpinTech — dubbed “an advanced cotton candy machine” — could revolutionize food texture, ingredient flexibility, and sustainability.

About Mike Messersmith:

Mike Messersmith is the CEO of Lasso, a new food tech company redefining consumer packaged foods. He joined the company in October 2024, deploying its proprietary Lasso SpinTech across new applications and partners to create a generation of healthier foods. Before joining Lasso, Mike served as President of Oatly North America where he oversaw the brand’s U.S. launch in 2017 and led all facets of business and brand development surrounding its vegan, plant-based food and beverage products made out of oats. Prior to Oatly, Mike held a variety of marketing and commercial roles at The Nature’s Bounty Co, Chobani, and PepsiCo. Before starting his career in CPG, Mike served as an officer in the Navy in a variety of roles including nuclear engineering management on aircraft carriers. He has his MBA from Harvard Business School, a masters in engineering management from Old Dominion University, and his undergraduate degree from Duke University. Mike lives in NYC with his wife Laura and their dog Kelce.

More About Lasso:

Stop compromising on texture, nutrition, or taste. Our machines make food, better. Your brand makes the headlines.

Learn More: https://lassolabs.com/

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine the latest Gen Z drinking trend that's poised to impact the alcohol industry.

In this week's food industry news in 2 minutes, we examine the latest in the vertical farming category.