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Food Processing’s Food For Thought podcast takes you beyond the headlines of the food and beverage manufacturing industry. Join host Erin Hallstrom and the team of award-winning Food Processing editors as they talk about issues affecting food and beverage processors.
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In today’s episode, Jason Baskin, director of Retail Strategy and Business Transformation of Hormel Foods Corporation talks about the ways in which the 135-year-old company continues to evolve and grow. Guided by a tight focus on consumers and on providing what the company calls “real food protein,” Hormel feels well-positioned to move into a new phase of growth.
In addition, Baskin offers insights into some of the trends impacting Hormel’s portfolio — from multicultural food influences to the growing specter of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs — and what Hormel’s approach has been to addressing those trends.
This episode is brought to you by Control Concepts Inc.
Food and beverage processing engineers have much to balance when designing and optimizing facilities and production lines — including maintaining optimum food safety and process performance. Implementation of hygienic air-handling systems should be a critical piece of that puzzle, says Henry Tiffany, president of Control Concepts Inc., who shares insights on how processors can ensure product integrity and safety, using innovative dry-cleaning systems.
This episode is sponsored by Control Concepts Inc. Learn more about Control Concepts' AirSweep material activation systems.
Nolan Lewin, director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and vice president of the New Jersey Food Processors Association, joins the podcast to discuss a wide variety of topics hounding the food and beverage industry. First, Lewin discusses the impact that the new Dietary Guidelines and other regulatory machinations are having on processors, and then highlights what some companies are doing to combat GLP-1s and the impacts of the ultraprocessed foods debate.
Lewin also gives his insights into some of the recalls in food products that we’ve seen in recent years, how technology is helping predict outcomes and find more issues particularly in the labeling arena, and how processors should continue to look for solutions to keep people safe.
The robots are coming! Well, in food and beverage processing, robotics and automation are already here, sure — but what we see today pales in comparison to what the future may hold. Berk Pehlivanoglu and Ozan Ozaskinli of Value Gene Consulting Group join the Food For Thought podcast to talk about an in-depth report their firm released in January, titled “How Humanoids Will Reshape Food Manufacturing.”
Ozaskinli and Pehlivanoglu talk about the humanoid robots currently in development, the shortcomings of the technology at the moment, the projected total cost of ownership of humanoids for food processors, and the technological advancement still needed to reach reliable use in food processing. And, they say, food processors should begin to think about how to capitalize on this innovation now — because implementation of humanoids in food and beverage processing isn’t as far away as some might think.
We’ve got a new set of Dietary Guidelines, and as the industry has had some time to digest them, Natalie Rainer, partner and member of the Health Care and FDA practice at K&L Gates, offers her thoughts on how food and beverage processors can prepare. Rainer digs into some of the significant differences between this iteration of the guidelines and previous ones, as well as what hasn’t changed in the overall tone of the document.
Furthermore, Rainer is watching to see what the guidelines and supporting documentation indicate with regard to the future for some embattled ingredients that are currently recognized as safe or have clearance for use in U.S. food and beverage products.
Conagra Brands has released its third annual Future of Frozen Food report, and we’re speaking with Alie Burnet, director of Enterprise & Portfolio Strategy for Conagra, about the report’s findings this year.
She talks with the Food For Thought podcast about four trends driving growth in the frozen foods aisle, from protein-packed meals to restaurant-inspired favorites, family-style solutions, and all-day breakfast. Burnet digs into each of these trends and also discusses the quality demands that consumers have today and how frozen foods have stepped up to the plate to deliver that quality.
As January rolls on, we bring you another 2026 outlook episode. This time around, Rob Dongoski and Katherine Black, both partners and business sector leads for management consulting firm Kearney, discuss everything from the Dietary Guidelines and the MAHA movement to tariffs and the cost of food and beverage products in the new year.
How is artificial intelligence moving into the grocery and retail space, and what impact do they see from the ultraprocessed foods debate? According to Kearney’s outlook, 2026 is a turning point for food and beverage processors on several levels in a rewired food system, and it could lead to what we at Food Processing are calling “the great reformulation.”
Rocco Renaldi, secretary-general of the International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA), returns to the Food For Thought podcast to discuss the various ways in which snack foods have gotten more nutritious for consumers, often discreetly and without much fanfare over the years.
Certainly, snack processors have made headline-worthy changes as well, and those are expected to continue as pressures continue to influence product formulation and composition. As consumers demand more nutritious options, these companies continue to develop and seek solutions to meet those demands.
As any parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent knows, feeding kids nutritious, healthful foods that taste good and are beloved by those children can be a real challenge at times. Michael Allen, CEO of Kidfresh, joins the podcast this time around to discuss the mission and strategies of Kidfresh and how they approach meeting the demands of our society’s smallest picky eaters.
Allen also discusses where frozen foods stand in the typical family grocery spend, how those products have innovated in recent times, and also how the flavor palates and preferences of the younger generation make a huge difference toward product development.
So, grab a bowl of mac and cheese or some chicken nuggets and enjoy this episode!
As we wrap up 2025 and turn the calendar page to 2026, Billy Roberts, senior analyst, Food & Beverage, for CoBank, joins the Food For Thought podcast to offer an economic outlook for the food and beverage industry in the new year.
Roberts discusses everything from the impact of GLP-1 drugs on food and beverage companies to consumer perception of affordability, and how private-label products can continue to grow in this atmosphere.
Furthermore, he shares what processors can learn from the last year’s roller coaster ride with tariffs, and the possibility of additional consolidation of brands and production capabilities and facilities in the new year.
Jeff Tripician joins the podcast this time around to discuss his move from leading international cultivated meat company Meatable to now becoming the CEO of Charcuterie Artisans, owners of Daniele and Creminelli Meats.
First, Trip details his goals and the work to do to grow the Charcuterie Artisans business, then he digs into the trends driving charcuterie product innovation today. Whether focusing on regionalized offerings or innovating new flavors and types of charcuterie meats, Trip says the time is right for charcuterie to grow.
Jenny Zegler, director of Food and Drink for Mintel, joins the podcast this time around to dig into the details of three predictions that Mintel has made for 2026 for the food and beverage industry.
Will consumers be more interested in longer shelf-life for products as part of their value proposition? What role does sensory play in new product development for food and beverage products in the New Year?
Zegler talks about these expected demands from consumers and how processors can take advantage of these opportunities starting now.
Jackson’s, a snack company that focuses on better-for-you snacks cooked in avocado oil, recently celebrated the grand opening of its Muskego, Wis., facility expansion, and CEO James Marino joined the Food For Thought podcast to detail the capital investment.
Marino also talked about the snacking landscape and how Jackson’s is working to develop better-for-you products aiming to disrupt the category and meet consumer demand for healthier options.
In conjunction with our November cover story, in which we honor and feature Wayne-Sanderson Farms as our 2025 Processor of the Year, I had the opportunity to visit the company’s Decatur, Ala., prepared foods processing complex and its Customer Innovation Center there.
While visiting, I sat down with Matt Masters, director of R&D, and Beau Batchelor, corporate research chef – product development, to talk about the formulation and consumer trends driving the chicken industry today. The two shared their insights on flavors, dayparts and cuts of chicken that consumers continue to seek, as well as some of the larger macro factors driving demand.
This episode is brought to you by Aptean.
As food and beverage processors seek ways to operate efficiently while monitoring and maintaining food safety and a traceable supply chain, they’re looking for advanced technology to help them achieve their goals. Jack Payne, solution consulting director, Food & Beverage and Process Manufacturing, for Aptean, and a longtime industry expert in the field, shares his insights on the innovations that have driven the industry forward, and how a shared passion for serving the best quality, safest food and beverage products has shined through in nearly every partnership he’s developed with processors.
This episode is sponsored by Aptean. Learn more about Aptean.
This episode is brought to you by Envita Solutions.
As food and beverage processors look for ways to enhance their sustainability efforts, more of them are turning toward their production waste streams to find hidden value. Scott Cole, senior director, Strategic Growth for Food & Beverage, for Envita Solutions, discusses some of the initiatives and innovations processors can look into that can help them both save on costs and also protect the environment around them.
Learn more about Envita Solutions.
Americans continue to be attracted to trying new cuisines and ethnic foods, and Indian foods are growing in popularity, according to Kiernan Laughlin, general manager for frozen Indian foods processor Deep Indian Kitchen.
In this episode, Laughlin talks about the key to winning over new consumers when it comes to Indian foods and how Deep Indian Kitchen is dedicated to authenticity in its products while innovating in the competitive, retail frozen foods category.
While attending Pack Expo Las Vegas earlier this week, I was able to sit down for a few minutes with Xinnan Li and Jim Owen, both senior analysts with Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness team. In this episode, the experts discussed the impact of tariffs on plastics and paperboard in the packaging supply world, as well as the market conditions leading to higher costs both now and in the future.
Pumpkin spice lovers, rejoice! Shannon O’Shields, vice president of marketing for Rubix Foods, explains that even though pumpkin has become ubiquitous, it is not cancelled — and in fact, it has established itself among consumers as an anchor flavor for the fall season.
Nevertheless, when considering seasonal food and beverage items, processors would be wise to expand beyond pumpkin and investigate some of the faster-rising flavors. In addition, O’Shields shares two of the macro trends Rubix Foods is watching in product development as the calendar prepares to turn to 2026.
Automation continues to make inroads into the beef industry as technology improves. Dr. Phil Bass, associate professor of meat science in the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences at University of Idaho, explains that plenty of opportunities remain. Indeed, smaller meat and poultry species have been able to take advantage of technological advancements at a faster pace, but the ingenuity of engineers and technicians has the beef industry catching up.
Meanwhile, although the price of beef continues to rise, Bass says, consumers keep buying beef — but the U.S. cattle herd remains constrained, meaning times could remain tough for meatpackers and new meatpacking plants until the cattle supply expands again.
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