Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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How SNAP changes could impact grocers
Retailers are figuring out how to navigate new policies that are tightening participation in the food assistance program and restricting which items customers can buy.
Catherine Douglas Moran • Aug. 4, 2025 -
Permission granted by Suja Life
Back from the dead: Once discontinued brands get another chance
Slice, Hydrox and Odwalla are back on the market several years after they left, often with modernized changes aimed at attracting new consumers without alienating nostalgic shoppers.
Christopher Doering • June 23, 2025 -
97 via Getty Images
The latest tariff challenge for businesses? Setting prices.
Deciding whether to pass on higher costs to already cash-strapped consumers has become “a really tough needle to thread,” one analyst said.
Daphne Howland • April 28, 2025 -
Courtesy of J.M. Smuckers
Aisle hopping: Why major food and beverage brands are entering new parts of the grocery store
Nestlé, Kraft Heinz and J.M. Smucker are among the CPG giants leveraging the brand equity of well-known products to expand into different categories, boost recognition and grow sales.
Christopher Doering • April 16, 2025 -
SDI Productions via Getty Images
6 food and beverage trends to watch in 2025
The evolution of AI, more limited-time product offerings and GLP-1 use for weight loss are among the issues expected to play a more prominent role this year.
Food Dive Staff • Jan. 9, 2025 -
Courtesy of Momofuku
From restaurant to retail: How Michelin-starred brands are infiltrating the grocery store
The channel provides establishments such as Momofuku and Carbone with new revenue streams and an opportunity to reach additional consumers.
Chris Casey • Dec. 11, 2024 -
Adeline Kon/Food Dive
Political donations from 15 of the largest US food and beverage makers plunge
Contributions from entities associated with these companies totaled $4.5 million during the 2024 election cycle compared to $8.2 million four years ago.
Christopher Doering and Jasmine Ye Han • Oct. 28, 2024 -
Getty via Getty Images
Big Ag is spending big on lobbying and the 2024 election
Political spending from the food and agriculture sector has increased, with a record $178 million spent on lobbying alone in 2023. Experts saying rising polarization may play a role.
Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 25, 2024 -
Retrieved from J&J Snack Foods.
The stealthy snacking giant behind Dippin’ Dots, Icee and other treats
While J&J Snack Foods may not be a household name, the company has drawn praise for its “unique collection” of category-leading brands and nearly recession-proof business model.
Christopher Doering • Oct. 21, 2024 -
Photo illustration: Industry Dive; Joe Readle/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Election 2024: Where Trump and Harris stand on agriculture
Higher food prices, trade relations with China and other farm issues are becoming more central to party platforms.
Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 4, 2024 -
Permission granted by Hershey
Gum manufacturers turn to innovation to keep sales from popping
With demand falling from its 2011 peak, Hershey, Mars Wrigley and other companies are turning to unique flavors, ingredients and formats to boost consumption.
Christopher Doering • Sept. 4, 2024 -
Courtesy of High Noon Spirits Company
Hard seltzer started a new category, but will canned cocktails sustain momentum long term?
The push for premium RTD beverages is relying on real spirits and unique flavors to keep the ball rolling.
Chris Casey • Aug. 19, 2024 -
Christopher Doering/Food Dive
You can’t ‘replicate a Celsius’: How the energy drink maker evolved from an unknown to category giant
Revenue has doubled each of the last two years as its beverage’s functional attributes, better-for-you halo and novel flavors resonate with mainstream consumers.
Christopher Doering • Aug. 13, 2024 -
Retrieved from Instagram on July 10, 2024
How influencers are changing the way food and beverage companies harness social media
The days of relying on expos and conventions are long gone. Companies are now embracing Instagram and TikTok and working with influencers to stay relevant.
Elizabeth Flood • July 11, 2024 -
Courtesy of Hershey
Confection giants find gummy sales anything but soft
The squishy treats provide Hershey, Ferrara and Mars Wrigley with opportunities to boost sales of well-known brands while offering them a nearly unlimited canvas for innovation.
Christopher Doering • July 9, 2024 -
Courtesy of Torani
How Torani identifies the next ‘it’ flavors as homemade beverages diversify
The flavoring and syrup maker is expanding its innovation pipeline to capitalize on Gen Z trends and eccentric concoctions from coffee to energy drinks.
Chris Casey • June 24, 2024 -
Christopher Doering/Food Dive
Surging air fryer popularity leads Nestlé, other CPG giants to rethink food
Once a novelty, the gadget’s presence in nearly two-thirds of U.S. homes has forced manufacturers to play catch-up and flood the market with compatible products.
Christopher Doering • May 7, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Is plant-based meat more sustainable? Experts question the data
Researchers have struggled to replicate life-cycle assessments commissioned from companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, and are calling for more transparency.
Nithin Coca • April 24, 2024 -
Retrieved from Food and Drug Administration on February 23, 2024
How the FDA traced the WanaBana lead outbreak to a single food processor
The investigation into the applesauce pouch maker highlights efforts to tighten lead regulation in food production.
Joelle Anselmo • Feb. 26, 2024 -
Permission granted by Keurig Dr Pepper
Inside Keurig’s evolution from single-serve novelty to coffee powerhouse
The platform is aiming to more than double its nearly 40 million household user base by adding features and increasing the system’s versatility.
Christopher Doering • Feb. 12, 2024 -
Courtesy of Beyond Meat
Plant-based meat needs to beef up its messaging in 2024
Between slumping sales and shifting consumer mindsets, 2023 proved difficult for the sector. Here’s what analysts and experts say the category can do to recalibrate.
Elizabeth Flood • Jan. 30, 2024 -
Getty via Getty Images
Booze or bust: How 2024 will reshape alcohol
As tastes evolve and people imbibe less, producers are revamping their portfolios with strategic investments in new categories and nonalcoholic offerings.
Chris Casey • Jan. 25, 2024 -
Courtesy of Vita Coco
Two decades after its founding, Vita Coco is still fighting to silence skeptics
After weathering a demand downturn in coconut water and competition from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, co-founder Mike Kirban said the brand can still avoid the same fate that doomed other once-trendy drinks.
Christopher Doering • Jan. 22, 2024 -
Courtesy of Nestle
The key for growth in 2024 is innovation. Will more CPG companies embrace it?
Analysts said new products are more important than ever as consumers curtail their spending, seek items loaded with attributes important to them and navigate through a plethora of choices.
Christopher Doering • Jan. 16, 2024 -
Retrieved from Post Holdings.
Inside Post Holdings’ transformation from cereal slinger to a diversified CPG giant
The company's unconventional approach has created a nearly $6 billion operation that has a competitive presence in peanut butter, eggs and pet food.
Christopher Doering and Jasmine Ye Han • Oct. 23, 2023
