Opinion

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders


If you are interested in having your voice heard on Food Dive's Opinion page, please read our editorial guidelines and fill out the submission form here.

  • A person holds a silver-wrapped Choco Taco ice cream novelty
    Image attribution tooltip
    "Choco Taco." by tbiley is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    The snacks we grew up with are at risk of disappearing from shelves – if they haven’t already

    Beloved products trusted for generations are now facing a crisis as rising costs, shifting purchasing patterns and regulatory scrutiny pressure legacy brands, writes Keren Novak of Curion.

    Keren Novack • May 5, 2025
  • A shopper browses the snack aisle in a grocery store
    Image attribution tooltip
    David Ryder via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    To win back consumers, food giants need to make better products

    As traditional CPGs lose market share to smaller brands, they should worry more about quality and less about cutting costs, writes Tessa Weigand at Curion.

    Tessa Weigand • April 22, 2025
  • $6.19 for a dozen eggs at a grocery store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sam Silverstein/Food Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Bird flu is a recurring risk. It’s time food companies planned for it.

    As egg prices remain volatile, businesses should think about embracing alternatives to the protein, writes Emma Ignaszewski of the Good Food Institute.

    Emma Ignaszewski • April 17, 2025
  • Instacart shopper buying groceries
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Instacart
    Image attribution tooltip

    How frozen foods can help fight climate change

    Almost a third of food in the U.S. goes to waste, requiring more solutions to preserve shelf life.

    Stacey Snelling • March 25, 2025
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services departs after testifying in a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    RFK Jr will test the limits of his authority in quest to reshape food supply

    Serving the same anti-industry ideas activist organizations have trumpeted for decades has little chance to help "Make America Healthy Again," writes Sean McBride.

    Sean McBride • March 3, 2025
  • Silver aluminum cups alongside empty stadium field
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of PR Newswire
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Super Bowl brand extensions can fuel big-time growth

    The event has proven to be ideal for Budweiser and other brands to launch new offerings, writes Patricia Manos with Curion. But unless done right, these campaigns could become a high-profile flop.

    Patricia Manos • Feb. 5, 2025
  • A child holds a cereal box in the breakfast aisle
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New Year, New Rules: What companies need to know about Prop 65

    California businesses manufacturing, distributing, or selling food products containing certain chemicals are required to attach a warning label — but the requirements are changing. 

    Sedina L. Banks and Sherry E. Jackman • Jan. 7, 2025
  • Alcohol aisle inside a grocery store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Catherine Douglas Moran/Food Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Data and consumer insights are essential for CPG growth in a shifting market

    Financial pressures have led consumers to shop more mindfully, prompting brands to adopt a data-driven approach to delivering value, says Circana’s chief commercial officer.

    Jeremy Allen • Dec. 10, 2024
  • A stack of chocolate made without cacao beans by Voyage Foods
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Voyage Foods
    Image attribution tooltip

    Where is the food tech sector headed? Cocoa and coffee alternatives provide a clue

    As alternatives to commodities gain traction, companies can create opportunities for investment in both alternative and incumbent solutions, the head of climate tech at J.P. Morgan writes.

    Kelly Belcher • Dec. 9, 2024
  • FDA Food safety
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stephen Chernin via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The time is now for the upcoming FDA Food Traceability Rule

    Legislators should reject attempts to further delay or diminish the bi-partisan work in support of this critical food safety tool, argues Consumer Reports food policy director Brian Ronholm.

    Brian Ronholm • Dec. 3, 2024
  • In this rear view, an unrecognizable woman stands with a shopping cart in front of a shelf full of food in the bread aisle of a grocery store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SDI Productions via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    California’s food safety overhaul: From label to table

    With looming compliance deadlines, companies must prepare now to make sure they’re following the state’s food ingredient and labeling laws.

    Sedina L. Banks and Sherry E. Jackman • Nov. 26, 2024
  • CPG
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What happens when the left-right food policy spectrum becomes a circle?

    Changes of leadership at the FDA and the USDA under President-elect Trump could have a large impact on the industry, writes Sean McBride of DSM Communications.

    Sean McBride • Nov. 11, 2024
  • Grocery Aisle
    Image attribution tooltip
    David Ryder/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How food and beverage companies can stay ahead of the changes caused by GLP-1 drugs

    Businesses can take proactive steps now to best position themselves for a competitive advantage in the face of the seismic shift these medications will have on the industry. 

    Bryan Radtke and Jeremy Bartlow • Sept. 13, 2024
  • salt
    Image attribution tooltip
    WS Studio via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What the Chevron decision might mean for FDA’s nutrition policy agenda

    The Supreme Court ruling may lead to a challenge on a host of food-related initiatives from the agency, including FSMA and updated guidance on sodium reduction, writes DSM Strategic Communications founder Sean McBride.

    Sean McBride • July 2, 2024
  • Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions
    Image attribution tooltip

    The seafood industry must recognize that healthy seas require safeguarding human rights

    On World Oceans Day, a fun spotlight is often put on the need to safeguard our ecosystems. Behind the festivities is a sobering reality check that goes beyond the health of our waters.

    Ryan Bigelow • June 7, 2024
  • A grocery store's baking aisle is out of flour in June 2020.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Megan Poinski/Food Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Can agile supply chains ease pressures for FMCGs?

    To best navigate the fallout of geopolitical conflicts, inflation and unpredictable demand, CPGs should look toward cultivating an adaptable strategy.

    Katy Gallagher • June 5, 2024
  • A farmer presses his hands into bare soil
    Image attribution tooltip
    Maksym Belchenko via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Brands need a new model of sustainability. Here’s how we can flip the script

    Companies need to shift their focus from selling to doing, writes Kenny Fahey, president and CEO of Leading Harvest. 

    Kenny Fahey • May 23, 2024
  • Empty beer bottles
    Image attribution tooltip
    Daniele Mezzadri via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What’s in your beer? Brewers lead the way in nutritional transparency

    Nutrition and ingredient disclosures not only help consumers make good decisions about what they drink but also highlight the real differences between beer, wine and liquor, writes the president and CEO of the Beer Institute.

    Brian Crawford • April 10, 2024
  • skittles littles
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Mars Incorporated
    Image attribution tooltip

    A ban on FDA-approved food additives should come from experts

    John Downs, the CEO of the National Confectioners Association, said more studies should be done before banning Red 3 dye and titanium dioxide.

    John Downs • March 25, 2024
  • grocery aisle
    Image attribution tooltip
    Facinadora via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Fact, fad and hyperbole: What’s the deal with ultra-processed foods?

    A popular change in nomenclature is obscuring strides the industry has made with the nutritional value of its products in recent years, argues Sean McBride of DSM Communications.  

    Sean McBride • March 5, 2024
  • Boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama / Getty via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a new recipe can help food win in an Ozempic world

    Weight loss drugs pose a real threat to the industry. But GLP-1 medications also create opportunities for producers to expand in the food-as-medicine space.

    Scott Bowman and Wiles Kase • Feb. 26, 2024
  • Cherry tomatoes
    Image attribution tooltip
    akinoreV via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why a new ‘tomato tax’ is rotten to the core

    Suspending the tomato trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico would cost jobs and lead to higher prices for retailers and consumers, a NatureSweet exec writes. 

    Skip Hulett • Feb. 5, 2024
  • kellogg rice farming ag farmers
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Kellogg
    Image attribution tooltip

    Bridging the divide between the wants of food companies and the needs of farmers

    Driven by the urgency to be more environmentally responsible, businesses sometimes fail to fully grasp the multifaceted challenges faced by their suppliers. Here’s how to get everyone on the same page.

    Ofir Ardon • Jan. 30, 2024
  • Banners reading "COP28 UAE" are seen
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chris Jackson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Don’t fall for the meat industry’s COP out

    Meat and dairy industry representatives made a big show at COP28 claiming that they want to be a part of the solution to combat climate change, but Farm Sanctuary president Gene Baur sees it as mere greenwashing.

    Gene Baur • Dec. 20, 2023
  • Women shopping in grocery retail's producer corner
    Image attribution tooltip

    06photo/shutterstock.com

    Image attribution tooltip

    How to safely harness generative AI for productivity gains in food and beverage businesses

    There’s a lot of promise for the technology, but it could cause more harm than good if it’s not implemented properly.

    Thor Olof Philogène • Oct. 25, 2023