Food Processing - August 2026

Our annual checkup shows big companies may have underlying health issues • 18 AUGUST 2026

R&D Teams of the Year: Ajinomoto • 25 R&D Survey: Dealing with costs, UPFs • 28 Are plant workers ready for AI ? • 34 Motors & drives • 38

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CONTENTS IMAGE BY 19 STUDIO | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; COMPOSITE IMAGE BY BILL ANTKOWIAK

FEATURES COVER STORY

The Top 100: Some Underlying Health Issues

Our annual list and analysis finds small sales growth but volume contraction.

18

R&D TEAMS OF THE YEAR

Ajinomoto Foods North America

The frozen foods subsidiary of the Japanese giant won in the largecompany category.

25

55TH ANNUAL R&D SURVEY

What's Vexing Product Developers?

Our survey finds them dealing with ingredient costs, UPFs, GLP-1s.

28

TECHNOLOGY

CarVe-ing Out Cargill’s AI Aspirations

es

An in-house-developed AI program improves yield, training and more.

31

PLANT OPERATIONS

AI: Young, But Growing Up Fast

A Q&A with Randstad’s Christina Parker.

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DEPARTMENTS

EQUIPMENT

EDITOR’S PLATE

7

NEWS

12

FOOD SAFETY

8

ROLLOUT

16

POWER LUNCH

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Motors & Drives Offer an Edge

They contribute to sanitation and sustainability.

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EDITOR'S PLATE

AUGUST 2026 | VOLUME 87 NUMBER 4

EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dave Fusaro

dfusaro@endeavorb2b.com SENIOR EDITOR

Andy Hanacek ahanacek@endeavorb2b.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Ed Avis, Claudia O’Donnell EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Mohamed Z. Badaoui Najjar, Ph.D.

R&D Senior Director– Strategy & Portfolio Sector Food & Beverage, PepsiCo

James Davis

Yesterday’s Products, Tomorrow’s Prices In our annual Top 100 report, we see a lot of underlying health issues.

Director-Global Sanitation, OSI Group LLC

Leslie Herzog

Vice President of Operations & Research Services, The Understanding & Insight Group LLC (retired from Unilever)

Steven Hill, Ph.D.

Vice President-R&D, QA, Food Safety, Sustainability, Engineering, Regulatory, Marzetti Co.

David Joy

Partner, Keller & Heckman LLP

Leslie Krasny

Krasny Consulting

Amit Pal, Ph.D.

Director, R&D - Beverage, The Campbell's Co.

Jagriti Sharma

Senior Vice President of Product, Poppi

Gary M. Stibel

Founder & CEO, The New England Consulting Group

DESIGN & PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR

Bill Antkowiak bantkowiak@endeavorb2b.com PRODUCTION MANAGER

Rita Fitzgerald

rfitzgerald@endeavorb2b.com AD SERVICES MANAGER

Jennifer George

jgeorge@endeavorb2b.com

EXECUTIVE STAFF VP CORPORATE CONTENT STRATEGY

Travis Hessman

CIRCULATION REQUESTS

Lori Books

ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC CEO

Chris Ferrell COO

Patrick Rains CDO

Jacquie Niemiec CALO

Tracy Kane CMO

Amanda Landsaw EVP MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING GROUP

Lisa Paonessa

Endeavor Business Media, LLC

T

he consumer is still hungry, just not for yesterday’s brands at tomorrow’s prices.”

That great quote, from Ben Nobles, a principal with The New England Consulting Group, came up as we fleshed out this month's cover story, our annual Top 100 list.

While the big chart on pp20-21 is the star, we also use the occasion to assess the financial health of the food & beverage industry.

Ben's quote hints at a number of things wrong with the top companies in the food & beverage industry. On the surface, every processor is getting by, more or less, but there are a lot of "underlying health issues" – hence our theme for this year.

In addition to the sales figures in that chart, we do some additional math. One of my annual favorites is to add up the sales of all 101 companies (there was a three-way tie for last place this year). Their collective 2025 sales were $653.88 billion, a 2.4% increase from those same companies’ sales in 2024. Which, at first glance, makes me think "eh, not so bad." But if you look at inflation in the past year, food-at-home prices rose an identical 2.4%. So one can presume that, collectively, this group had zero volume growth – and I'm surprised they achieved even that. A lot of companies can't claim even flat volumes.

Sure, there were a lot of headwinds. None of these companies could control economic factors like inflation and tariffs. They can’t influence consumer trends. They couldn't control (but aided and abetted) growth by private label and entrepreneurial small companies. How? By making "yesterday's brands at tomorrow's prices," as Ben said.

Smarter minds than mine haven't been able to solve that conundrum.

They're still working on it. I'm sure you all are. But it requires solution before more names disappear from our Top 100 list and it's populated by 100 new names.

What you see in this print magazine is just the tip of the iceberg.

Online is a real database: www.

FoodProcessing.com/top100/2026.

First you'll see the chart of the 101 companies, but if you click on any name, you'll get that company's profile, including headquarters location, executives, even brands, and in most cases plant locations. It's worth a visit, if not a bookmark: www.FoodProcessing.com/ top100/2026.n

FOODPROCESSING .COM

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Written by

Dave Fusaro EDITOR IN CHIEF DFUSARO@ENDEAVORB2B.COM

30 Burton Hills Blvd, Ste. 185, Nashville, TN 37215 800-547-7377

2:00 PM

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FOOD SAFETY

New Details on FDA's GRAS Rulemaking

Although Secretary Kennedy promised it months ago, a new rule for the Generally Recognized as Safe process is scheduled to be released by the end of this year.

O

n July 3, the federal Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released the 2026 Unified Regulatory Agenda, offering fresh details and an updated timeline for an FDA proposed rule that would, for the first time, mandate premarket notification for substances treated as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).

The new entry signals meaningful changes: The rule now targets only "certain uses of food substances," drops earlier language covering indirect substances such as food-contact materials and introduces a "streamlined submissions" pathway and a "limited submission window."

Most striking, FDA would presume that covered food substances are not GRAS unless the notification requirement is met.

Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a substance is excluded from the definition of "food additive" if qualified experts generally recognize it as safe for its intended use. Since 1958, that exemption has rested on expert recognition, not FDA approval. In 1997, FDA replaced its GRAS petition process with a purely voluntary notification program, allowing companies to make independent "self-affirmed GRAS" determinations.

The current effort to curtail self-affirmation and require notifications marks a significant departure from decades of practice. The proposed rule was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget on Dec. 1, 2025 and is classified as

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"Economically Significant," meaning it may affect the economy by at least $100 million annually.

The new presumption of nonGRAS status effectively reverses FDA's longstanding interpretation and forecloses self-affirmation as a lawful pathway; non-notified covered uses would be treated as unapproved food additives. The agenda is silent on earlier exemptions for ingredients already covered by regulation or "no questions" letters, and does not address how confidential or trade-secret information would be protected.

The central question is whether FDA even has the legal authority to mandate GRAS notifications. In the preamble to its 2016 GRAS final rule, FDA acknowledged that it "lack[s] express statutory authority to require companies to submit GRAS notices" and declined to exercise any implied authority at that time.

The statute reinforces those doubts: GRAS substances are excluded from the food-additive approval process, and when Congress mandated premarket notification for food-contact substances in 1997, it conspicuously declined to do the same.

A July 2 Congressional Research Service analysis notes FDA's own admission and warns that its reversal could draw reduced judicial deference under the Skidmore framework. The Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024), which overruled

Chevron, further weakens FDA's footing, since courts must now exercise independent judgment on statutory interpretation. Legal challenges appear certain.

On a parallel track, Senator Roger Marshall's Better Food Disclosure Act of 2025 (S. 3122) would statutorily require GRAS notifications, create a public listing, establish post-market review and grant a two-year transition period — potentially providing the authority FDA now lacks.

Even if FDA publishes its proposed rule this December, a binding final rule is unlikely before late 2028 or 2029, given a lengthy comment period, FDA's response process and near-certain litigation.

Companies should not wait. Prudent steps include conducting a GRAS inventory and gap analysis, assessing existing determinations, preparing substantive comments, and monitoring both the regulatory and legislative tracks — since the outcome may turn on whichever advances first.

FDA's proposed rulemaking could reshape food-ingredient regulation, but it faces substantial legal headwinds, and the narrowing of scope may reflect the agency's own recognition of those constraints. n Written by

Todd Harrison PARTNER IN LAW FIRM VENABLE LLP www.venable.com; taharrison@venable.com

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POWER LUNCH

Fairlife Cyberattack Is a Wake-Up Call

This may be a good time to check your company’s or plant’s cybersecurity preparedness.

T

he July 16 ransomware attack on Coca-Cola Co.’s Fairlife dairy unit should be a wake-up call for any food or beverage processor that has put cybersecurity on the backburner.

For at least a week, Coca-Cola suspended of all of Fairlife’s U.S. manufacturing, although it assured consumers product safety was not impacted. Apparently some data was stolen and a ransom was demanded for its return or for keeping it from becoming public, although Coke never said if it paid the hackers.

It’s been a while since we reported a cyberattack on a food or beverage company — several hit food & beverage companies early this decade. “This is a recurring, sector-wide exposure, not an isolated event,” says Nicholas Cacciola, a senior vice president and Northeast Cyber Liability Practice Leader at Hub International Northeast Ltd. (www.hubinternational.com).

Food & beverage manufacturers are especially attractive to attackers because IT and operational technology (production, batching, packaging controls) are tightly connected. “So a breach that starts in the corporate network can quickly reach the plant floor,” says Cacciola.

That certainly is one well-traveled route. The human layer, not the firewall, is increasingly the entry point, he says. Emailbased fraud (fake invoices,

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payment-redirect, vendor impersonation) continues to generate the highest volume of claims.

And now artificial intelligence is helping attackers to craft flawless phishing, clone voices and impersonate executives and vendors at scale.

But Joe Weiss of Applied Control Solutions sees a different chink in the armor. “Until cybersecurity programs expand their focus beyond protecting networks to ensure the integrity of electronically communicated process information, we will continue to solve the wrong problem.”

Food & beverage plants use pumps, valves, motors, drives, relays, analyzers, process sensors, engineering workstations, operator displays and communication networks. “Because these systems depend on electronic communications to monitor and control physical processes, control system cyber incidents occur whenever electronically communicated process information becomes corrupted, delayed, unavailable or untrustworthy,” says Weiss.

“Network cybersecurity has unquestionably reduced many cyber risks,” he continues. “However, incident data demonstrates that many of the most severe physical consequences originate from corrupted, delayed, unavailable or otherwise untrustworthy electronically communicated

process information rather than compromised networks.”

Here’s a third opinion: Nearly 90% of respondents to a 2024 survey said one or more cyberattacks of the previous 12 months originated from thirdparty supplier access to the cyber-physical systems environment. 41% said that was the cause of five or more attacks.

More than half (57%) admitted to having only partial or no understanding of third-party connectivity to their CPS environment, according to Claroty, a cyber security provider, which commissioned that independent global survey of 1,100 professionals involved in information security, operations technology, engineering, clinical & biomedical engineering, and facilities management & plant operations.

Online we have an August 2022 guest column from Hub International that suggested seven steps processors should take to protect themselves against a cyberattack and to recover in case of a successful incursion. See it at www.foodprocessing.com/11415195.

“Companies that have tested IT/OT segmentation, verified offline backups and rehearsed a cross-functional incident response plan recover meaningfully faster than those that haven't,” Cacciola concludes. n

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Sponsored Content

Eggs: Opportunities Abound for the Culinary ‘Swiss Army Knife’ E

ggs remain a well-rounded, multi-functional staple of every kitchen, whether for industrial product formulators or at-home chefs. Consumers understand that seeing eggs on the ingredient list often translates to a product featuring simplicity with numerous attributes and health benefits. Nelson Serrano-Bahri, director of Innovation for the American Egg Board, discusses the various ways eggs are being used in products and offers additional opportunities for companies to put this “Swiss Army knife” of the ingredient world to good use.

Nelson Serrano-Bahri Director, Innovation American Egg Board

Food Processing: We’re hearing more nowadays about a return to “whole foods.”

What’s driving that shift today?

Nelson Serrano-Bahri: People are looking at ingredient statements a lot more closely, thinking about protein and nutrient density, added sugars and artificial ingredients, and how processed the product is. They want foods that fit their lifestyles but also feel more real and trustworthy. The opportunity is to make processed foods feel more connected to whole food nutrition and recognizable ingredients. The question is no longer, “Can I make this product?” The question has become, “Can we make it in a way that consumers understand, feel good about it and still love to eat it?”

FP: Where do eggs fit into that movement, and why do they resonate so strongly with consumers?

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NS: When a consumer sees eggs on a label, they understand what that ingredient is and what it contributes: richness, color, texture, structure and nutrition.

The combination of familiarity, approachability and relevance is why eggs continue to resonate with most consumers. Eggs are identified in current federal Dietary Guidelines as a nutrient-dense, whole-food protein option, and American Egg Board resources show that egg products can contribute nutrition, sensory quality and clean-label familiarity across food and beverage applications.

FP: What makes eggs so hard to replace when it comes to performance and formulation?

NS: Honestly, I call them the Swiss Army knife of ingredients in a kitchen, because the whites contribute structure, aeration, binding and protein, while the yolks contribute richness, color, emulsion and a beautiful, creamy eating quality. Together, the whole egg can help with moisture, tenderness, flavor development and overall product integrity. This is why replacing eggs is often much more

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Sponsored Content

complicated than it first appears.

A replacement may be able to copy one function or another, but then you still have to recover other functions in other ways. Suddenly, to replace one ingredient, you’re creating a system of ingredients to try to rebuild what the egg was already doing perfectly well naturally.

FP: How are brands using eggs to meet clean-label expectations while still delivering on taste, texture and overall product performance?

NS: Eggs allow manufacturers to lean into familiar ingredients while still getting serious technical performance. For brands, eggs can become part of the clean-label solution, not because the product becomes simplistic, but because the formulation can become more understandable without sacrificing performance. I think the biggest opportunity is to stop seeing eggs only through the lens of breakfast.

Breakfast will always matter, and it is super important, but eggs have so much more room to play across the food industry. Eggs can bring high-quality protein, functionality and a whole-food connection, really helping products be executed in the right way while providing consumers with the right sensory experience and format.

We also have an opportunity to look more intentionally at the whole egg, including the yolk.

For years, a lot of protein innovation has focused on the whites alone. Egg whites are incredibly valuable, but the yolk is the powerhouse. The yolk brings functionality, flavor, emulsion, color and nutrient density. There is a

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lot of innovation possible when we stop separating the nutrition story from the culinary story.

FP: Looking ahead, where are the biggest opportunities for eggs?

NS: Eggs are being reimagined in ways that go far beyond the breakfast plate. We are exploring eggs in protein beverages and powdered drink mixes where they can contribute protein in new formats. We’re also looking at high-protein frozen desserts where eggs can help with both nutrition and an indulgent, creamy experience. We are thinking about sauces, custards, foams and culinary toppings that can bring flavor and functionality into beverages and prepared foods. Snacking also is huge, and portable eating occasions are really big too.

Products that can give consumers the nutrition of an egg in a format that fits their day, not just their breakfast routine, are another huge opportunity that we’re looking into. The future becomes really interesting because the egg does not have to lose its identity to become innovative. We do not have to disguise it in any way. We can use everything consumers already love and trust about eggs, and apply that to entirely new locations, formats and experiences.

The American Egg Board’s Eggcelerator Lab describes its mission as putting eggs in front of consumers in new ways, and we publicly highlight innovation in products such as grab-and-go formats, egg-based

cereal and beverage-focused development. A good example of this is cake. In a cake system, eggs can help with aeration, structure, emulsification, moisture, color and flavor development. If you take the eggs out, you may need several different ingredients to rebuild all of those qualities. Even then, the finished product may not provide the same eating experience.

Sauces and dressings are another good example. Egg yolks can create a stable emulsion while also delivering richness and creamy mouthfeel. That one familiar ingredient can help do the work that otherwise might require a more complicated stabilizer or emulsification system. Frozen desserts are another interesting space. Eggs can help support creaminess, richness and texture while giving the product a more recognizable ingredient story. Then there are prepared foods such as egg bites, patties, handheld meals or savory fillings. Eggs can provide protein, structure, binding and flavor all from one ingredient.

I go back to the Swiss Army knife analogy that I mentioned.

This can work the very same way in industrial food processing.

Egg products have documented functional applications in bakery, sauces, dressings, frozen foods and prepared foods, with functions ranging from moisture retention and aeration to emulsification, texture, and crystallization control.

So really, just one ingredient, just that one egg, is a whole functional system wrapped into one. n

Food For Thought

Hear the conversation by tuning in to Food Processing’s Food For Thought podcast.

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IN THIS SECTION » New CEOs at five top processors » The financial risk of UPFs » Seminal UPF lawsuit dismissed

Utz Going Private Via Germany's Intersnack Group The German company will buy all the public stock, with Utz’s controlling families keeping 50% ownership in the salty snack company; total value is $2.9 billion.

REFRINA | ADOBE STOCK

U

tz Brands Inc.is being taken private, with Germany’s Intersnack Group buying all the public stock and the currently controlling Rice and Lissette families maintaining their holdings, giving each party 50% ownership in the snack company.

The offer was $14.25 per share in cash, a premium of 91% over the July 20 closing price and an enterprise value of approximately $2.9 billion. The deal is expected to close by the end of this year.

Intersnack Group is a family-founded, privately owned company that started as a German potato chip maker in 1968.

Utz was founded in 1921 by William and Salie Utz, who made potato chips out of their home in Hanover, Pa., where the company is still headquartered. Utz has made a number of acquisitions and makes potato or corn chips and pretzels under the brands Utz, On the Border, Bachman,

Zapp’s, Dirty, Golden Flake, Boulder Canyon, TGI Fridays Snacks and Tortiyahs!

Utz ended 2025 with sales of $1.439 billion but an $8 million net loss. 2024 saw a $31 million profit but 2023 ended in a $40 million loss.

McCormick Offers a Peek at its Merger With Unilever McCormick & Co. revealed its planned operating model and executive team as well as a secondary stock market listing on the London Stock Exchange once it closes on its proposed acquisition of the muchlarger Unilever foods business.

The closing of the approximately $45 billion mega-deal, first announced at the end of March, is expected by mid-2027. After the close, McCormick will reorganize into four reporting segments: Americas Consumer, International

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Consumer, Global Food Service, and Global Flavor.

The two “consumer” businesses will include retail sales of spices, seasonings, cooking aids, condiments and sauces. Americas Consumer would have had $8 billion in 2025 sales across North, Central and South America, while International Consumer will have $7 billion in sales across the rest of the world.

Global Food Service will register $4 billion in 2025 annual sales, and Global Flavor will have $2.5 billion.

Current chairman and CEO Brendan Foley will remain in that role, as will Marcos Gabriel, executive vice president and chief financial officer of McCormick. The remainder of the executive leadership team will include both McCormick and Unilever executives (the full list is at www.FoodProcessing.com/55393168).

The leadership team will be split between McCormick’s Hunt Valley, Md., global headquarters and a new international headquarters in the Netherlands.

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NEWS

FOODPROCESSING .COM

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"It was not a slam-dunk," Palzer told Reuters of the R&D effort, noting Nestle had spent years researching replacements. "We had to do a lot of R&D work because you have to screen all the natural solutions

Top-Selling New Products of 2025 For the second time in three years, an infant formula was the top-selling new grocery store product of the past year, not just in the food & beverage category but in all grocery/consumer packaged goods categories. And it’s from England.

Kendamil Infant Formula, with $303 million in year-one sales, edged out the usual suspects energy drinks and other beverages, although drinks dominated the Top 10 list of Circana’s annual New Product Pacesetters, the top-selling new products of the past year.

There wasn’t a single “solid food” on the list: The closest things were Fruit Riot (a frozen fruit splashed with lemon juice & a candy coating) and King’s Hawaiian Soft Pretzel Bites. Those two were in 9th and 10th places.

Last year, Pilgrim’s Pride’s Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken topped the list, which, while dominated by beverages, included three other solid foods and a candy bar.

The next seven 2025 new products in the top 10 were (in order) Bloom Sparkling Energy, Red Bull The Pink Edition, Canada Dry

Fruit Splash Cherry Ginger Ale (from Keurig Dr Pepper), Oikos Pro Drinks + Oikos Pro Shots (Danone), Sprite Chill (Coca-Cola Co.), Sparkling Ice Starburst and Topo Chico Sabores (Coca-Cola).

In the Convenience Store channel, Velo Plus, a smokeless tobacco, was No. 1 and another smokeless tobacco and nicotine patch were 3 and 4.

Nutrabolt’s C4 Energy x Jolly Rancher was second with $115 million in sales, and drinks took four of the next six spots, with Mars’ Skittles Pop’d No. 8 and MrBeast Feastables (chocolate bars) 10th.

While it’s too early for a full year of sales for newer products, Circana lists “Rising Stars” likely to lead next year’s list. Without quantifying their sales, the list includes Stateside Brand’s Surfside Canned Cocktails, Nestle’s Sanpellegrino Ciao, Bloom Pop, Dr Pepper Blackberry, LMNT Sparkling Electrolyte, Cibo Vita’s Yoggies, Island Way Sorbets, Amara Smoothie Melts, Peelerz and Reese’s Oreo Peanut Butter Cups.

MKPHOTO | ADOBE STOCK

Nestlé SA made two big announcements in July: spinning off its global waters business into a 50:50 joint venture and promising to remove synthetic colors from all its products worldwide by the end of 2026, making it the first major food company to make such a promise.

The new waters business, a joint venture with investment firm Platinum Equity, will be called Peranel, with headquarters in Paris. It spans more than 30 brands sold in 120 countries, including mineral water brands S.Pellegrino, Source Perrier and Acqua Panna, as well as premium and functional hydration beverages, the global Nestlé Pure Life brand and some local water brands.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of next year.

It assigns an enterprise value to Peranel of about $5.6 billion and implies cash proceeds for Nestlé of approximately $3.42 billion.

Nestle’s water brands in the U.S. were bought in early 2021

by One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co. Then that company, Blue Triton Brands, merged in mid-2024 with water delivery service Primo Water, which is the surviving name.

Earlier in July, Stefan Palzer, Nestle SA's technology chief, told Reuters news service, "By the end of the year we will have the global Nestle portfolio free of artificial colors." The promise came two weeks after Nestle USA’s CEO Marty Thompson said in an undated blog-like post on the company’s website, “Today, I’m proud to share that we have fully eliminated them.”

then you have to test those natural solutions during production, and then also test their shelf-life. We did it because consumers don't appreciate artificial ingredients. They want simpler recipes."

KORNIENKO ALEXANDR | ADOBE STOCK

Nestlé Spins Off Waters, Substitutes Colors

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New CEOs for Tyson, Conagra, Hormel, Heineken, Ajinomoto A raft of new CEOs arrived at top food & beverage companies in recent months.

Tyson Foods said current CEO Donnie King will step down from his role on Oct. 4 and will hand the reins to Jeff Schomburger Schomburger, who has been a member of Tyson’s board since 2016 and spent 35 years at Procter & Gamble. A week after that announcement, Wes Morris stepped out of his second retirement from Tyson to become the company’s chief operating officer, taking the place of Devin Cole.

Sean Connolly, who has been president/CEO of Conagra Brands for more than a decade, was replaced on June 1 by John Brase, former president and CEO of J.M. Smucker Co. Prior to his Smucker tenure, Brase spent some three decades at Procter & Gamble.

John Ghingo finally will be elevated to CEO of Hormel Foods later this year, replacing Jeff Ettinger, who has Ghingo served as interim CEO since July of last year. This all started in January 2025 when James Snee, chairman, president and CEO, announced he would retire at the end of that fiscal year (October 2025). Ghingo was promoted from executive vice president of Hormel’s retail business unit to president in July of last year while Ettinger came out of retirement to be interim CEO.

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Heineken NV, the world’s second-largest brewer, in June announced Rafael Oliveira as its new chairman and CEO, the first time the Dutch brewer has appointed an outsider to the top job. Previous CEO Dolf van den Brink unexpectedly announced his resignation in January, although he stayed on till May 31. As a result, Oliveira will not be taking over the still-unnamed global coffee powerhouse expected to be created by the merger of Keurig Dr Pepper with JDE Peet's – he was tabbed to be its CEO. Ajinomoto Foods North America Inc. elevated Dave Gardner to president/CEO. Gardner had been chief supply chain officer since 2022.

He replaces Hiroshi Gardner Kaho, who was promoted to executive officer & executive vice president-chief human resources officer for the Tokyo-based parent company, Ajinomoto Co. Inc. Michael Axelrod took over as president/CEO of BellRing Brands on July 29, replacing Darcy Davenport, who had been CEO since the creation of BellRing, which was spun off from Post Holdings in 2019. She’s retiring. Axelrod joins BellRing from Snak King, where he was CEO. Abigail Buckwalter left Nestlé Health Science U.S. to become president/CEO of Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., replacing Tom Hayes, who retired March 2.

Buckwalter brings 20 years of global Buckwalter

leadership experience across consumer-packaged goods and healthcare. She’s been at the Nestle unit since its inception 15 years ago and has been CEO for three years.

Other executive changes

Hershey Co. in July made Heather Hoytink president of its U.S. business. She was senior vice president and chief commercial officer for PepsiCo’s U.S. Away From Home Beverages division, and previously was president of Pepsico’s South Division. She fills the job left open after the unexpected departure of Andrew Archambault, who left the Hershey after only two months in the position to become president and chief operating officer of Nutrabolt, owner of energy drinks C4 Energy, Bloom and others.

Jennifer Mann relinquished her titles as a Coca-Cola Co. executive vice president and president of the North America Operating Unit, the company’s largest, on Aug. 1, staying with the company through April 2027 as an advisor.

Mann held a number of leadership roles in her 29 years at the company, including chief of staff 2015-2018 to James Quincey, Coke’s CEO until Henrique Braun replaced him on March 31.

Relatively new Novus Foods appointed Admir Basic CEO, replacing Tom Davis, who led the firm and its predecessor companies for 11 years.

Marzetti Co. hired Mark Carter as chief supply chain officer. He will replace Luis Viso, who joined the company in 2023 and will retire later this year.

AUGUST 2026

8/3/26 1:37 PM

NEWS

While most discussions of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are about ingredients and processing steps, two June reports from a French multinational bank looked at how deeply some of the biggest publicly held U.S. food & beverage companies are dependent upon UPFs and what that exposure might mean in business risk.

“Our analysis suggests the group is highly exposed to UPFs,” says a June 29 report from BNP Paribas Equity Research. The most “exposed” are, in order, Oatly, Hershey, Flowers Foods, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Conagra, General Mills and Campbell’s.

All appear to get 90% or more of their sales from what appear to be ultraprocessed or highly processed foods.

“Smucker, McCormick, Hormel and Smithfield [offer] the most insulation,” reads a related June 10 report – meaning those companies appear to be the least dependent on UPFs. “While consumer awareness of ultra-processed foods is still nascent, it is growing rapidly and our analysis indicates the consumer is already starting to turn around the package and make purchasing decisions based on ingredient lists and perceived levels of processing,” wrote senior analyst Max Gumport.

“This exposure is important because there is a growing body of scientific evidence linking UPFs to adverse health outcomes, and UPFs have entered the crosshairs of policymakers, with the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans explicitly advising to avoid highly processed foods.”

FOODPROCESSING .COM

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KHELLA | GENERATED WITH ADOBESTOCK AI

The Financial Liability of Ultraprocessed Foods

Using the Nova classification system – which rates food products from 1 (unprocessed or minimally processed) to 4 (ultraprocessed) – Gumport figured 92% of Oatly’s sales would fall under Nova Category 4. Hershey through Campbell’s all appear to be above 78% dependent on Nova 4 foods with some exposure in Nova 3 (processed) foods.

At the far end of the spectrum, Smucker appears to be about 50% exposed in Nova 4 foods, has very few Nova 3 foods and is the “cleanest” of the group, apparently due to its heavy dependence on coffee and pet foods.

“Google Trends suggest [an approximate] 12x rise in interest [in UPFs] vs. the start of 2023,” Gumport wrote. “Put differently, based on Google Trends, interest in ‘ultraprocessed food’ has risen faster than that of ‘artificial intelligence’ since the start of 2023 but remains at a markedly lower level than that of ‘organic food’ and ‘low-carbohydrate diet.’

“Still, that leaves room for portfolio improvement for those companies bold enough to take more decisive action. We believe there is a sizeable opportunity for companies to transform their portfolios both organically through innovation and inorganically through [mergers and acquisitions].”

A Final Dismissal in First UPF Lawsuit A federal judge in Philadelphia on June 30 delivered the apparent final victory to food & beverage companies who were accused of creating ultraprocessed foods they knew would be addictive and would create health problems.

A judge in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled plaintiff Brian Martinez could not amend his complaint in his late-2024 lawsuit that named as defendants 11 food companies: Coca-Cola Co., Conagra, General Mills, Kellanova, Kraft Heinz, Mars, Mondelez, Nestle USA, PepsiCo, Post Foods and WK Kellogg.

Martinez is a now 20-year-old Philadelphian who was diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and Type 2 diabetes when he was 16. He claims his addiction to products from those companies led to his diseases. Among the allegations are that the companies used 1980s tobacco marketing tactics to addict children to unhealthy foods.

The lawsuit, filed in December 2024, was the first to bring the subject of UPFs to court. It initially was dismissed in August of 2025. There has been a handful of similar filings in other jurisdictions since.

“The plaintiff … had cited more than 100 foods as leading to his diagnosis,” Kelly Jones Howell, an attorney for Harris Beach Murtha, wrote. “That vagueness once again led to the case’s dismissal.

“The court noted the plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint ‘raises serious concerns about the UPF industry and its effects on children’s health. However, the law does not allow Martinez to hold liable an entire industry.' "

15

8/3/26 1:37 PM

ROLLOUT Semiquincentennial is a mouthful, but a big celebration deserves a big word. We haven’t hit a national milestone birthday since 1976.

Food & beverage product developers (and their marketers) rose to this rare occasion, producing novel products and packaging to celebrate America’s 250 th birthday this July 4.

Baking Up Some Stars and Stripes

The Pillsbury Funfetti brand from Hometown Food Co. gets festive with its Stars & Stripes lineup, which features cake mixes and frostings in vibrant patriotic colors. At the center of the lineup is the Funfetti Stars & Stripes Sprinkle Cake Mix featuring the Pillsbury cake mix’s signature moist texture with colorful candy bits.

Also joining the lineup is the Pillsbury Funfetti Stars & Stripes Red Swirl Cake Mix, which includes separate red and white cake pouches that swirl together to create a striking, bakery-style design when baked. The result is a visually stunning dessert that captures the spirit of celebration in every slice. The brand also has a new trio of festive vanilla frostings in red, white and blue colors. Blue and red are exclusive to Walmart.

Red, White and BOOM Ice Cream

The Prairie Farms family of companies introduces Red, White & Boom Ice Cream, a heroes-edition offering available from both Prairie Farms and Hiland Dairy. More than a seasonal flavor, the new flavor reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to Folds of Honor, with a pledge to fund 50 $5,000 academic scholarships for the families of America’s fallen or disabled military and first responders.

Red, White & Boom also represents an important step forward in the company’s commitment to eliminating artificial colors, aligning with growing consumer preference for more natural ingredients and clean-label products. The product features strawberry, vanilla and blueberry flavored ice creams.

16

2608FP_16-17_Rollout.indd 16

Red, White & Blueberry Fruit Snacks

Welch’s Fruit Snacks Red, White & Blueberry returned this summer to celebrate the semiquincentennial. This limited-edition patriotic mix features the brand’s bestselling Berries ’n Cherries flavor.

Made with real fruit, the snacks have been reformulated to be free from artificial dyes.

The celebratory 0.5-oz snack packs come in 26-count boxes and have a suggested retail price of $6. The boxes include a QR code that unlocks exclusive recipes, fun facts and shareable patriotic content.

PIM Brands Inc. produces and markets the product under license; the Welch’s name and banner are registered trademarks of Welch Foods Inc.

AUGUST 2026

8/3/26 1:37 PM

ROLLOUT

Stars & Stripes in Every Aisle

As a company that has shaped the nation’s culinary landscape for generations, General Mills serves up even more ways to celebrate this summer – from morning until the last firework lights up the sky – with 79 limited-edition products inspired by America’s 250 th birthday. The lineup pairs nostalgic flavors with red, white and blue-inspired twists.

Some of the limited-edition offerings include Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Stars & Stripes, Pillsbury Grands! S’mores Cinnamon Rolls, Birthday Cake Cheerios, Fruit Roll-Ups Star-Spangled Cherry, Fruit by the Foot Splitz Star-Spangled Strawberry and Berry Blast, Betty Crocker America’s Birthday Cake Soft Baked Cookie Mix, and Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake! Red, White and Blue Cookie Dough. These and other limited-edition offerings across General Mills’ brands are available at various nationwide retailers while supplies last.

Spirited Energy Drinks

Monster Energy kicked off this summer with bold new flavors, iconic designs and a lineup built to bring people together.

Leading the charge is the allnew Juice Monster Strawberry Lemonade, a fruit-forward flavor that ignites the taste buds and is designed to fuel every backyard barbecue, beach day and fireworks-filled night. Packed in a can that screams “U.S.A! U.S.A!” the design features flag-bearing monster trucks, Lady Liberty and a jacked George Washington cruising on a throttle-heavy hog.

The company is also offering Monster Energy Ultra Red, White & Blue Razz in 12- and 16-oz. cans. Made with zero sugar, its blue raspberry flavor conjures the sensation of a cold rocket pop on a hot July Fourth day. For those going big this summer, Monster dropped a 12-can Ultra Liberty Variety Pack inspired by the colors of the Star-Spangled Banner, featuring Zero Ultra, Punk Punch and Blue Hawaiian.

FOODPROCESSING .COM

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Chips Honor America's Ideals and its Birthplace

Family-owned Herr Foods Inc. once again put the power in the hands and taste buds of its hometown fans with its iconic Flavored by Philly campaign.

This year the competition celebrated America’s birthday with potato chip flavors to honor freedom, liberty and unity that define both Philadelphia, America’s birthplace, and the nation.

Now in its fifth year and this year called “Flavored by Philly: Taste the 250,” the effort started with a competition. Nearly 100,000 votes were received from Nov. 12 to Dec. 10 of last year, with fans selecting from a lineup of chip flavors inspired by those ideals. The winners: Freedom Loaded Cheese Fries, Liberty Hickory Barbeque and United Jalapeño Cream Cheese.

These limited-time-only flavors are available everywhere Herr’s is sold, in store and online.

17

8/3/26 1:37 PM

Written by

Dave Fusaro EDITOR IN CHIEF

Our annual examination of the food & beverage industry finds a lot of underlying health issues.

T

he correct answer from the little quiz at left is D – and the same could be said for many of the largest food & beverage companies in the U.S. and Canada. Eight companies from our annual Top 100 list lost money in 2025 or their most recent fiscal year, and five of those eight were in the top 24 companies. Does that say something?

Also in the red were big companies General Mills and J.M. Smucker; the other three money-losers were near the bottom of the list: B&G Foods, Monogram Foods and Utz Brands.

It also was a year for writing down the valuation of your company. Kraft Heinz, Conagra and General Mills all took special charges for that, which pushed all three into the red.

If you add up the sales of all 101 companies (there was a three-way tie for last place) in the chart on pp20-21, collective 2025 sales were $653.88 billion. Despite all the bad news over

It’s been a tough year for (choose one): A. Conagra Brands B. Kraft Heinz C. Molson Coors D. All of the above

IMAGE BY 19 STUDIO | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; COMPOSITE IMAGE BY BILL ANTKOWIAK

18

2608FP_18-24_Top 100.indd 18

AUGUST 2026

8/3/26 1:36 PM

TOP 100

the past year, that’s a 2.4% increase from those same companies’ sales in 2024.

However, if you look at inflation in the past year, food-at-home prices rose an identical 2.4%. So one can presume that, collectively, this group had zero volume growth.

Another interesting computation: If you add the net income figures for 2025 vs.

2024, their profits were down $14 billion.

All the sales figures in this report represent only products made in U.S. and Canadian plants – we go to great lengths to calculate and isolate those numbers. However, net income is from the total or parent company, unless indicated otherwise.

Among all 101 companies, sales increased by at least 5% for 23 of them; decreased at least 5% for 12. Net income increased for 20, decreased for 24.

The top 25 companies were hardest hit in profits: only six improved net income while 12 regressed. But sales were up for 11 of those big companies, down for only four (“by at least 5%” in all cases).

What do all those numbers and computations mean? That it was a typical year for Big Food, with some companies continuing on a growth trajectory, a few excelling (look at Coca-Cola’s and Keurig Dr Pepper’s numbers), and others taking the widely reported hits from private label, entrepreneurial small companies and economic factors like inflation and tariffs.

Throughout the past year or so, even when sales increased, for many the bumps were due to inflationary pricing, with volumes declining.

Max Gumport, senior analyst with financial firm BNP Paribas, keyed on that issue: “With group volumes down for the fifth straight year and disruptors driving [approximately] 64% of industry sales and growth off just [approximately] 2% of sales, we believe the group must get disruptive and take greater action.”

Gary Stibel, founder & CEO of The New England Consulting Group (www.necg.net), adds, “The North American food & beverage industry still is healthy because Americans like to eat and drink. But the biggest brands and companies are not healthy.”

“The consumer is still hungry, just not for yesterday’s brands at tomorrow’s prices,”

FOODPROCESSING .COM

2608FP_18-24_Top 100.indd 19

ALPHABETIC INDEX

2026

AGRI-MARK.................................... 99

LACTALIS AMERICAN GROUP........ 25

AGROPUR COOPERATIVE............... 29

LAMB WESTON HOLDINGS............ 40

AJINOMOTO ................................... 94

LANCASTER COLONY/MARZETTI... 78

AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR.......... 99

LAND O’LAKES................................ 38

AMERICAN FOODS GROUP............ 53

LEPRINO FOODS............................. 81

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV............. 11

LINDT & SPRUNGLI........................ 61

ARIZONA BEVERAGE...................... 72

MAGNUM ICE CREAM..................... 69

ASSOCIATED MILK PRODUCERS... 92

MAKER'S PRIDE.............................. 58

B&G FOODS.................................... 80

MAPLE LEAF FOODS....................... 59

BELLRING BRANDS........................ 66

MARS................................................. 5

BIMBO BAKERIES.......................... 19

MARZETTI...................................... 78

BOSTON BEER................................ 77

McCAIN FOODS.............................. 49

BROWN-FORMAN........................... 84

McCORMICK & CO.......................... 60

BUTTERBALL.................................. 70

McKEE FOODS................................ 90

CALIFORNIA DAIRIES.................... 48

MOLSON COORS............................. 24

CAL-MAINE FOODS........................ 57

MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL........ 18

CAMPBELL'S CO.............................. 20

MONOGRAM FOODS....................... 89

CANADA PACKERS.......................... 91

MOUNTAIRE FARMS....................... 42

CARGILL............................................ 9

NATIONAL BEEF PACKING............. 12

CASE FOODS................................... 93

NATIONAL BEVERAGE.................... 96

CHOBANI........................................ 49

NESTLÉ.............................................. 4

COCA-COLA...................................... 6

ORGANIC VALLEY........................... 94

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE.................... 37

OSI GROUP..................................... 33

CONAGRA BRANDS........................ 15

PEPSICO........................................... 1

CONSTELLATION BRANDS............. 34

PERDUE FARMS.............................. 30

CROPP COOPERATIVE.................... 94

PILGRIM’S PRIDE........................... 16

DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA...... 28

POST HOLDINGS............................ 26

DANONE NORTH AMERICA............ 27

PRAIRIE FARMS DAIRY.................. 36

DARIGOLD...................................... 98

PREMIUM BRANDS HOLDINGS...... 43

DEL MONTE..................................... 72

RESER'S FINE FOODS..................... 72

DREYER'S/FRONERI....................... 65

RICH PRODUCTS............................ 53

E&J GALLO...................................... 39

SAPUTO........................................... 21

FERRARA CANDY CO...................... 68

SARGENTO FOODS......................... 82

FERRERO NORTH AMERICA........... 72

SCHREIBER FOODS........................ 64

FLOWERS FOODS............................ 32

SCHWAN’S...................................... 44

FOREMOST FARMS......................... 99

SEABOARD...................................... 71

FOSTER FARMS............................... 62

SENECA FOODS.............................. 83

GENERAL MILLS............................... 8

SHAMROCK FOODS........................ 49

GOLDEN STATE FOODS.................. 35

SIGMA FOODS................................ 85

GRASSLAND DAIRY........................ 44

SIMPLY GOOD FOODS ................... 88

GREAT LAKES CHEESE................... 41

SMITHFIELD FOODS....................... 13

H.P. HOOD....................................... 44

SMUCKER........................................ 22

HERSHEY........................................ 17

SUGAR CREEK................................ 97

HILMAR CHEESE............................. 67

SUNTORY GLOBAL SPIRITS........... 47

HORMEL FOODS............................. 14

TREEHOUSE FOODS....................... 62

J&J SNACK FOODS......................... 86

TRIUMPH FOODS............................ 79

J.M. SMUCKER................................ 22

TROPICANA BRANDS..................... 53

J.R. SIMPLOT.................................. 72

TYSON FOODS.................................. 2

JBS USA............................................ 3

UNILEVER....................................... 52

KEURIG DR PEPPER....................... 10

UTZ BRANDS................................... 87

KOCH FOODS.................................. 30

WAYNE-SANDERSON FARMS......... 23

KRAFT HEINZ................................... 7

WONDERFUL CO............................. 53

19

8/3/26 1:36 PM

Top 100 List THIS YEAR’S RANK

LAST YEAR’S RANK

COMPANY NAME (FISCAL YEAR END)

All figures are in millions of U.S. dollars

2025 US/CANADA FOOD SALES

2024 US/CANADA FOOD SALES

2025 TOTAL COMPANY SALES

2025 NET INCOME

2024 NET INCOME

9,578

1

1

PepsiCo Inc.

55,725

55,200

93,925

8,240

2

2

Tyson Foods Inc. (9/27/25)

52,150

50,956

54,441

507

822

3

3

JBS USA

36,568

32,402

86,184

2,230 D

1,968 D

4

4

Nestle (U.S. & Canada)

26,700 E

28,048 C

113,282 C

10,626 C,D

12,049 C,D

5

8

Mars Inc.

22,000

16,000

E

65,000

NA-Private

NA-Private

6

6

Coca-Cola Co.

19,560

18,649

47,941

13,137

10,649

7

5

Kraft Heinz Co.

18,586

19,543

24,942

(-5,848)

2,746

8

7

General Mills Inc. (5/31/26)

15,355

16,700

18,425

(-88)

2,300

9

9

Cargill Inc. (5/31/25)

15,000 E

15,000 E

154,000

NA-Private

NA-Private

10

12 Keurig Dr Pepper

14,429

13,298

16,603

2,079

1,441

11

10

Anheuser-Busch InBev

14,207

14,655

59,320

6,837 D

5,855 D

12

13

National Beef Packing Co.

13,832

12,372

29,728 C

371

552

13

11 Smithfield Foods Inc.

13,774

13,202

15,531

998

970

14

14 Hormel Foods Corp. (10/26/25)

11,397

11,219 R

12,106

478

805

15

15 Conagra Brands Inc. (5/31/26)

11,282

11,613

11,282

(-1,916)

1,152

16

17

10,999

10,630

18,498

1,083

1,087

17

18 Hershey Co.

10,751

10,254

11,693

883

2,221

18

16 Mondelez International

10,679

10,910

38,537

2,451

4,611

19

22 Bimbo Bakeries (U.S. & Canada)

10,593 C*

9,255 C

23,751 C

640 C,D

696 C,D

Pilgrim’s Pride

E

20

21

Campbell's Co. (8/3/25)

10,253

9,636

10,253

602

567

21

20

Saputo Inc. (3/31/26)

9,856 C

9,719 C

12,614 C

483

(-123)

22

24 J.M. Smucker Co. (4/30/26)

9,051

8,726

9,051

(-139)

(-1,231)

23

25

Wayne-Sanderson Farms (3/31/26)

8,800

8,700

8,800

1,100

1,500

24

23

Molson Coors Co.

8,713

9,240

11,141

(-2,180)

1,158

25

19 Lactalis American Group

8,000 E

7,000 E,R

36,701 C

621 C,D

600 D,E

26

26 Post Holdings Inc. (9/30/25)

7,616

7,379

8,158

982

925

27

29

7,440

7,140 R

32,093 C,D

2,461 C,D

2,187 C,D

28

28

Dairy Farmers of America

6,500

6,500

23,100

NA

NA

29

29

Agropur Cooperative (10/31/25)

6,404 C

6,300 C

6,404 C

491 C

438 C

30

37 Koch Foods Inc.

5,500 E

5,300 E

5,500 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

31

Perdue Farms Inc. (3/31/26)

5,500

E

5,900

8,800 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

32

33

Flowers Foods Inc.

5,256

5,103

5,256

84

248

33

37 OSI Group

4,900 E

4,600 E

10,300 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

34

32

Constellation Brands ( 2/28/26)

4,878 E

5,105 E

Danone North America

9,756

2,773

(-1,121 R)

E

NA-Private

35

35

Golden State Foods

4,800

4,700

5,000

NA-Private

36

37

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. (9/30/25)

4,690 E

4,600 E

4,690 E

NA

NA

37

41 Colgate-Palmolive Co.

4,613 P

4,483 P

20,382

1,064 P

965 P

38

36

Land O’Lakes Inc.

4,550 E

4,610 E

16,000

265

238

39

40 E & J Gallo Winery

4,500

4,500 E

5,000 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. (5/26/26)

E

40

42

4,395

4,265

6,612

290

357

41

44 Great Lakes Cheese Co.

4,000 E

4,000 E

4,000 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

42

65 Mountaire Farms

3,800 E

2,600 E

3,800 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

43

60

Premium Brands Holdings Corp.

3,718

C

2977

C

5,461

30

95 C

44

46

Grassland Dairy

3,500

E

3,500

E

NA

NA

46 H.P. Hood Inc.

3,500 E

3,500 E

3,500 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

46

Schwan’s Co.

3,500 E

3,500 E

3,500 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

47

90

Suntory Global Spirits

3,302

C

3,376

21,972 C

554 C,D

1018 C,D

48

52

California Dairies Inc.

3,300

E

49

54

Chobani Inc.

3,100 E

53

McCain Foods (6/30/25)

54 34

52

C,R

E

NA

NA

3,000 E

3,200 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

3,100 E

3,100 E

11,693 C

NA-Private

NA-Private

Shamrock Foods

3,100

3,000

E

3,100 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

Unilever

3,035 C,E

4,854 A,C

59,404 C

10,630 C

9,196 C,R

20

2608FP_18-24_Top 100.indd 20

E

3,300

3,500

E

4,300

E

AUGUST 2026

8/3/26 1:36 PM

Top 100 List

All figures are in millions of U.S. dollars

THIS YEAR’S RANK

LAST YEAR’S RANK

COMPANY NAME (FISCAL YEAR END)

2025 US/CANADA FOOD SALES

2024 US/CANADA FOOD SALES

2025 TOTAL COMPANY SALES

2025 NET INCOME

2024 NET INCOME

53

44

American Foods Group (9/30/25)

3,000 E

3,250 E,R

4,000 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

54

Rich Products Corp.

3,000

3,000

E

5,800

NA-Private

NA-Private

54

Tropicana Brands Group

3,000 E

3,000 E

3,000 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

54

Wonderful Co.

3,000 E

3,000 E

6,000 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

57

43

Cal-Maine Foods (5/30/26)

2,912

4,262

2,912

317

1,220

58

46

Maker's Pride

2,900 E

3,500 E

2,900 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

59

50

Maple Leaf Foods

2,857 C

2,532 C,R

2,857 C

395 C

67 C

60

62 McCormick & Co. Inc. (11/30/25)

2,811

2,750

61

67 Lindt & Sprungli

62

61

E

E

6,840

789

789

2,760 C

2,380 C

7,489 C

920 C

743 C

Foster Farms LLC

2,500 E

2,800 E

2,500 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

51

TreeHouse Foods Inc.

2,500

E

3,354

2,500 E

NA-Private

27

64

65

Schreiber Foods Inc.

2,430 E

2,400 E

7,500 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

65

68

Dreyer's/Froneri

2,418 C*

2,246* C

6,538 C

238 C,D

357 C,D

66

NR

BellRing Brands (9/30/25)

2,317

1,996

2,317

216

247

67

69

Hilmar Cheese Co.

2,209 E

2,209 E

2,800 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

68

72 Ferrara Candy Co. I

2,200

2,000 E

2,200

NA-Private

NA-Private

69

NR

Magnum Ice Cream Co.

2,173 *

1943 C

9,305 C

361

620

70

77

Butterball LLC

2,088

1,883

2,088

155

71

71

70 Seaboard Corp.

2,018 H

2,055 H

9,746

67 H

20 H

72

54

Arizona Beverage

2,000 E,R

2,000 E,R

2,500 E,R

NA-Private

NA-Private

NR

Del Monte Corp.

2,000

E

NA

4,074

399

NA

72

Ferrero North America (8/31/25) I

2,000 E

2,000 E

22,550 C

NA-Private

NA-Private

72

J.R. Simplot Co. (8/31/25)

2,000 E

2,000 E

11,000 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

79

Reser's Fine Foods

2,000

E

2,000

2,000

NA-Private

NA-Private

E

C

77

71 Boston Beer Co.

1,965

2,013

1,965

108

60

78

78

1,909

1,872

1,909

167

159

79

83 Triumph Foods

1,900

1,800 R

1,900

NA-Private

NA-Private

80

76

B&G Foods

1,829

1,933

1,829

(-43)

(-251)

81

79

Leprino Foods Co.

1,800 E

1,800 E

3,600 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

82

81

Sargento Foods Inc. (6/30/25)

1,700 E

1,700 E

1,700 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

83

84 Seneca Foods Inc. (3/31/26)

1,660

1,579

1,660

115

41

84

75

Brown-Forman Corp. (4/30/26)

1,649

1,765 R

3,928

715 D

869 D,R

85

NR

Sigma Foods

1,646

1,641

9,273

462 D

52 D

86

85

J&J Snack Foods (9/27/25)

1,583

1,575

1,583

84

118

87

87 Utz Brands Inc.

1,439

1,409

1,439

(-8)

31

88

NR

1,421

1,299

1,451

104

139

Marzetti Co. (6/30/25)

Simply Good Foods

89

86 Monogram Foods

1,417

1,340

1,417

(-69)

(-76)

90

88 McKee Foods Corp.

1,400 E

1,400 E

1,400 E

NA-Private

NA-Private

91

NR

Canada Packers Inc.

1,341 C

1,151 C

1,341 C

78 C

75 C

92

82 Associated Milk Producers

1,300

1,600

E

1,300

NA

NA

93

95

Case Foods Inc. (10/31/25)

1,266

1,143

1,266

NA-Private

NA-Private

94

89 Ajinomoto Foods North America

1,200 E

1,300 E

9,800 C

NA-Private

NA-Private

92 CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley

1,200

1,200

E

1,200 E

NA

NA

96

91

1,181

1,201

1,181

184

187

97

97 SugarCreek Packing

1,087

1,057

1,087

NA-Private

NA-Private

98

96

1,050 E

1,140 E

2,100

NA

NA

99

99 Agri-Mark

1,000 E

1,000 E

1,000 E

NA

NA

92 American Crystal Sugar Co. (8/31/25)

1,000 E

1,000 E

1,200 E

NA

NA

99 Foremost Farms USA

1,000

1,000

1,700

NA

NA

National Beverage Corp. (5/3/25) Darigold (3/31/26)

E

E

E

E

CODES: A = Adjustments were made to figures supplied by the company; C = We converted foreign currency to U.S. dollars; D = Figure is for the parent company; E = Estimate; H = Pork only; I = Ferrara and WK Kellogg Co figures are not included in Ferrero's North America nor global revenues; P = Pet food only; R = Figure is restated from what we carried last year; NA = Not available; NR = Not ranked previously; *Sales and net income would have declined without currency conversion

FOODPROCESSING .COM

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adds Ben Nobles, a principal with New England Consulting. “The middle is a really dangerous place to be these days.”

Back to Gumport: “The consumer is demonstrating a demand for food with certain qualities and attributes. While cutting prices helps to address the gap between value and price in the current food product offering, we believe the more sustainable approach would be to add more value to the food itself through disruptive innovation.”

Biggest winners and losers

Some of the biggest gainers, not surprisingly, were among the biggest companies. You know what happened to beef prices: JBS

USA’s revenues increased by $4 billion, National Beef’s by $1.5 billion (extrapolated from parent company Marfrig Global Foods’ annual report).

Bimbo Bakeries’ U.S. and Canada operations grew by $1.3 billion, according to our calculations from their Mexican parent’s annual report.

Mars’ sales jumped $6 billion (according to our estimate) – but that included the acquisition of Kellanova. Lactalis American Group increased by $1 billion, mostly due to the purchase of General Mills’ yogurt business. Keurig Dr Pepper grew by $1 billion also, aided by both organic growth and acquisitions.

Coca-Cola’s sales grew by $911 million, but more impressive was its net income: up by $2.5 billion. PepsiCo’s sales were virtually flat while its

net shrank by $1.3 billion — ­ although 2024 was an extraordinarily good year for the company.

At $113 billion in sales globally, Nestle SA is used to profits of more than $10 billion, and 2025 did not disappoint, although net did drop by $1.4 billion. Nestle is among a handful of companies reorganizing; just last month it began to spin off its global waters business.

Mondelez grew its global sales nicely, up nearly 6% to $38.5 billion.

But it required a $1.7 billion windfall in European sales and a small bump in AMEA revenues to offset a $231 million drop in North American sales and a $27 million dip in Latin

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America. Maybe as a result, its net was halved to $2.45 billion.

The biggest reversal in sales belonged to Cal-Maine Foods. The country’s biggest egg producer had a blowout fiscal 2025 (which ended May 31, 2025), its sales nearly doubling to $4.3 billion, driven by last year’s skyrocketing egg prices. Now that egg prices are low, sales for the fiscal year just ended are under $3 billion again. Net income was a quarter of what it was, too.

We thought we would be including two new companies to emerge from Kraft Heinz, but a new CEO called off that split. So you can’t blame him (Steve Cahillane) for another billion-dollar drop in revenue, nor for the $5.848 billion net loss for 2025, mostly the result of special charges

and a write-down of the company’s market capitalization. Kraft Heinz’s U.S. and Canadian sales have been declining for six years in a row.

Conagra, too, has a new CEO (John Brase) and a $2 billion writedown of its valuation. General Mills took $1.8 billion in non-cash goodwill and brand intangible asset charges that led to its $88 million loss, the first in our memory, maybe the first ever for Big G. Molson Coors went from a $1 billion profit in 2024 to a $2 billion loss last year. On the other hand, Constellation Brands had a $1 billion loss in 2024 — because of the write-down of its investment in Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth — but turned that into a $2.8 billion profit last year.

Two companies reported improved (but continuing) net losses. J.M. Smucker lost $1.2 billion in 2024 but only $139 million in its fiscal 2026, which ended April 30 of this year. B&G Foods trimmed its $251 million loss in 2024 to $43 million in red ink last year. About the same for Monogram Foods.

Comings and goings

Every year we add a company or two or delete some. Some venerable old names are no longer with us, WK Kellogg Co and sister Kellanova foremost among them.

Hain Celestial, in an effort to be less diversified, sold off many food brands and just missed making this year’s list.

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This may be the last year for Unilever on our list. Hopefully by this time next year, virtually all of Unilever’s foods will be part of a much larger McCormick & Co.

Plus, Unilever last December spun off its ice cream business into Magnum Ice Cream Co. (which debuts at No. 69), and that sucked $2 billion out of the parent’s sales.

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We’ve wrestled in the past with the inclusion of BellRing Brands, the mostly powdered protein spinoff of Post Holdings, but we’ve included it this year at No. 66. Ditto for Del Monte Corp., which just missed making previous lists but this year lands at No. 72 with the reunification of Fresh Del Monte Produce with most of the former Del Monte Foods business.

Hearthside Food Solutions is a shadow of its former self, but, according to our estimates, still makes the list – however as renamed No. 58 Maker’s Pride.

Another old company with a new name: Lancaster Colony Corp. changed its name to Marzetti Co. With some recent acquisitions, Mexico's Sigma Foods makes the list (No. 85). Same for Simply Good Foods (88). And Canada Packers (91) was spun off from Maple Leaf Foods last year, so it debuts as a separate food processor.

More on the Web

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2608FP_18-24_Top 100.indd 24

This magazine report is just the tip of a very big iceberg. We have a remarkable database at www.

FoodProcessing.com/top100/2026, where you'll find the same table on pp20-21, but if you click on a company name you'll get that company's profile, including headquarters, executives, subsidiaries, even brands and in most cases their manufacturing plants. Bookmark it and come back throughout the year.

AUGUST 2026 2/12/25 2:15 PM

8/3/26 1:36 PM

IMAGE COURTESY OF AJINOMOTO GROUP

R&D TEAMS OF THE YEAR

AJINOMOTO FOODS N.A.:

WORLDWIDE R&D, LOCAL FOCUS The philosophy of Takumi no Waza (“culinary craftsmanship”) seeks to capture the genuine flavors and techniques of chefs and home cooks and inspires all of the company’s products.

Written by

Ed Avis CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

W

hen consumers enjoy the distinctive richness of the Shoyu Chicken, Tonkotsu Pork or Miso Vegetables varieties of frozen ramen products from Ajinomoto Foods North America (AFNA), they benefit from a deliberate research process called Takumi no Waza (“culinary craftsmanship”), which the company uses to capture the genuine flavors and techniques of chefs and home cooks.

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For 18 years now, Food Processing has asked food & beverage companies to nominate their research & development groups for our annual R&D Teams of the Year competition. This year, 633 readers and website visitors read their 150-word essays and selected as winners: • Ajinomoto Foods North America in the large-company category (more than $750 million in sales).

Runners-up were PepsiCo and Cuisine Solutions.

• Goodles in the medium-sized category.

• Mighty Spark in the small category.

Next month we will profile Goodles, and Mighty Spark already is online: www.foodprocessing.com/55388002.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF AJINOMOTO GROUP

These aren't the dry ramen noodles that got you through college. Ajinomoto has elevated ramen to a high and authentic art in frozen form.

26

2608FP_25-27_Product Development.indd 26

preferences, regulatory requirements and marketplace needs.

Altogether, Ajinomoto Group employs about 1,700 R&D professionals, including more than 500 with PhDs. The group’s expertise spans food science, fermentation, biotechnology, biology, chemistry, engineering and other specialized fields. Their efforts inform production at 117 plants worldwide, including seven in the U.S. The Takumi no Waza approach begins with close observation of cooks and chefs in their environments, such as restaurants and development kitchens. Researchers take note of how these food preparers handle ingredients, control heat and manage cooking sequences and timing.

The next step is to take the knowledge from those observations and codify preparation techniques using instrumental analysis and repeated trials. “We believe it is essential to understand not only explicit factors, but also implicit elements such as the ‘definition of deliciousness,’

IMAGE COURTESY OF AJINOMOTO GROUP

“The Takumi no Waza approach is a methodology for deeply understanding the advanced skills and craftsmanship of professional chefs or home kitchens and translating those techniques into industrial production,” says Fumihiko Sano, chief innovation officer of the Ontario, Calif.-based company. “At its core, the objective is to bring the value of ‘authentic, real cooking’ into largescale manufacturing.”

AFNA's research focus on accurately recreating authentic dishes was behind the launch of more than 140 products in 2025.

With a worldwide network of food researchers, the company’s influence on retailers’ frozen food departments is growing.

Sano notes that Ajinomoto’s R&D model combines technical expertise with an understanding of local market needs. The work is led by two Ajinomoto Group facilities in Japan: The Institute of Food Science and Technologies and the Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals.

The work on frozen foods is led by the central research facility of Ajinomoto Frozen Foods Co. in Kawasaki, Japan. Researchers at that facility – including engineers, biotechnology experts and chemists – do advanced work supporting frozen foods, such as microbial control technologies and foundational research in freezing technologies.

Regional R&D teams, including in the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia, develop local products that satisfy regional consumer

experience-based judgment and tacit knowledge,” says Sano.

Finally, the team translates those insights into procedures – including recipes, process conditions and equipment settings – that can be consistently reproduced in food production facilities.

In the case of the new ramen products, the researchers began by studying cooks making traditional Tonkotsu ramen, which involves the slow simmer of pork bones to create a stable emulsion of fat, collagen and water. They identified that the state of the emulsion is a critical factor that impacts mouthfeel and appearance.

“Next, we translated these insights into scientific parameters,” Sano says. “Specifically, we analyzed factors that contribute to the creamy texture. We also examined how processing conditions — such as temperature, cooking time and agitation — affect emulsification.”

To commercialize the product, researchers designed formulations and established new manufacturing processes to create the emulsified structure under industrial conditions.

The process was engineered to achieve a stable emulsification and the texture typically found in restaurant-quality ramen.

“The Takumi no Waza approach is a methodology for deeply understanding the advanced skills and craftsmanship of professional chefs or home kitchens and translating those techniques into industrial production.”

— Fumihiko Sano, chief innovation officer, Ajinomoto Group

AUGUST 2026

8/3/26 1:36 PM

R&D TEAMS OF THE YEAR

Finally, they validated the product through sensory evaluation to ensure it delivers the authentic taste and experience of Tonkotsu ramen.

“Through this approach, we successfully bridged traditional culinary craftsmanship with industrial production, enabling us to deliver the rich and creamy quality of authentic Tonkotsu ramen at scale,” Sano says.

The kitchen informs the factory

AFNA’s Takumi no Waza research approach works hand-in-hand with another process: the Big Kitchen Model. The Big Kitchen Model is a manufacturing philosophy that strives to bring handmade cooking techniques into large-scale production facilities.

Sano explains that the model starts when researchers ask how a particular product would be made at home or in a restaurant. Answers to that question then help them develop processes that emulate made-fromscratch cooking in a factory.

The Big Kitchen Model drives the factory production of core components, such as noodles and gyoza dough, from the ground up to replicate handmade production as closely as possible.

“By utilizing cooking processes similar to those typically performed at home — such as cooking rice and stir-frying noodles — within our factories, we pursue authentic quality that goes beyond appearance, encompassing aroma and texture,” Sano says.

Ajinomoto Group began operating in the U.S. in 1993 primarily as a supplier of seasonings and ingredients. In 2000, the company launched Ajinomoto Frozen Foods USA Inc. The company reached $1.3 billion in sales in the U.S. and Canada in 2024.

The frozen ramen line hit Whole Foods Markets across the U.S. this June. Later this summer, the company is introducing a line of single serve premium rice entrees, including Huli Huli Chicken with Coconut Rice, Bulgogi Beef with Black & White Rice Blend, and Butter Chicken with Rice.

These products are evidence of how Ajinomoto’s R&D efforts meet the specific regional needs of consumers around the world.

“This integrated structure allows Ajinomoto Group to pair global scientific expertise with local market insight, helping the company develop products that are technically advanced, relevant to consumers and tailored to the needs of each region,” Sano says. n

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55TH ANNUAL R&D SURVEY

INGREDIENT COSTS, UPFs, GLP-1s VEXING PRODUCT DEVELOPERS Our 55th annual survey finds product developers dealing with those issues while swinging for the fences, aided by higher budgets.

Written by

W

One product developer noted, hat are product developers Dave Fusaro “There are no viable replacedealing with this year? ments for artificial blue color Ingredient costs “have gone EDITOR-IN-CHIEF that hold up to high temperaup quite a lot,” more than half are tures of making hard candy.” worried about ultraprocessed food → 60% are “just dipping our toes” into the use of labeling, but less than a quarter are conartificial intelligence in the lab, 18% use it “quite cerned about the increasing use of GLP-1 a lot” and 22% are “not pursuing it at this time.” weight control medications — in fact, most of → 58% are reformulating products to address those look at it as an opportunity. federal, state or consumer concerns relating Those are some of the topline results from to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) our 55th annual R&D Survey (can you believe we’ve been doing this survey since 1972?). movement. The other side of that coin: 42% 101 product development professionals are not concerned about MAHA. participated in our online survey from May through the end of June. (Thank you!)

Some other notable findings: → Respondents were nearly evenly split on the subject of replacing synthetic colors — 24% have completed the effort and another 24% are still at it, but 49% said it doesn’t affect them. The other 2% “choose not to participate” in that effort.

More on the Web

This, our 55th annual R&D Survey, was taken online from May through the end of June. There were 101 responses, primarily from product developers at companies of all sizes and in all categories of the food & beverage industry. Here in the magazine, we could fit only six of the nine infographics, but you can see them all in a dowloadable PDF at www.foodprocessing.com/55394915.

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2608FP_28-30_Ingredient Survey.indd 28

Swinging for the fences

For many years now, our first question in the survey has been “Which of the following general targets is most important for your R&D efforts this year?” (See Figure 1) Also for many years now — at least 10 — ­ the aspirational “really new product development” answer got the most votes (46%), almost 50% more than last year and nearly on par with the 2024 response.

Cleaning up current products came in second with 17% of the vote and other forms of existing product improvement was third with 15%. Given what’s happened over the past year, it’s somewhat surprising cost control was as low as fourth (at 11%).

Which is not to say cost control was not mentioned. In an open-ended question, we got these responses:

AUGUST 2026

8/3/26 1:36 PM

Which of the following general targets are most important for your R&D targets for the year?

3%

“Really new” products 47%

“With everything happening from now to the end of the year, cost control will be imperative.”

“Looking to replace flavors with more cost-effective options with better lead times and minimum order quantities.”

“Trying to use 100% of meat, vegetables and starch by-products.”

“Sourcing some ingredients from different suppliers as well as ordering in larger quantities.”

Cost control, however, doesn’t come without its own cost. One respondent said his company is shopping for new suppliers of flavors, sweeteners and stabilizers, and the resulting “supply chain challenges will make more reformulation needed.”

For another annual question, “What ingredients are you working on most this year?” (Figure 2) respondents could choose more than one answer. Not surprisingly, protein was the runaway leader with 58% adding that ingredient — regrettably, we haven’t offered that answer in the past. Tied for second place were adding fiber and replacing synthetic colors, each with 33% the vote. Last year, removing sugars (37%) just edged out replacing synthetic colors (35%).

Another annual query is “What’s happened to your R&D Dept.’s budget this year?” Only 11% answered it’s been cut, the lowest percentage for that answer since 2019. 27% said it’s been increased (that’s about average over the years) and 35% said it’s about the same as last year.

Current issues

One of the new questions this year was “How worried are you about your products being labeled an ultraprocessed food?” 27% are

FOODPROCESSING .COM

2608FP_28-30_Ingredient Survey.indd 29

(LY 33%, 2024 48%, 2023 34%)

11%

Existing product improvement 15% (LY 19%, 2024 22%, 2023 19%)

8%

“Cleaning up” current products 17% (LY 21%, 2024 12%, 2023 9.7%)

47%

Product line extensions 8%

17%

(LY 14%,2024 6.1%, 2023 17%)

Cost control 11%

(LY 10%, 2024 9.2%, 2023 16%)

15%

Other 3%

What ingredients are you working on most this year?

(You may choose more than one) Replacing synthetic colors

33%

(LY 35% 2024 32%, 2023 14%)

Removing sugars

26%

(LY 37% 2024 26%, 2023 39%)

Removing GMO/BE ingredients

13%

(LY 12% 2024 20%, 2023 13%)

Removing sodium

27%

(LY 14% 2024 17%, 2023 21%)

Removing allergens

20%

(LY 23% 2024 16%, 2023 16%)

Adding vitamins

16%

(LY 10% 2024 16%, 2023 12%)

Adding protein

58%

(Not asked before)

Adding fiber

33%

(LY 11% 2024 17%, 2023 21%)

Adding fruits & vegetables

19%

(LY 14% 2024 23%, 2023 20%)

0%

10%

worried “a lot” and 32% are “moderately concerned.” The remaining 40%, who are “not really worried,” either are making minimally processed products or are in denial.

One respondent wrote, “Our biggest issues are finding clean

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

label preservative options that extend shelf life. Transitioning from ultraprocessed ingredients is a big one.”

We asked about a companion topic: whether you’re reformulating products

29

8/3/26 1:36 PM

Are you in the process of replacing synthetic colors?

Done or almost done 24%

24% 49%

Still deep in the to address the various faces (federal, state, process 24% 24% consumer) of the MAHA movement. 58% are We choose not to reformulating in one way or another to comply participate 2% with evolving federal MAHA-inspired initiatives This doesn’t affect us 49% (such as removing artificial colors, artificial 2% preservatives and other ingredients of concern — 27%); to address consumer concerns with UPFs, etc. (16%); or to comply with pending state How worried are you about your products MAHA-inspired regulations (14%). being labeled an utraprocessed food?

“Banned ingredient lists are growing in scale and complexity,” observed one product developer.

40% 40% Every story we’ve written about GLP-1 drugs has included both sides of that coin: They will reduce 32% overall food intake and will be painful for certain 30% 27% food categories, but they also create opportunities for food & beverage processors to develop new products addressing the nutritional needs of users.

20% And our survey-takers apparently agree.

15% say their companies are just starting to feel mild effects of the weight-loss medications.

10% Another 9% say the drugs already are impacting business and they are worried. But 27% say “We’re actually looking at GLP-1s as an opportu0% nity”; 49% are not concerned at all about them.

A lot!

Moderately Not really Beyond the pre-selected concerned worried answers on the subject of AI, some product developers offered anecdotes. “We use Are you reformulating products to: AI for researching, finding out 16% Address consumer concerns with statistical numbers and so on.” ultraprocessed foods 16% “Using Claude and ChatGPT to Comply with federal MAHA-inspired research consumer trends and 42% initiatives (regarding colors, competitor activity.” “We use preservatives, etc.) 27% 27% AI to do descriptions for labels Comply with state-level and stickers.” “Developing MAHA initiatives 14% an in-home [sic] AI process 14% We’re not taking any actions with matched to our ERP.” regard to UPFs or MAHA 42% We leave you with two random comments: Is your company being impacted by “We have to innovate to be 9% the increasing use of GLP-1 drugs? competitive in the future even if we don’t have the funds.”

27% 15% Yes, it’s already impacting our “We are committed to conbusiness and we’re worried 9% tinuously developing innovative A bit, we worry it will impact us and great-tasting products in the future 15% that bring the joy of food to our We’re not concerned about it 49% consumers, while supporting We’re actually looking at GLP-1s their well-being by creating 49% as an opportunity 27% healthier food options.” n

30

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AUGUST 2026

8/3/26 1:36 PM

TECHNOLOGY

CARVE-ING OUT CARGILL’S AI ASPIRATIONS The CarVe program, developed in-house, carries significant promise for Cargill North America’s future in training, yield, food safety and animal welfare.

Written by

Andy Hanacek SENIOR EDITOR

T

IMAGE COURTESY OF CARGILL

he potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize food & beverage operations has done nothing but grow in the past couple years, and many companies have not been stuck in “window shopping” mode for AI technology.

Nevertheless, it takes a certain level of trailblazing and risk tolerance to try out any novel technology.

And although several companies have worked AI into their operations, Cargill’s North American beef business recently made mainstream media headlines when it unveiled its proprietary and self-developed CarVe system, which uses cameras and AI technology to monitor meat-cutting operations in fabrication and offer real-time feedback on performance.

In our May issue, we discussed the data used to create the building blocks of CarVe (and its employee attendance forecasting tools) with

Abhishek Roy, Cargill's senior director of global R&D-digital and AI. This month, we dig into the CarVe technology and how much potential the company believes it holds.

CarVe already has won numerous business innovation and AI-related awards, and it has allowed the company to increase its meat yield per animal by 0.5% on average by catching in real-time small specks of meat left on bones and signaling the need for better technique by the meat cutter at the table.

Without CarVe, that residual meat on the bone would have continued on to a lower-value outcome such as being processed into pet food

Cargill's North American beef business uses its proprietary, self-developed CarVe system to monitor meat-cutting operations, but it could start using the technology on the harvest floor someday.

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Building upon CarVe’s success

IMAGE COURTESY OF CARGILL

speed up performance adjustments.

In traditional cutting operations, make adjustments to maximize their employees make their cuts, sending meat yield almost immediately. the meat one way and the bones and inedible material into boxes or even entering the waste stream. for yield analysis after the shift. Any adjustments to improve performance The value creation, says Leon would need to be communicated to Fletcher, vice president of beef the employees the next day. CarVe operations, has been undeniably changes that timeline significantly. positive in multiple areas.

“Traditionally, you don’t really “How can we improve our know if you’re winning on yield yield, bring better value to the performance until the next day, supply chain, help reduce costs and time is money,” Fletcher notes. with inflationary impacts across “CarVe lets us make micro adjustthe globe and have a long-term ments in real time, versus waiting 8 sustainment path that can help or 16 hours to the next shift or next train our team knowing that we’ll day. Those course corrections alone always have some turnover over create value, improving our yields time?” he asks. “The great thing and improving the cost of goods.” about CarVe is that it can hit so As of presstime, CarVe was being many facets around sustainabilused at the chuck tables at Cargill ity, value creation and training.” meat plants in Friona, Texas, Fort Cargill rolled out CarVe last Morgan, Colo., Dodge City, Kan., and year, and it has been such a gamechanger that a major financial High River, Alberta (Canada), with plans to roll it into Guelph Dunlop in publication wrote about it this Ontario, Canada, next. Fletcher says March, touting the yield improveCargill has been ready to run with the ments wrapped in the mainstream newsworthiness of sustainability and technology, but the hurdle has been the supply of AI servers available beef price relief. Cargill uses CarVe in the marketplace to keep up with at the fabrication tables, where employees break down primals into growing demand across all industries.

“We’ve had to start working various steaks, roasts and other subprimals. Cargill posted a video on its ahead of the server infrastructure because we couldn’t get them YouTube channel featuring Fletcher explaining CarVe and showing a few quickly enough,” he says. “AI servers have been the bottleneck, since shots of the system in action. everyone’s doing something with Not only does CarVe improve AI nowadays.” meat yield, but its real-time results With the CarVe system, meat cutters can see their performance in real time and

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The food & beverage industry faces a well-known conundrum of how to transfer legacy, hands-on knowledge from a large number of longtime, soon-to-retire workers to the new labor pool. Cargill is no different, and CarVe can help.

“We continue to expand CarVe, because it is about sustainment,” Fletcher explains. “We’ve been looking really hard at long-term sustainment, long-term execution at a high level, and taking the human element out of the knowledge, so that you don’t have to be there for 30 years to know how to do X, Y or Z.” Fletcher relays that unleashing CarVe’s capabilities on other fabrication tables, such as the tenderloin tables, would be the next logical step — and those rollouts would follow a similar “hub and spoke” approach as the company implemented with the chuck tables. While there’s plenty of growth ahead for CarVe on the fab floor, Fletcher and his team are thinking much bigger and more holistically.

CarVe’s capabilities also hold much promise for foreign object detection, traceability, inspection, food safety and animal welfare, he says. And even though CarVe isn’t currently being used on the harvest floor, it may be a different story down the road.

Fletcher says the company would like to use CarVe’s capabilities to reduce E. coli risk on the harvest floor by monitoring tasks and ensuring cross-contamination risks were avoided.

“Did the employee follow the process correctly, yes or no? Did they make the right cut; did they sanitize their knife properly before making another cut?” Fletcher explains. “Those are all real-world

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TECHNOLOGY

things that, if we don’t do it right, we risk having a food safety issue, which devalues the product and also drives up cost.”

Furthermore, CarVe could be tasked with overseeing the sanitary dressing of the carcass, he says, also minimizing risk and improving process efficiency up the line.

“If the rice paper isn’t placed over the brisket perfectly, that’s a high contamination risk event that it can alert us to and identify the carcass, so it can be isolated and reconditioned earlier in the process,” he says. The system also has an inspection opportunity as well, in that it could identify foreign objects on the conveyors or tables, for instance.

Along similar lines, CarVe could help with animal welfare

observations and training at the feed yards and all through the animal handling process onto the harvest floor. “It’s actually a very simplistic next step,” he adds, because the system would need to analyze whether a procedure was followed or not, rather than determining meat or bone based on infinite shades of color.

“We really believe that those are actually going to be the quicker wins,” he says. “For food safety, I think the sky’s the limit, and it’s a huge part of the opportunity CarVe gives us.”

Last, Fletcher points out potential for the system to assist with employee safety, particularly in terms of ergonomics — are employees processing more

pieces in an allotted amount of time than they safely should be processing, for example?

All these ideas revolve around maximizing the amount of beef that Cargill sends to its customers and consumers, rather than getting pushed into a lower-value channel or wasted. In an era where the cattle herd is the lowest in decades, every little bit helps.

“Even one ounce [of extra meat yield] is so huge in this industry,” Fletcher concludes. “An ounce adds up so quickly when you’re looking at how many sides of beef [are processed] and carcass weights today.

There is a real value to sending that meat for human consumption instead of having it go toward pet food or cooker product.”

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PLANT OPERATIONS

AI: YOUNG, BUT GROWING UP FAST Written by

Andy Hanacek SEN IOR EDITOR

E

arlier this year, Christina Parker, senior vice president at Randstad USA (www.randstadusa.com), appeared on Food Processing’s “Food For Thought” podcast to discuss artificial intelligence in the manufacturing space, highlighting a

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Food & beverage processing lags other manufacturing sectors but has begun to implement artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies at a quickening pace.

disconnect between what employers and employees expect the impact to be in the next few years.

Parker offered her insights into how the food & beverage processing industry stacks up against other manufacturing sectors when it comes to implementation of AI and machine learning. She also details some of the hurdles companies are facing and where the opportunities lie for improving operational efficiency and quality through AI. What follows is a portion of her conversation with senior editor Andy Hanacek.

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PLANT OPERATIONS

Andy Hanacek: If you had to categorize AI and machine learning adoption in food & beverage processing, would you say it’s still in its infancy, adolescence or some other level?

Christina Parker: I’d say we’re in the toddler stage. A lot of manufacturers are implementing AI, but many haven’t fully integrated it into their workforce yet. Food & beverage manufacturing is a bit of a mixed bag, because companies don’t want the downtime associated with implementing new technology. If I had to quantify it, about 65% of all manufacturers (beyond just food & beverage) have invested in AI within the past 12 months. That’s not an

overwhelming majority, but it’s certainly a significant portion.

AH: The amount of data and infrastructure needed to support AI can be staggering. Is building and organizing that data one of the biggest hurdles, or are most manufacturers already in a position to share that data?

CP: Most of them have the ability to share the data. Where we see the real disconnect is workforce readiness. We’ve done quite a bit of research through our Workmonitor report to understand where those gaps exist. The issue isn’t necessarily the companies or their data — they generally have the ability to

feed information into AI systems and robotics. The challenge is whether employees are prepared to work alongside the technology.

Manufacturing, especially food & beverage, is still facing a skilled labor shortage. On top of that, employees don’t always feel confident using AI. They don’t believe they have the skills needed to work with these tools, and that’s preventing many companies from moving further with implementation.

In our latest Workmonitor, 64% of workers said they feel they can use AI, compared to 78% last year. As AI continues to evolve — from ChatGPT to Claude and countless other

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platforms — employees feel like they’re constantly trying to catch up. At the same time, manufacturers often don’t have the luxury of dedicating production time to training because they’re focused on meeting production goals.

AH: Let’s talk about where AI is succeeding today.

At this “toddler stage,” where are food & beverage companies seeing the greatest benefits?

CP: One of the biggest success stories is predictive maintenance. Instead of waiting for equipment to fail, AI analyzes machine vibration, temperature, motor current, sound and pressure to predict failures before they happen.

I recently visited a food manufacturer that’s using this on its packaging line. The system detected an abnormal vibration on one of the conveyor motors.

Rather than experiencing an unexpected breakdown during peak production, the maintenance team

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AH: Recently, there have been a couple examples in other industries where companies have pulled back from AI. Are you seeing situations in food & beverage where AI simply isn’t the right solution?

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replaced a $400 bearing during scheduled maintenance. That prevented eight hours of downtime, avoided losing thousands of pounds of product and eliminated overtime labor costs. In food manufacturing, you can’t simply make up lost production because products are perishable and time-sensitive.

Another area where we’re seeing tremendous success is quality inspection. AI-powered vision systems inspect products faster and more consistently than people can. They’re identifying missing labels, incorrect fill levels, damaged products, foreign materials, color inconsistencies — even baked goods that are too light or too dark for consumer expectations.

I work with a snack manufacturer producing tens of thousands of potato chips every minute. Their AI system identifies burnt chips, broken chips and chips that fall outside size specifications, all without slowing the production line.

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CP: I haven’t really seen situations where AI isn’t effective. What I see more often is companies that simply aren’t ready to adopt it. Some manufacturers are concerned about how AI will affect production or their workforce. Others just don’t know where to begin, which is understandable because it’s still relatively new technology and we don’t yet know all of the long-term implications. Some companies

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PLANT OPERATIONS

are easing into AI by using it for production scheduling or administrative functions instead of incorporating it directly into manufacturing operations.

AH: Aside from workforce readiness, what other barriers to implementation are companies facing?

CP: AI adoption isn’t effortless.

One challenge is integrating AI with older equipment. If companies need newer machinery to support AI, that’s a significant capital investment, and many aren’t in a position to make those investments in today’s economy.

Cybersecurity is another concern. Companies need confidence that their data will remain secure. Data quality also matters because AI is only as good as the information it’s given.

Finally, there’s employee training and change management.

Companies need to build trust so employees see AI as a tool rather than a threat. A disengaged workforce is the last thing manufacturers need when they’re trying to meet production goals.

AH: On the workforce side, are companies hiring AI specialists or retraining existing employees?

CP: It’s really both. We’re still facing workforce shortages, and employees are asking for more training. In our Workmonitor research, 60% of workers said they need additional AI training.

The question is whether manufacturers are willing to make that investment. Ironically, AI itself can even help train employees.

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At the end of the day, technology alone doesn’t create competitive advantage — people do. People will always be at the heart of manufacturing. AI simply helps them make decisions faster, identify patterns humans might miss and automate repetitive tasks. Manufacturers need to invest in both the technology and the people if they want to improve operations.

AH: That seems to me to be one of the biggest shifts in thinking.

Early on, AI was viewed as something that would eliminate jobs. Instead, it appears to be changing jobs and helping people become more effective.

CP: Exactly. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions. AI isn’t taking jobs — it’s changing the skills people need. The future of manufacturing isn’t people versus

AI. It’s people empowered by AI to do their jobs better.

AH: Speaking of the future, what opportunities do you see over the next several years that food & beverage manufacturers may not be taking advantage of today?

CP: I think within five years AI will be just as commonplace as PLCs, automation and robotics are today. Those technologies once seemed futuristic too. The question won’t be whether manufacturers implement AI, it will be how they implement it.

The companies that succeed will integrate AI into their people, processes and operations, so it becomes a tool that supports employees rather than replacing them. Manufacturers that invest in both technology and workforce development will be the ones that thrive. n

“At the end of the day, technology alone doesn’t create competitive advantage — people do. People will always be at the heart of manufacturing. AI simply helps them make decisions faster, identify patterns humans might miss and automate repetitive tasks. Manufacturers need to invest in both the technology and the people if they want to improve operations.”

— Christina Parker, senior vice president, Randstad USA IMAGE COURTESY OF RANDSTAD USA

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EQUIPMENT

CAN MOTORS & DRIVES OFFER A STRATEGIC EDGE? The bar continues to rise on the sanitation and sustainability contributions that motors and drives can make for food & beverage facilities’ bottom lines.

Written by

Andy Hanacek SENIOR EDITOR

W

ith motors and drives found around almost every corner of any manufacturing plant, food & beverage processing companies continue to look for ways to pull value from these components without sacrificing efficiency, reliability or safety. And as stakeholders, executives and

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customers demand even more improvement, plant engineers and operators have had to look at the finest of details to make incremental advances.

As a result, processors look at motors and drives much more strategically than they have in decades past — an approach that can produce some fine results for any facility.

Processors seek ways to reduce maintenance, improve reliability and enhance sanitation throughout their operations, says Alexander Kanaris, president of VDG (Van der Graaf) (www.vandergraaf.com).

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VDG’s drum motors are designed with all drive components enclosed inside the drive drum, protected from external contaminants and harsh washdowns.

“Electric motors and gear reducers are critical components of conveyor systems, and the failure

of the conveyor drive can shut down an entire production line, resulting in costly downtime,” he explains.

Processors have heightened expectations when it comes to these components as well, looking for longer lifespans with a reduced load on the maintenance teams — no matter where the motors and drives are operating in a facility.

“In a food plant, there is a wide variety of things happening in various areas of the plant, and each one requires a different motor and drive requirement,” says Stefanie Casimir, global product marketing manager for ABB's NEMA division (https://bit.ly/4vO1sYi). She emphasizes that selecting the right motor for the right application is half the battle.

“You don't want to be throwing these motors away every month, you want them to last longer,” she

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EQUIPMENT

says. “But you also don't want to put a very food-safe motor on a conveyor that hardly gets washed down. That's overkill.”

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Across the food production supply chain, various processes have wildly different needs for the motors and drives that put the product in motion. Some areas are focused on efficiency, others on longevity, and still other zones have strict food safety requirements. On the plant floor, sanitary design has been critical for all equipment, but also when it comes to innovation in the motors and drives space.

“Traditional external conveyor drives contain gaps and crevices where bacteria and food residue can accumulate, making them difficult to clean,” Kanaris says. “On conveyors using modular belts, food byproducts can also collect between the drive sprockets, creating additional hygiene concerns.”

In response, VDG developed its hygienic SSV Series Drum Motor, which balances reliability and longevity with innovative sanitary design: All components are enclosed within the drum, meaning processors have no external drive components to maintain or clean.

Casimir adds that proper education and follow-through on placement of components sets the right foundation for success on the food safety front.

“Simply understanding the environment in which your motor will be placed really drives the requirements you need to specify

FOODPROCESSING .COM

2608FP_38-44_Technology.indd 41

to your motor manufacturer,” she says. “For example, you can't have a painted motor placed over conveyors carrying food, because some day the paint on that motor might chip off, and you don’t want that in your product stream.”

Third-party organizations like NSF can help with this challenge, whether the surfaces involved qualify as Food Zones, Splash Zones or Non-Food Zones, for instance. With that properly identified, Casimir says, “it’s simply being smart about what type of motors belong in certain locations.”

Seeking sustainability

Over the years, food & beverage processors also have ramped up efforts to reduce their energy consumption at their facilities and lower their carbon footprint wherever possible.

That includes a wide variety of initiatives, but many companies have turned to the drive systems in their facilities to fine-tune

these efforts. Advancement also has come along with regard to the controls of the motors and drives, explains Kanaris.

“As automation and advanced processing technologies continue to evolve, motors and drives are increasingly being controlled by variable frequency drives (VFDs), enabling more precise and efficient conveyor operation,” Kanaris explains. “Rather than receiving a fixed-frequency power supply, these motors operate on variable frequencies generated by the VFD, allowing operators to adjust conveyor speeds to match changing production requirements.”

Beyond their own ability to reduce energy consumption, motors and drives can impact the sustainability bottom line of a plant in a few bigger-picture ways, Casimir adds.

“When it comes to sustainability, it's not just about the application longevity or the motor life,” she explains. “It's

Selecting the right motor or drive to fit the efficiency, reliability and safety requirements of the specific operation's location is critical to getting strong performance, especially in food processing plants.

IMAGE COURTESY OF ABB

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U.S. SALES TEAM VICE PRESIDENT-SALES

Jason DeSarle (440) 476-9526, jdesarle@endeavorb2b.com

also how sustainable your supply chain is, what replenishment looks like and where the motors and drives are shipped from — many of them come from overseas, and that’s really important to the sustainability portion.”

In addition, with the move to more automated systems and predictive maintenance models, processors can better plan for downtime instead of having it hijack the production lines unexpectedly.

“It's not just about having the most efficient motor and a drive to control that motor when it's needed, but it’s also about the condition monitoring: understanding when your motor is about to fail and doing proactive maintenance on the motor or drive,” she explains.

Kanaris says the next frontier in drive technology will see processors achieve even higher sanitation, energy efficiency, reliability and sustainability standards, improving on the demands for minimal maintenance, reduced downtime and frequent, harsh washdown environments that also reduce water consumption.

“Drive technologies that eliminate external components, simplify cleaning and maximize energy efficiency will continue to play an increasingly important role as food processing facilities strive to improve reliability, productivity, food safety and overall equipment effectiveness,” he says. n

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