CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter

Instacart Appoints Two New Executives To Leadership Team

Instacart, the North American leader in online grocery delivery, today announced the addition of two new executives to its leadership team. Experienced human resources executive and people leader Christina Hall has joined Instacart as the company's first Chief Human Resources Officer. Additionally, as part of the company's continued investment in product development, Instacart has named Ariel Bardin as Senior Vice President of Product. These new leadership hires come as Instacart continues to build out its teams and scale to meet the increased consumer demand for its online grocery delivery and pickup services...

Smithfield Foods Announces Planned Retirement of President and CEO Kenneth M. Sullivan in 2021

Smithfield Foods, Inc. today announced that Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer, will retire from the company, effective in early 2021, following a distinguished four-decade-long career – nearly half of which were spent at Smithfield. Dennis Organ, chief operating officer, U.S. operations, will succeed Mr. Sullivan as president and chief executive officer upon his retirement.

"It has been a great honor and privilege to lead Smithfield for the past five years. As a leading global food and agriculture company, we have an incredibly important role to play in society. It is an obligation we have proudly embraced over our more than 80-year history. We have persevered through an extraordinary time in 2020...

The Wendy's Company Names Kevin Vasconi Chief Information Officer

The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) announced the appointment of Kevin Vasconi, 59, as Chief Information Officer, effective today. He will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Penegor and serve on Wendy's Senior Leadership Team.

Prior to joining Wendy's, Kevin served as Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer at Domino's Pizza, Inc., a role from which he retired earlier this month. In Kevin's eight years at Domino's, he served on the executive leadership team and was responsible for developing and leading all domestic and international technology capabilities. Emphasis on technology innovation helped Domino's achieve more than half of all global retail sales in 2019 from digital channels, primarily online ordering and mobile applications...

Freshly Inc. Expands Operations to the West Coast with New Los Angeles Facility

Freshly Inc., the leading fresh-prepared meal delivery service in the U.S., today announced it will expand its food manufacturing operations by opening a new facility in the City of Commerce, CA located in southeast Los Angeles County. As the demand for Freshly's fresh, chef-cooked meals continues to surge, the expansion will significantly increase the company's order fulfillment and production capacity and bring over 130 new jobs to the local economy.

The 111,260 square foot USDA-approved facility will begin operating in December and increase the Company's meal production capacity by 20%. With dedicated refrigeration, freezer and assembly areas, it will allow Freshly to prepare and assemble products with greater ease and efficiency...

NAMI and AMPS Innovation Send Letter to USDA on Mandatory Labeling for Cell-Based/Cultured Meat

The North American Meat Institute and the Alliance for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Innovation (AMPS Innovation), an industry coalition representing the makers of cell-based/cultured meat, poultry and seafood today sent a joint letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, calling on the agency to support mandatory labeling of cell-based/cultured meat and poultry products and to solicit input on what that labeling should look like through an Advance Notice of Public Rulemaking.

Full text of the letter can be accessed here...

P.F. Chang’s Launches To Go Concept In New York Market

As consumers across the country seek dining options to fit their changing habits, P.F. Chang’s is excited to announce the expansion of its P.F. Chang’s To Go concept now launching in New York.

Opening today at 240 W. 40^th in New York City, the location marks the first of three P.F. Chang’s To Go openings in New York over the coming weeks. It follows three other openings in Chicago, which launched earlier in 2020.

These new restaurant additions will allow more guests to experience the P.F. Chang’s Asian favorites they know and love in a convenient format that provides a solution for online ordering, takeout, catering and delivery in areas that don’t have a P.F. Chang’s restaurant nearby...

Taher, Inc. Recalls 22,000 Pounds of Meat Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection

Taher, Inc., a Plymouth, Minn. firm, is recalling approximately 22,096 pounds of meat products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The frozen meat products were produced and packaged from Feb. 25, 2020 through Sept. 22, 2020. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)]

• 16-lb. boxes containing 4 bags of “Fresh Seasons Tator Tot Hot Dish” with lot code 056-282 and barcode 108101060239.
• 16-lb. boxes containing 4 bags of “Fresh Seasons Sloppy Joe” with lot code 065-269 and barcode 1081010602366...

Albertsons Companies Unveils PickUp Lockers as Newest Addition to e-Commerce Lineup

Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) today announced that it is piloting PickUp lockers in select Chicago Jewel-Osco and Bay Area Safeway stores as the newest easy fulfillment option for e-Commerce orders made through the company’s websites and apps.

The company already offers in-house Delivery and Drive Up & Go options through its innovative websites and apps, and has partnerships with third-party operators to provide fast delivery options. Albertsons Cos., which reported a 276% increase in digital sales in its first fiscal quarter and continues to add Drive Up & Go stores throughout the country, is looking at all of the ways that it can make customers’ lives – and their grocery shopping – easier and more exciting...

Del Taco Restaurants Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. reported fiscal third quarter 2020 financial results for the 12-week period ending September 8, 2020 and provided a business update.

Management Commentary

John D. Cappasola, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Del Taco, commented, “As we continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities related to COVID-19, I am proud of our actions to stabilize our business as demonstrated by our strong third quarter performance. Positive third quarter comparable restaurant sales for company-operated and franchised restaurants reflects our value-oriented QSR+ positioning, expanding off-premise convenience and use of innovation with the very successful launch of...

US Foods Announces New Chief Supply Chain Officer

US Foods Holding Corp. announced that Bill Hancock will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective Nov. 9, 2020. Hancock will oversee all warehousing, transportation, and supply chain strategy and operations on behalf of the company, as well as safety, labor relations and continuous improvement. He will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Satriano.

“Bill joins US Foods with extensive supply chain leadership experience,” said Pietro Satriano, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of US Foods. “His proven track record of driving customer service, improving productivity, and...

Sysco Hires Judith Sansone in Newly Created Executive Role

Judith Sansone, who previously served as Chief Merchandising Offer for CVS Health, has joined Sysco in a newly created executive role.

Effective October 26, Sansone will be the company's new Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. The role will require Sansone to lead Sysco's overall commercial strategies, including responsibility for merchandising, marketing, pricing, digital sales enablement, customer loyalty program development, customer personalization and exploring new channel sales development. In addition, Sansone will also be responsible for coordinating company-wide efforts to profitably grow sales by...

Jack in the Box Introduces Plant-Based Chicken Sandwich 

Jack in the Box and Raised & Rooted are announcing the exclusive debut of the Jack's Unchicken and Jack's Spicy Unchicken sandwiches at select locations in Monterey and Salinas, California, and Reno, Nevada. The sandwiches are the first-ever plant-based "unchicken" sandwiches introduced by a quick service restaurant. Raised & Rooted is Tyson Foods' brand of alternative protein products launched in 2019.

Made from pea protein isolate and Jack in the Box's traditional crispy breading, the Unchicken sandwiches deliver mouthwatering taste with a savory crunch and texture sure to rival the competition. The sandwiches are available in two varieties, regular and spicy, and will be available...

ANALYSIS: August Chicken Exports - The Devil is In the Details

What a difference a year makes. About this time in 2019, chicken processors and allied components of the industry were licking their chops in anticipation of...

ANALYSIS: Pork Cutout Showing October Highs

With both heightened retail and export demand continuing into the Autumn months, along with labor constraints and limited cold storage stocks, the Urner Barry Pork Cutout has ascended to...

NRF Foundation Introduces COVID-19 Trainings to Aid Retail Employees

The NRF Foundation today launched two new credentials in its RISE Up program in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The credentials focus on Retail Operations and Customer Conflict Prevention to further ensure retail workers — and the millions of customers they serve — can work and shop more safely and help keep the economy open.

“Retailers have been on the front lines of this pandemic as economic first responders and are going above and beyond to maintaining a safe work environment for themselves, their colleagues and their customers,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “These new credentials will give employees the training they need to continue operating and serving customers safely. An informed workforce will build customer confidence and show...

Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims Reach Highest Number Since August 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, initial unemployment claims for the week ending October 10 reached 898,000, an increase of 53,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the highest number since August 22, and economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected about 830,000 claims. The increase in claims indicates that the labor market is still struggling to get back to its pre-pandemic mark.

The 4-week moving average was 866,250, an increase of 8,000 from the week prior. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 6.8% for the week ending October 3, a decrease of 0.9 percentage point from the previous week's revised rate. Those receiving first-time benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program continued to...

Meatless Farm Launches New Plant-Based Breakfast Product in Canada

Meatless Farm announced it has partnered with Canada’s leading foodservice distributors, to bring a new meat-free product to Canada.

In addition to the existing product line of meat-free burgers, the company has introduced new plant-based breakfast sausage patties for the Canadian market. Both the burger and the breakfast sausage patty are available in a 36-pack case and will be introduced across the country through our Fresh Pro Sales broker team as foodservice distributors look to expand their product offerings.

Meatless Farm’s internal team of chefs and food scientists developed recipes that provide the market with high quality taste and texture in plant-based meat alternatives. The new recipe – a next-generation soy-free, completely pea-based mix – more closely resembles...

ANALYSIS: Nothing Average About Turkey Weights

This year being what it is, or has become as the case might be, there is not a protein offering on the street that has not had its traditional market world uprooted. Demand patterns have...

Cargill Study Shows Consumer Support of Farmers Grows As a Result of COVID-19 Challenges

A recent Cargill study found a majority of consumers stand ready to rally around farmers in support of their efforts to put food on tables around the globe. Consumer recognition for the challenges and expectations farmers face grew amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as processing and transportation bottlenecks, especially in the protein industry, stretched the global food supply. In the latest Feed4Thought survey, Cargill found nearly one-third of consumers in the U.S., Brazil, Vietnam and Norway have a renewed appreciation for animal agriculture.

“Farmers and ranchers have faced tremendous pressures caused by COVID-19 supply chain disruptions. And those pressures came on top of the multitude of challenges farmers already faced as they worked to feed the world in...

DoorDash And Taco Bell Announce Nationwide Partnership

DoorDash and Taco Bell announced their new partnership across over 5,500 locations nationwide. In celebration of the partnership, starting October 15, registered DoorDash users can get 50 percent off Taco Bell’s biggest nachos box ever, the Nachos Party Pack, with a $0 delivery fee when they spend $15 or more. The deal is exclusively available on DoorDash beginning October 15 through October 24.

“We’re excited to team up with DoorDash to give our fans the ability to satisfy their cravings for Taco Bell more easily,” said Nikki Lawson, Taco Bell’s Chief Global Brand Officer. “Growing delivery has always been a priority for the brand and through this partnership...

Sysco Launches Holiday Toolkit for Restaurateurs to Help Navigate COVID-19 Shopping Season

Sysco Corporation announced the launch of its Holiday Toolkit, to its Foodie Solutions platform. This is the latest tool for foodservice operators who have been forced to quickly pivot to shifting business requirements and trends during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Holiday Toolkit, provides simple ideas generating additional revenues and providing guests with restaurant-quality solutions for easy gift-giving and holiday meals including Unique takeout offerings, such as charcuterie and cheese boards with wine pairings; Take-and-make meal kits paired...

Pilgrim’s Announces Agreement with DOJ Antitrust Division

Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation today announced that it has entered into a plea agreement with the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division in respect to its investigation into the sales of broiler chicken products in the United States. In the plea agreement, which is subject to the approval of the United States District Court of Colorado, Pilgrim’s and the Antitrust Division agreed to a fine of $110,524,140 for restraint of competition that affected three contracts for the sale of chicken products to one customer in the United States. The agreement does not recommend...

Kroger's Simple Truth Brand Expands Plant Based Collection

The Kroger Co. announced the expansion of its exclusive Simple Truth Plant Based collection, unveiling more than 50 new, fresh and flavorful plant-based foods at affordable prices, including non-dairy cheeses, oat milk ice cream and Emerge fresh chicken-less patties and grinds.

Kroger's Simple Truth Plant Based collection launched with more than 20 products last September, featuring vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, oat milk, sour cream, deli slices, sausage, and other products. Since then, the line has continued to grow to meet customer demand, offering a diverse selection of vegan- and flexitarian-friendly snacks, spreads, dips, desserts, burger patties and grinds, and more. By the end of 2020, the collection will feature more than...

COVID-19 has Flipped the Value Proposition of Omnichannel Shopping for Constrained Consumers 

With few alternatives available during the widespread lockdowns earlier this year, e-commerce quickly became a go-to means-to-an-end for shop-needy consumers around the globe. Six months later, that early reliance on e-commerce has expanded into a fundamental dependence on still-evolving omnichannel shopping experiences.

The premise of omnichannel shopping certainly wasn’t borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the global health crisis has dramatically elevated consumers’ use of both on- and offline channels in tandem, whether for click-and-collect, contactless delivery or an array of other fulfillment options. And across consumer groups, online channels have become the most critical shopping resources for...

Famous Dave's Continues to Gain Momentum Signing a 25-Unit Development Deal

Famous Dave's recently signed a 25-unit development agreement to grow the BBQ brand in select locations across the U.S. — adding to its 125 existing locations. The BBQ franchise is partnering with Bluestone Hospitality Group to open both Famous Dave's ghost kitchens and dual restaurant concepts with the group's Italian brand, Johnny Carino's.

Bluestone Hospitality Group, led by seasoned restaurateur Allan Gantes, franchises with brands including Burger King, On the Border, Popeye's and Hilton Hotels, and owns and manages brands like Johnny Carino's. The Gantes family started their relationship with Famous Dave's in 2005, recognizing the strong potential of the brand's consistently award-winning BBQ. Now, in 2020 the Gantes are pushing forward to...

New Certification for Plant-Based Seafood Created By GFI, World Sustainability Organization

The World Sustainability Organization (WSO) and The Good Food Institute (GFI) have joined together to create a new certification for plant-based seafood.

According to WSO, the plant-based seafood retail category presently stands at around $9.4 million, compared to $939 million for the plant-based meat retail category. Those numbers show that there is potential for growth in the future for the plant-based seafood industry. With consumers more conscious about the products they’re buying and the impact that these products might have on...

Jeannie Cho Joins QDOBA Mexican Eats as Chief Marketing Officer

QDOBA named Jeannie Cho Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Cho will lead QDOBA's marketing and brand strategy to unlock additional growth for the company.

"I am excited to have Jeannie – a seasoned food-industry marketing executive – as an integral member of the QDOBA team," said Keith Guilbault, CEO of QDOBA. "She brings tremendous ability to elevate our brand position and purpose to achieve top line growth through her strategic and breakthrough thinking. I am confident that Jeannie's analytical and creative approach to marketing will lead to...

Kroger Launches Chefbot to Help Consumers Reduce Food Waste 

The Kroger Co. launched the first generation of Chefbot, its AI-powered Twitter recipe tool that helps users' pair the groceries in their fridge and reduce food waste by providing mealtime inspiration and personalized recommendations.

Developed in partnership with integrated creative and media agency 360i, and technology partners Coffee Labs and Clarifai, Kroger's Chefbot offers an innovative and user-friendly conversational solution for breaking away from mundane mealtime routines and unwanted at-home food waste—common challenges for many as families continue to enjoy more meals together at home. Chefbot's AI analyzes photographs to recognize nearly...

Demand for Grass-Fed Beef Products to Boost Market Growth 

The grass beef market size is poised to grow by $14.50 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% throughout the forecast period, according to the latest report by Technavio.

Report Highlights

The major grass beef market growth came from the fresh grass-fed beef products segment. The awareness of the health benefits of grass-fed beef such as higher content of omega-3 fatty acids linoleic acid and antioxidant vitamins like vitamin E fuel its demand in the US, Australia, and other markets. This consequently adds to the revenue, thus boosting...

Little Caesars and DoorDash Announce Marketplace Partnership

Little Caesars and DoorDash announced a major expansion of their exclusive partnership, extending the availability of Little Caesars delivery to the DoorDash app and website. Little Caesars delivery, already available directly through the Little Caesars app and website in the US and Canada, will now also be available on DoorDash's third-party delivery marketplace for the first time.

"Little Caesars is committed to providing quality, convenience and value to our customers, which is why earlier this year, we partnered with DoorDash to make fast and affordable Little Caesars delivery possible through the Little Caesars app and website," said Ed Gleich, senior vice president of innovation at Little Caesars. "Today, we're excited to expand our product availability to the DoorDash app so pizza lovers can have even more options for...

CHART: Industry Expectations for Weekly Cattle Slaughter 

DoorDash Helping Restaurants Prepare for Winter With $2 Million in Cold Weather Grants

DoorDash might be focused on delivery and take-out, but they are doing what they can to help restaurants that are struggling with dine-in.

In March, when the coronavirus began to spread across the U.S., restaurants were forced to shut down their dining rooms and rely solely on take-out. Since then many states have allowed restaurants to reopen, but some are only allowed outdoor seating or limited indoor capacity. While that wasn't a big problem over the summer, the impending cold weather has...

Domino's Pizza Announces Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Domino's Pizza, Inc. announced results for the third quarter. Global retail sales increased 14.4% in the third quarter, or 14.8% excluding foreign currency impact. U.S. same store sales grew 17.5% during the quarter versus the year-ago period and were positively impacted by customer ordering behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing the positive sales momentum in the Company's U.S. stores business. The international business also posted positive same store sales results, with growth of 6.2% during the quarter. The third quarter marked the 107th consecutive quarter of international same store sales growth and the 38th consecutive quarter of U.S. same store sales growth.

During the quarter, the Company reported 209 gross new stores and 83 net new stores, comprised of 44 net new U.S. stores and 39 net new international stores. The Company's net store growth reflects the closure of 126 stores, primarily in India. The number of temporary store closures in...

Trump Administration Extends Free Meals for Kids for Entire School Year

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending flexibilities to allow free meals to continue to be available to all children throughout the entire 2020-2021 school year. This unprecedented move is part of USDA’s unwavering commitment to ensuring all children across America have access to nutritious food as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“As our nation recovers and reopens, we want to ensure that children continue to receive the nutritious breakfasts and lunches they count on during the school year wherever they are, and however they are learning,” said Secretary Perdue. “We are grateful for the heroic efforts by our school food service professionals who are consistently serving healthy meals to kids during these trying times, and we know they need...

ANALYSIS: Ribeye to Strip Spread Continues to Widen Into Year-End

If we look at the chart for the spread (or price difference) between the ribeye and strip loin, it usually...

Retailers Say White House and Congress Cannot Wait on New Pandemic Recovery Legislation

The National Retail Federation expressed concern over President Trump’s decision to stop negotiating with congressional leaders on new legislation intended to help the economy recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic isn’t over and neither is the economic crisis it has created,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “There are many families still struggling to make ends meet and businesses facing obstacles to putting workers back on the payroll. We need a vaccine to ensure our personal health. And we need...

Imports Set New Record as Retailers Replenish Inventories and Stock Up Early for Holidays

Imports reached an all-time high this summer as retail sales bounced back from the pandemic and merchants replenished inventories and stocked up early for the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“After staying at home this spring, consumers are buying again and retail supply chains are working overtime to keep up with demand,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Nothing about this year is predictable, but retailers are making sure their shelves and warehouses are well-stocked for the holidays. They are also stocking up earlier than usual because...