Xtalks Food Industry Podcast

Plant-Based Food Sales Since 2018 + The Semantics of Voluntary Food Recalls

While the plant-based food industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years, how much have sales in the sector grown since 2018? In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about the massive growth of plant-based food sales in the US, which hit $7.4 billion in 2021, growing by a whopping 54 percent since 2018. This data was released in a report from the Good Food Institute (GFI), which also pointed out that dollar sales of products in categories including plant-based milk, meat and eggs, outpaced sales of the animal products they aim to replace. The team discusses the wider market for plant-based food beyond vegans and vegetarians and wonders whether this exponential growth of the industry will continue in the coming years. Also, in this episode, Sydney discusses the semantics of the term “voluntary recall” when it comes to food safety recalls. Hormel Foods, for example, recently issued a voluntary recall of over 9,000 cases of Skippy peanut butter over concerns that a limited number could contain stainless steel fragments. So, was it Hormel’s choice to issue the recall or was it mandatory, despite being a “voluntary” food recall? Sydney explains that even though the term “voluntary” is used throughout the industry, this Class 1 recall, and others like it, are not optional nor are they unnecessary. A recall is only mandatory from the FDA if the business refuses to issue one on its own. The team agrees the term “business-initiated” recall is more appropriate and discusses the use of the term “voluntary recall” in other industries. Read the full articles here:Here’s How Much Plant-Based Food Sales Have Grown Since 2018Are Voluntary Food Recalls Truly Voluntary?For more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

How TikTok is Influencing the Food Industry + Beyond Meat and PepsiCo Launch Plant-Based Jerky

Though it’s easy to pass off TikTok as just another video sharing platform, it’s clear that there’s more to the story when it comes to the food industry. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about TikTok’s influence on the food industry, from viral recipe videos to restaurant hacks. She explains how food and beverage brands can partner with content creators and engage in conversations on the app to maintain a social media presence. The team wonders whether branded content could get lost among the hundreds of billions of views on food videos, but posits that food and beverage companies should invest in a savvy social media team.  Also, in this episode, Sydney discusses the newest product from a joint venture between Beyond Meat and PepsiCo: a plant-based jerky. The venture, called the Planet Partnership, aims “to develop, produce and market innovative snack and beverage products made from plant-based protein.” Like meat-based jerky, Beyond Meat said its plant-based jerky is marinated and slow roasted. The difference, however, is the ingredients, with peas and mung beans at the top of the ingredient list. The team commends the strategic partnership between the two food and beverage giants but wonders how Beyond Meat Jerky will fare among other jerky alternatives.  Read the full articles here:Are TikTok Food Trends Changing the Landscape of the Food Industry?Beyond Meat and PepsiCo Launch Plant-Based JerkyFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Vegan Ice Cream Maker Adds Dairy Products to Lineup + A&W Canada Testing Fully Recyclable and Compostable Cups

After 17 years as a plant-based brand, Coconut Bliss has added a dairy-based ice cream to its product lineup. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about Coconut Bliss’ decision to rebrand as Cosmic Bliss and introduce sustainable dairy with its organic, grass-fed, clean-label dairy ice cream line. After realizing that 97 percent of ice cream sold in the US is dairy-based, Cosmic Bliss wanted to reach that sector of consumers. At a time when most brands are creating plant-based versions of their existing product lines, Cosmic Bliss decided to go the opposite route by offering a dairy line that claims to be better than all others. The team discusses whether the backlash from former customers is justified and wonders whether the move was more about profits than progress.Also, in this episode, Sydney discusses A&W Canada’s move to pilot the Zero Cup, a fully recyclable and compostable coffee cup designed by UK-based company Butterfly Cup. The environmentally-friendly cup is made entirely of paper and requires no lid, straw or plastic liner. A&W Canada claims to be the first quick service restaurant (QSR) in North America to pilot the Butterfly Cup. Sydney also points out that out of the roughly 14 billion cups of coffee enjoyed by Canadians each year, an estimated five billion are consumed in single-use cups that end up in landfills. The team wonders why a fast-food chain that specializes in burgers is the first QSR to trial the cup and are critical of coffee giants like Starbucks and Tim Hortons for stalling on plans to implement recyclable and/or compostable cups.Read the full articles here:Plant-Based Ice Cream Brand Coconut Bliss Adds Dairy to Product LineupThe Butterfly Cup: Fully Compostable Coffee Cups Coming to A&W CanadaFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Alt Meat Companies Suing Each Other Over Intellectual Property + Food Companies Cutting Ties with Russia

Meati Foods and The Better Meat Co., two fungi-based alt meat companies, are suing each other over intellectual property (IP). In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney highlights two separate sets of alt meat companies that are embroiled in legal battles over a proprietary technology and the use of an ingredient, respectively. Meati has accused Better Meat of stealing its mycelium harvesting tech, while Better Meat has accused Meati of damaging its reputation and fundraising efforts. Meanwhile, another ongoing lawsuit is underway between Impossible Foods and Motif Foodworks over alleged copying of alt protein food technology. The team wonders whether more alt meat and dairy companies will face similar legal battles in the future since every company aims to be the first to introduce new technologies and products to market.Also, in this episode, Sydney discusses some food companies that have cut ties with Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Among them include food giants like General Mills, Nestlé and Cargill, while a small number of companies are still doing business in Russia, including Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the owner of Burger King. RBI said its 800 Burger King locations in the country remain open because they are stand-alone franchise operations that are independently owned. The team wonders whether this is a good enough reason for its restaurants to stay open, but posits that sanctions come with negative outcomes for the common people. Read the full articles here:These Alt Meat Companies are Suing Each Other Over Intellectual PropertyThese Food Companies are Cutting Ties with Russia Amid War with UkraineFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Women-Owned Food Brands for International Women’s Day + Ziscuit Grocery Search Engine

Each year, International Women’s Day falls on March 8 to celebrate the social, cultural, economic and political success of women. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney highlights six women-owned-and-operated food brands. From gluten-free beer and allergen-free beef jerky, to sustainably packaged healthy snacks and a better-for-you breakfast cereal, women-owned food brands have managed to fill a niche in the food industry to bring all sorts of unique, high-quality food products into consumers’ homes. The team notices a trend among the brands: they were all created out of necessity to fulfill a demand. They commend the women who took matters into their own hands and overcame the challenges of being a woman in the food and beverage industry.  Also, in this episode, Sydney introduces the team to Ziscuit, an online grocery search engine that allows food insecure customers and those that reside in food deserts to find the best-priced food items located near them. Founded by Mark Peterson, an Alabama native who watched his mother struggle to afford weekly groceries, he launched Ziscuit in December 2019 to alleviate the stress of finding cheaper groceries. Just like Kayak.com did for flights and hotels, Ziscuit uses bots that systemically browse the Internet to pull price data from supermarket websites. The team is surprised to find out Ziscuit is the first of its kind and they are hopeful it can expand across the US and beyond to help food insecure households find fresh, nutritious foods. Read the full articles here:Six Women-Owned Food Brands to Support Beyond International Women’s Day 2022Ziscuit: The Grocery Search Engine That Helps Consumers Find Cheaper GroceriesFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Partake Foods Allergen-Friendly Snacks + Imagindairy Cow-Free Milk

Food allergies are becoming more and more common, but that doesn’t mean those with allergies can’t enjoy a sweet treat. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about Partake Foods, an allergen-friendly, better-for-you snack brand that offers cookies, baking mixes and other products in which everyone can partake. However, the brand sells more than just sweet treats. Partake’s founder, Denise Woodard, launched The Black Futures in Food and Beverage fellowship program, which gives students enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) interested in exploring a career in the food and beverage industry opportunities to learn from the best. The team praises the brand for going above and beyond in both its product offerings and support for Black students.Also, in this episode, Sydney introduces the team to Imagindairy, a Tel Aviv-based food tech company that developed a proprietary technology to produce dairy proteins without the cow by leveraging natural precision fermentation. Using this approach allows the company to replicate real milk proteins — including, casein and whey, two of the key compounds responsible for the taste, texture and other properties of cow’s milk and its derivatives. Not only does this process exclude cows, but it also cuts down on the negative environmental impact associated with dairy cattle production, such as greenhouse gas emissions. The team is eager to try this new type of milk and wonders whether it will be the best milk alternative — in flavor, texture and appearance — when it finally hits the market. Read the full articles here:Partake Foods Goes Beyond Allergen-Friendly Treats to Create Opportunities for People of ColorImagindairy is on a Mission to Make Cow-Free Milk the New NormFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Interview with Justkitchen’s Executive Vice President Michael Liu

What are ghost kitchens and what does the future hold for them in a post-COVID world? In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, the team welcomes their very first guest, Michael Liu, executive vice president of ghost kitchen operator JustKitchen. Previously head of commercial operations at app-to-door dining company Deliveroo, Lui managed a portfolio of thousands of restaurants and took that knowledge to Justkitchen. As a leading voice in the new dining economy, Lui provided unique insight into the growing relevance of ghost kitchens, the growth of app-to-door dining and the emergence of the data driven food economy.With US expansion on the horizon for Taiwan-based Justkitchen, the team wonders how operations would differ at an American ghost kitchen and whether consumers would be receptive to them. With ghost kitchens already popping up in big cities and celebrities launching their own food and beverage brands, they have already gained popularity. The team also discuss the impact of COVID-19 and how it boosted food deliveries from ghost kitchen operators like Justkitchen. But, will the momentum last in five to ten years?For more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Food and Beverage Super Bowl Ads + Valentine’s Day Food Offerings

Food and beverage brands start building buzz for their Super Bowl ads weeks in advance, and this year was no exception. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about some of the food and beverage ads that premiered during Super Bowl LVI. Many fans watch the game solely for the commercials, and the use of celebrity cameos was prevalent in almost all the big game ads. Sydney describes the ads from Bud Light, Lay’s, Michelob ULTRA, Hellmann’s, Budweiser, Frito-Lay and Uber Eats. The team wonders whether the ads are truly meant to sell a product or service, or whether they are more of a cultural phenomenon for brands to participate in.Also, in this episode, Sydney talks about some of the Valentine’s Day food offers from restaurants and food companies. The list included a shareable heart-shaped pizza from California Pizza Kitchen, lobster tail bouquet-making kits from the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative and a fondue dinner from Melting Pot. The team proclaims that Valentine’s Day is a good marketing opportunity for food and beverage brands, but that there’s little room for innovation on the day of love.  Read the full articles here:Here are Some Food and Beverage Ads to Look Out for During Super Bowl LVIValentine’s Day Food Offers from Popeyes, Cinnabon and MoreFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Cryptocurrency and the Metaverse in the Food Industry + MrBeast’s Feastables Brand

How do cryptocurrency and the Metaverse fit into the food industry? In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about the impact these digital realms have already had on the food industry and the potential heights they can reach. With a slew of cryptocurrencies named after foods and several food and beverage brands allowing customers to pay with crypto, other technologies like blockchain are allowing brands to push for transparency and safety. Meanwhile, the Metaverse has the potential to restore the balance between restaurants and customers. The team are intrigued by crypto’s journey in the food industry and wonders whether people will embrace the Metaverse when it comes to purchasing food. Also, in this episode, Sydney introduces the team to Feastables, a better-for-you chocolate brand created by YouTuber MrBeast. Known for his philanthropic work and elaborate YouTube videos, MrBeast decided to kick off the launch of Feastables with a Willy Wonka-style giveaway with $1 million in prizes and a chance to win MrBeast’s Chocolate Factory. This marketing strategy gives Feastables a certain level of authenticity that other food and beverage brands lack. The team wonders why other brands haven’t embraced this style of marketing and praise the digital creator for his ingenuity and imagination.Read the full articles here:How Cryptocurrency and the Metaverse Can Help the Food IndustryFeastables: The Newest Better-For-You Snack from this Popular YouTuberFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Mamamade Vegan Baby Food + Black Sheep Foods’ Plant-Based Lamb

How did a direct-to-consumer (DTC) plant-based baby food brand close a record-breaking round of funding? In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about Mamamade, a UK-based baby food brand with a special focus on infant and toddler nutrition, as well as supporting parents. It has garnered a community of 40,000 parents and offers one-to-one coaching, online resources, stage guides and support for parents in addition to its wide range of plant-based baby food. The team appreciates the community-based business model, but wonders how important it is for some parents to choose a plant-based diet for their children. Also, in this episode, Sydney introduces the team to Black Sheep Foods, a plant-based food tech company focused on heritage breed meats and wild game, namely lamb. By using analytical chemistry to identify key flavor compounds found in animal-based meat, the startup structures the compounds around plant-based proteins composed mainly of pea protein. Black Sheep Foods introduced its lamb to the market through a partnership with Greek restaurant chain Souvla, and has since expanded into other restaurants and foodservices. The team talks about their eagerness to try a lesser-known type of plant-based meat and discusses lamb’s prevalence, or lack thereof, in the US restaurant market. Read the full articles here:Mamamade: How a Plant-Based Baby Food Business BlossomedPlant-Based Lamb Producer Black Sheep Foods Raises $5.25 MillionFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured