Advertise on podcast: Food For Thought

Alie Burnet of Conagra Brands returns as a guest on the Food For Thought podcast, this time focused on the findings of her company’s second annual Future of Snacking report, which Conagra recently shared. With snacking still heavily on-trend for many consumers today, she details some of the deeper insights the report unearthed. Burnet talks through three forces heavily influencing the future of snacking — bold flavors, functional fuel, and permissible indulgence — and also how consumers seeking health and wellness options also play a part in driving snack trends.

In this episode of the Food For Thought podcast, Megan Torres, senior brand strategy manager for Reser’s Fine Foods, talks about the trends driving several recent new product launches and the work that brought them to market for the company. Torres explains how the company was able to lean on its expertise in potatoes to build out its deli-fresh soups and chowders line, and how its new pasta entrees focus on convenience and value for the time-starved consumer. She also details how the company targeted new consumers with the launch of its new line of classic chicken, tuna and egg salads, and how product innovation was able to nail down the perfect formulation that features about 25% more protein, up to 60% fewer calories and a significant reduction in fat content.

Dana Ryan, senior director of scientific affairs for Liquid I.V., joins the podcast in this episode to walk through the steps that the company took to develop the proprietary blend of allulose and amino acids that sits at the foundation of the company’s innovative sugar-free product line launched a few years ago. Liquid I.V. spent several years perfecting the formulation of the product line, which claims to be sugar-free while providing better hydration, as well as vitamins and electrolytes, to consumers than water alone. Ryan explains that the company is rooted in backing these claims up with scientific and clinical testing, as it has done to prove this product line’s claims.  Ryan also discusses some of the further innovation the company is working on to improve hydration solutions for consumers, and she offers her thoughts on where the sports drink, wellness and hydration segments may be headed in the future.

Liz Miller, global client partner at Knit, joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss the findings of a survey that the market research agency executed in partnership with McCormick’s shopper insights group. The study focuses on what’s driving consumer decision-making in grocery stores today, particularly around the various categories in which McCormick & Co. plays. Miller digs into the details of the study’s findings around how people determine value and how price is still important but may not tell the whole story.

At the National Restaurant Association’s annual restaurant show this summer, senior editor Andy Hanacek met with Jenna Hagerich, senior brand manager at Campbell’s Foodservice, and they talked about the various brands and trends driving their product offerings currently. Many of the insights Hagerich shares easily cross over from foodservice to the retail channel, and she dives into the Campbell’s “master brand” strategy as well as detailing the ways each of the company’s brands across soup, energy drinks, beverages and snacks are trying to take advantage of the trends.

Kids of all ages are headed back to school right now, and the Food For Thought podcast has some insights on how that could impact food and beverage consumption trends from Julia Wilson, a partner in KPMG’s Strategy practice, focused on consumer clients. Wilson discusses results found in KPMG's Consumer Pulse Back-to-School 2026 Survey, which finds that families expect to spend more per child on back-to-school essentials this year, and 83% expecting to pay more for groceries alone. As a result, about half of those consumers anticipate that they will eat out less and nearly half plan to prepare simpler weekday meals.

Chris Darling, chief commercial officer for Mama’s Creations, joins the podcast to talk about the transformation of the grocery store deli department in recent years into a real destination for grab-and-go-seeking consumers. He offers insights into the shift in consumer demand toward clean-ingredient, ready-to-eat options there, and why this change has made the deli counter into a high-volume destination for fresh, short shelf-life prepared meals. Darling also details how Mama’s Creations has built for itself a massive national footprint in this fresh deli space through acquisition and product innovation while maintaining its commitment to “Grandma quality” for its products.

This episode is brought to you by the American Egg Board. Eggs 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. This episode is sponsored by the American Egg Board (AEB). Learn more about AEB.

Tia Glave, president and co-founder, and Jill Stuber, vice president and co-founder, of Catalyst Food Leaders, return to the Food For Thought podcast to discuss leadership culture at food and beverage companies in this episode. The duo talks about how companies can use the leadership abilities within every employee to drive company culture and get more workers engaged in the organization and their jobs. Stuber and Glave also discuss the differences between having a corporate culture revolving around compliance rather than a culture of commitment, and what the ultimate cost to businesses following the former can be.

Consumers continue to seek a great burger when they visit restaurants across the U.S., and even with things like the “chicken sandwich wars” and other innovative products, the burger still stands tall. Lucy Woods, senior manager of consumer insights for Cargill, joins the podcast to discuss the trends driving burger consumption and demand focused more on the foodservice marketplace today. Do consumers prefer thick or thin patties? Do they like certain cuts of meat to be included in the blend? Where does nutrition fit into the equation these days, when consumers are looking for comfort foods as well? And what about the infamous slider burger?

Welcome to the Food for Thought podcast. I’m Andy Hanacek, senior editor of Food Processing magazine. Dave Gardner, who was recently promoted to president and CEO of Ajinomoto Foods North America (AFNA), joins the Food For Thought podcast to discuss what is driving the popularity in Asian foods as well as frozen foods in the U.S. today. Gardner explains how the quality, value and convenience of frozen foods today are meeting demands of consumers, and they are responding positively. In addition, Gardner talks about his approach to his new role at AFNA, what he expects to bring to the table as the president and CEO, and the three points he believes the AFNA team needs to focus on moving forward to continue to grow.

In mid-May, I attended the National Restaurant Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, visiting several booths and taking in the product and equipment innovations there — while eating and drinking my way through many delicious, and filling, product samples. One of the booths I visited was the Mezete booth, where Khaled Kasih, CEO and third-generation leader of Amman, Jordan-based Kasih Food Production Co. (and the Mezete brand), took a few minutes to discuss Middle Eastern cuisine with me (and offer some samples, of course!). For this episode of the Food For Thought podcast, Kasih digs into the history of Middle Eastern cuisine and the growing popularity of authentically produced foods from the region. He also discusses his company’s passion for bringing the foods to a global audience, using innovative technology as the backbone of creating high-quality, true-to-tradition Middle Eastern foods.

Randstad USA recently released its Workmonitor 2026 Report, and Christina Parker, senior vice president for the company, joins the Food For Thought podcast to dig into the results. The report covers numerous topics, and Parker discusses the sentiment on artificial intelligence in the manufacturing space, noting a disconnect between what employers and employees expect the impact to be over the next few years. Furthermore, she details some of the communication and collaboration needed between employers and employees to properly manage expectations for the systems being implemented. AI has helped manufacturers of all types deal with the labor shortages of recent years, and Parker lays out some of the things employees are seeking today in the post-pandemic employment landscape.

Private-label brands have transitioned from a budget-driven alternative to a core pillar of growth and loyalty in the food and beverage industry. In this episode, Circana’s Sally Lyons Wyatt unpacks data showing how store brands continue to gain ground in the marketplace, even as inflation pressures ease. The conversation also explores how evolving shopping behaviors — especially the rise of e-commerce and AI-driven purchasing — are reshaping the competitive landscape. As digital agents prioritize price, availability and functional equivalence over brand equity, private label stands to benefit, particularly within retailer-controlled ecosystems.

Jake Steslicki, vice president for PMCF, joins the podcast this time around to discuss the merger and acquisition landscape coming out of 2025 and heading into the new year in the food and beverage industry. He gives an analysis of how the previous calendar year went, and then digs into where things sit today. What should the industry expect when it comes to deal-making through the rest of the year and even into 2027? What do the big-headline deals mean for the industry overall? Are there any moves companies should make to steel themselves for potential transactions in the not-too-distant future? Steslicki offers insights into all of these things and more this time around.