Prepared Foods and Ventura Foods proudly announce the opening of nominations for the 2015 Spirit of Innovation Awards. The program recognizes innovative product development teams for their work on exciting new products.

Welcome to Prepared Foods’ annual retail food and beverage trends report. It’s an all-inclusive look at category dynamics and product development trends across as many as 12 product categories.

Global protein consumption will reach 943 million metric tons (MMT) by 2054, rising at a 1.7% CAGR from the current 473 MMT. Alternative protein sources will pick up the slack of slowing meat and seafood growth, and could claim as much as 33% of total protein consumption by 2054.

In this role, he will be responsible for leading the company's $7 billion business in the United States and Canada, which includes Power Brands like Oreo and belVita biscuits; Triscuit and Wheat Thins crackers, Halls candy and Trident gum. Marques succeeds Mark Clouse, who became the company's Chief Growth Officer in July 2014.

Smithfield Foods, Inc. announced a realignment of its organization and key senior management appointments that unify all of its independent operating companies, brands, marketing, and more than 48,000 employees around the world under one corporate umbrella to accelerate the Company's growth and further its mission of providing "Good food. Responsibly."

There are notable regional differences in the popularity of gluten-free diets. Even though they are extremely popular in western countries, the trend is not common among consumers in some other regions. Visiongain predicts that the world market for gluten-free foods will reach $3.91bn in 2015.

AdvancePierre Foods, a supplier of value-added protein and sandwich solutions to foodservice, retail and convenience channels, announced that it will acquire the manufacturing assets of Better Bakery, LLC (“Better Bakery”), a Valencia, Calif.-based manufacturer of premium stuffed sandwiches.

Prepared Foods talks with Tom Preniczky, a research and development specialist at Sweet Street Desserts, a Reading, Pa., desserts manufacturer and foodservice supplier.

Bakkavor, a UK fresh prepared foods manufacturer, acquired B. Robert’s Foods (‘B. Roberts’) for an undisclosed sum.

Rather than the relatively intangible claim of being ‘good for the environment,’ the new priority is transparency. This is creating a new flock of consumers who want to know more about ingredients, products and the companies that make and sell them.