You have a great tasting food you want to commercialize. What claims can you make? One of the first things on your to-do list should be to define a few basics: Who will buy your food? What’s important to them when it comes to your food category?

It’s always good to start a dairy report with a tall glass of milk. While it’s safe to say reports of dairy milk’s demise in the face of the plant-based boom are premature, unit sales slipped again in 2022 by 3.3%. Luckily for the industry, dollar sales increased by more than twice that percentage (7%) due to price-per-unit increases of 11 cents.

Last December saw Chicago retail data tracker IRI release its “November 2022 Retail Food and Beverage Price Check” report. Published on December 8, it noted that food inflation finally moderated after August and hit its slowest rate last October, at +0.3%.

SKU’s mentors are what truly sets the accelerator apart. Brands are surrounded by a customized mentor team hand-picked to meet their needs. 

"Products that make home cooking more convenient and restaurant-quality are in demand, whether meal starter kits, distinctive salts or butters, condiments from around the world, or foods from different global regions available as frozen entrees," said Denise Purcell, SFA's vice president, resource development. 

“LALA Licuados are the perfect way to start your morning,” said Matt Okeson, head of marketing and R&D for LALA U.S. “With the goodness of oats, real milk, and a blend of real fruits, LALA Licuados are a Hispanic breakfast standard in a convenient ready-to-drink format.”

Gen Z is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation, too. According to Pew Research, Gen Z represents the leading edge of the country’s changing racial and ethnic makeup – with 52% non-Hispanic White, 25% Hispanic, 14% Black, 6% Asian and 5% a different race or two or more races. The US Census Bureau projects that by 2026, the majority of this generation will be non-White.

Wasted food is a major drain on business and on the planet. Shelf Engine, a perishable food forecasting specialist, estimates that supermarkets alone discard more than 43 billion pounds of food each year and that excessive food waste costs the grocery industry more than $50 billion in lost profits annually. 

To support the expanded product availability, MyForest Foods also announced its first successful harvest production with Whitecrest Mushrooms Ltd., based in Ontario, Canada, who scaled operations one year after announcing their initial trial partnership.

Economic uncertainty and the associated rising cost of goods have forced consumers to rethink budgets and discretionary spending. Across categories, brands are tapping messaging, technology, and retail strategies to show consumers how packaging can stretch a budget.