Blue Diamond, an almond growers’ co-op, renovated former offices and created a 6,500-sq-ft “Almond Innovation Center” at its Sacramento headquarters.

Realizing that it needed to grab consumers’ attention, General Motors embarked on one of the automotive industry’s most bold advertising slogans, “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile,” during the late-80s to mid-90s.

Food professionals may not have the opportunity to visit Tulin Tuzel’s home. Yet, they can see Tuzel’s home away from home at Sabra Dipping Company LLC.

I love entrepreneurs. So meeting the dynamic duo behind Kashi was a personal highlight this fall at Prepared Foods’ 31st annual New Products Conference (NPC) in San Diego. Philip and Gayle Tauber delivered the opening keynote address: “Innovate Like an Emerging Company.”

How do you spell new product “success?” How about combining these letters: R&D, M&A and CIE.

Ah, what to get the company that has everything? How about a Culinary Innovation Center?

To see or not to see. That is the question. Some new food and beverage products make a strong visual statement.

I’ll come right out and say it. I realize Coca-Cola Freestyle, Coca-Cola’s foodservice beverage machine -- is not exactly new news.

3-D movie glasses. 5G smartphones. It’s clear that consumers like options, and they value anything that adds functional dimensions for a heightened experience.

“Processor innovation.” Those words should be synonymous with food and beverage. They should roll off the tongue as naturally and easily as “cookies and crackers.”