Food Processing’s Food For Thought Podcast

Jeff Tripician joins the podcast this time around to discuss his move from leading international cultivated meat company Meatable to now becoming the CEO of Charcuterie Artisans, owners of Daniele and Creminelli Meats.

First, Trip details his goals and the work to do to grow the Charcuterie Artisans business, then he digs into the trends driving charcuterie product innovation today. Whether focusing on regionalized offerings or inn...

Jenny Zegler, director of Food and Drink for Mintel, joins the podcast this time around to dig into the details of three predictions that Mintel has made for 2026 for the food and beverage industry.

Will consumers be more interested in longer shelf-life for products as part of their value proposition? What role does sensory play in new product development for food and beverage products in the New Year?

Zegler talks about these expe...

Jackson’s, a snack company that focuses on better-for-you snacks cooked in avocado oil, recently celebrated the grand opening of its Muskego, Wis., facility expansion, and CEO James Marino joined the Food For Thought podcast to detail the capital investment.

Marino also talked about the snacking landscape and how Jackson’s is working to develop better-for-you products aiming to disrupt the category and meet consumer demand for heal...

In conjunction with our November cover story, in which we honor and feature Wayne-Sanderson Farms as our 2025 Processor of the Year, I had the opportunity to visit the company’s Decatur, Ala., prepared foods processing complex and its Customer Innovation Center there.

While visiting, I sat down with Matt Masters, director of R&D, and Beau Batchelor, corporate research chef – product development, to talk about the formulation an...

This episode is brought to you by Aptean.

As food and beverage processors seek ways to operate efficiently while monitoring and maintaining food safety and a traceable supply chain, they’re looking for advanced technology to help them achieve their goals. Jack Payne, solution consulting director, Food & Beverage and Process Manufacturing, for Aptean, and a longtime industry expert in the field, shares his insights on the innova...

This episode is brought to you by Envita Solutions.

As food and beverage processors look for ways to enhance their sustainability efforts, more of them are turning toward their production waste streams to find hidden value. Scott Cole, senior director, Strategic Growth for Food & Beverage, for Envita Solutions, discusses some of the initiatives and innovations processors can look into that can help them both save on costs and a...

Americans continue to be attracted to trying new cuisines and ethnic foods, and Indian foods are growing in popularity, according to Kiernan Laughlin, general manager for frozen Indian foods processor Deep Indian Kitchen.

In this episode, Laughlin talks about the key to winning over new consumers when it comes to Indian foods and how Deep Indian Kitchen is dedicated to authenticity in its products while innovating in the competitiv...

At the upcoming Equipment, Automation and Technology Show (EATS) for Food & Beverage slated for Oct. 28-30 in Chicago, attendees will see over 300 exhibitors across eight sectors along with three live production lines and demos from Jeff Mauro and Rick Bayless. Not to be overlooked are the education sessions designed around the challenges food processors care abou...

For any industry trade show, it's important to prepare and plan your visit so you get the most out of your time at the event and leave feeling inspired. In this special bonus episode, you'll hear five quick tips for navigating the upcoming Equipment, Automation and Technology (EATS) show for Food & Beverage in Chicago, slated for Oct. 28-30. Sarah Hatcher, Group Show Director for EATS breaks down some must-see aspects of the sh...

Pumpkin spice lovers, rejoice! Shannon O’Shields, vice president of marketing for Rubix Foods, explains that even though pumpkin has become ubiquitous, it is not cancelled — and in fact, it has established itself among consumers as an anchor flavor for the fall season.

Nevertheless, when considering seasonal food and beverage items, processors would be wise to expand beyond pumpkin and investigate some of the faster-rising flavors....

For the Food & Beverage processing industry, equipment and operations make up a huge part of overall production costs. One line going down for an hour can add up fast, and when you layer in labor challenges, energy use and long sanitation cycles, efficiency becomes critical to your bottom line. The Equipment, Automation and Technology (EATS) show for Food & Be...

Automation continues to make inroads into the beef industry as technology improves. Dr. Phil Bass, associate professor of meat science in the Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences at University of Idaho, explains that plenty of opportunities remain. Indeed, smaller meat and poultry species have been able to take advantage of technological advancements at a faster pace, but the ingenuity of engineers and technicians has...

Enterprising food and beverage processors in North America know that global growth, particularly into emerging markets clamoring for new products and American tastes, can lead to extremely lucrative business.

Leena Al-Kathiri, senior business development specialist for Salalah Free Zone in Oman, says consumers in the Middle East and Africa continue to seek more innovative, convenient food and beverage products as income and urbaniz...

With 2025 more than halfway over, and 2026 looming large on the horizon, Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor in consumer goods and foodservice insights for Circana, joins the Food For Thought podcast to offer an update on the trends driving consumer choice as summer turns to fall.

Where do healthy food choices fit in? How are the prices of food and beverage products changing the ways consumers are s...

Rod Hogan, senior vice president of Innovation for Sargento, walks us through the development of the company’s new Natural American Cheese Slices product — a journey through the product pipeline that demonstrated the company’s commitment to a long-term view of the business and the category overall.

Hogan also explains how Sargento continues to focus on big, bold flavors and meaningful innovation to draw more consumers, especially a...

John Hewitt, senior vice president of packaging and sustainability on behalf of the Consumer Brands Association, joins the Food For Thought podcast today to share his insights on sustainable packaging trends and initiatives in the food and beverage industry.

Hewitt offers his take on the challenges that the industry still faces when it comes to furthering the mission of reducing the impact of product packaging on the environment, a...

This episode is brought to you by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

Food safety presents some of the industry's most significant challenges — the kind that keep plant operators up at night and require continuous innovation. Recent research from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines food safety and sanitation as it relates to workforce challenges, technological advan...

Lindsey Lee, senior director, Family & Kids Yogurt at Danone North America, joins the podcast to discuss the Snack Hero campaign that the Danimals brand embarked upon earlier this summer and how it worked to keep the brand top of mind for parents looking for snacks for their kids.

Lee also took the time to share her insights into the trends driving the kids yogurt and snacks today, digging deep into the normalization of drinkab...