Consumer Foods to Go

Like every year, RaboResearch visited Natural Products Expo West, one of the largest food trade shows in the US. In this episode of Consumer Foods to Go, analysts Tom Bailey, Nick Fereday, and JP Frossard share their observations of this year’s edition. In their view, with more “real food” and products with shorter ingred...

On February 13, RFK Jr was confirmed as the US Health and Human Services secretary in the Trump administration. That same day, some of his plans were unveiled, all aligning with the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAH...

Years ago, we released podcasts exploring the fascinating changes and developments in China's food retail sector, particularly in the online space, often referred to as "new retail." However, the growth of online food retailing in China is now slowing, and offline models are making a strong comeback. It's time to update the Consumer Foods-to-Go audience on these rapid changes. To provide insights, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filo...

Energy prices are crucial for food businesses. In the previous episode of Consumer Foods to Go, we discussed the outlook for agri-commodities in 2025. However, energy prices are equally important for food processors. In this episode, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview their RaboResearch colleagu...

As 2024 came to a close, Rabobank released its annual agri commodity markets outlook for 2025. In line with tradition, the Consumer Foods-to-Go podcast highlights the key points of the report and their implications for food companies. In this episode, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview Carlos Mera, Head of Agri Commodities Markets Research, to discuss his predictions for 2025. Key commodities to watch include palm oil, ...

Over the past 12 months, Ozempic and similar drugs have been hailed in the news as miracle solutions for rapid weight loss with minimal side effects. Weight loss often happens because of the changes in food and beverage consumption that these drugs trigger. In this episode of Consumer Foods to Go, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott discuss the impact of GLP-1 drugs on the food sector with podcast regular Nick Fereday. There is an...

Private label now has close to 20% market share in US food retail. This is much lower than the share in the UK and other European markets, where private label commands 40% or more. However, private label growth in the US is accelerating. Consumers are demanding affordable products, partly because of the cost-of-living crisis. Growth is not constrained by demand, though. The quality of supply is the constraint. What we notice is tha...

Now might just be the time for food manufacturers to think about robots again. Constraints on the labor force are unlikely to go away soon, and help is needed on the factory floor. Also, robots are improving in terms of size, price, and flexibility. In this episode of Consumer Foods to Go, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott speak with Sebastiaan Schreijen to discuss the findings of his survey on the potential adoption of robots i...

Half a decade ago, everyone in food was all over startups – young, exciting companies set to disrupt the food market. A lot has happened since, of course, including Covid and the inflation spike. Startups felt the impact of both, and there has been a bit of a funding crisis to boot. Still, a lot of startups are trying to bring new ideas to the food market. In this podcast, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview Rabobank’s F...

Once again, RaboResearch visited the Private Label Manufacturers Association's (PLMA) World of Private Label trade show in Amsterdam. This year, we interviewed visitors and exhibitors on the topic of innovation. Innovation is high on the agenda...

Professors David Raubenheimer and Stephen Simpson argue in their book, Eat Like the Animals, that over the course of recent decades the share of calories from protein in people's diets has declined (especially in the US). RaboResearch's Nick Fereday covered the topic in a recent report that generated quite some feedback. The...

Once again, RaboResearch visited Natural Products Expo West, one the largest food trade shows in the world with more than 3,500 exhibitors and more than 70,000 visitors. Tom Bailey, Nick Fereday, and Cyrille Filott together with Maria Castroviejo discuss their findings, including how the consumer is being enticed by new types ...

Sustainability is firmly on the food and agribusiness agenda. Companies in the sector are now moving from making a sustainability strategy to measuring and making changes in many aspects of the food system, but before making improvements, one has to establish a base. To discuss the challenges and opportunities, the team invit...

Every year the Consumer Foods-to-Go podcast provides an outlook for agri commodity prices, and this year is no different. Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview Carlos Mera, Rabobank’s Head of Agri Commodity Markets Research, to discuss the outlook for key crops in 2024....

Ultraprocessed foods are everywhere in the news. Some scientists are claiming that processed foods are bad for people’s health and that ultraprocessed foods are especia...

Soon EU regulation regarding packaging and packaging waste will become law. While we are likely to see amendments to the legislation, we believe it is good to start talking about the proposed regulation and its impact on food companies. We are not talking not only about more recycling, but also about the use of recycled content, for example in drink bot...

Innovation is a constant in food retail. For this episode of Consumer Foods-to-Go, Maria Castroviejo and Cyrille Filott interview Sipke van der Werf, head of innovation at SPAR in the Netherlands. What is new in innovation in retail? What is a company like SPAR thinking about right now and with a five-year horizon? Obviously, gro...

The Private Label Manufacturing Association (PLMA) trade show in Amsterdam is the largest private label event in the world. As always, the Rabobank consumer foods team pays a visit. And, like last year, we asked companies in attendance for the...

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach to improving farming practices. Many downstream food companies are talking about encouraging regenerative agriculture practices at the farm level. They do this for various reasons: to achieve emissions reduction goals, to provide better food in general, and to stay w...