Andy Callahan

With the economic landscape constantly evolving and more companies going bankrupt than ever before, it’s clear that people in business need to rethink their strategy. Gary Shapiro’s advice? Stay alert, and be prepared to make big changes. Join Brian Choi, CFA of the Food Institute as he chats with the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association and the owner/producer of CES about his new book, Pivot Or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes. #pivotordie #businesssuccess #CES2025 #entrepreneursuccess

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Did you know the Kentucky Bourbon market is facing a supply-demand gap? 🥃 With a shortage of aged stock, brands are feeling the squeeze! Unlike Scotch whisky, where distillery reputation is key, bourbon relies on contract distillers to supply iconic brands like Bulleit Bourbon, Templeton Rye, and High West. 🏭 This structure makes bourbon’s value determined by the quality of the liquid and its age – setting it apart from Scotch! ⏳

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Did You Know? Serving beer from kegs doesn’t just save you money—it’s often fresher than it's bottled and canned counterparts! Kegged beer stays fresher because it’s protected from both oxygen and light, giving you cost savings and a better-tasting beer. What more could you ask for? Tap into better-tasting beer by exploring our beverage dispensing equipment linked below: https://lnkd.in/ez-6-X26

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"Just about every U.S. household purchased a private label item in the past year." Private label is here to stay and is only growing! Numerator's private label tracker provides an ongoing look at private label performance across product sectors, channels, and retailers, as well as consumer sentiment from verified buyers of store-brand products. Check out some of these highlights below:

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This is an interesting article about "grocery" competition. This thought process also applies to brands and how you define competition. Time to think beyond how your product solution has always been defined and get into the mind of the consumer and their "job to be done"

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In this episode of The Natural List, co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith are joined by nutrition experts Jessie Shafer, RD and Debra Eschmeyer. According to Eschmeyer, two out of three children on average drink a sugary beverage every day. Moreover, children consume approximately fifty-three pounds of added #sugar per year. To combat this acclimation to extremely sweet products, many #CPG brands are starting to reduce added sugar and natural sweeteners in children’s products and increasing nutrients like fiber and protein. Bottom line: when it comes to sweetness, less is more. Listen here: https://utm.io/ugPXr #naturalproducts #brands #lowsugar #childrensnutrition

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From Dairy Foods to Fortune Business Insight, experts agree: the RTD dairy beverage market is on the rise. With milk, tea, coffee, aseptic juices, and bottled juices leading the charge, dollar sales are increasing year after year. While some may see a decline in unit sales, the exception lies with canned juices, whose dollar sales spiked 8.5% and unit sales saw a 2% rise. And the global market shows no signs of slowing down, projected to reach over $1 trillion by 2032 thanks to urbanization and busy lifestyles. Don't miss out on the opportunities in this growing category!" #RTDbeverages #dairy #growthopportunities

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Check out this great summary of what we served up at Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) FIRST this week in Prepared Foods Magazine. #SugarReduction #FunctionalBeverage #Food #Beverage #TasteBlazers #IFT2024 #Health #Wellness #ProductDevelopment

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SKU's mentor community has deep experience building brands and disrupting categories, whether that be Matthew OHayer, who upended the egg industry with Vital Farms, or Jeff Richards, who launched Mooala, which has created new innovations within the plant-based milk segment. SKU Fall '24 mentor Jill Talcott  is a passionate food and beverage lover and creator with a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. During her time as a leader in innovation, commercialization and development at Starbucks for over 16 years, working on CPG and food-service projects for the U.S. and International markets. She developed and launched coconut milk to over 15K stores, pioneered the development of alternative milks to replace traditional dairy bases and delivered a breakthrough beverage innovation through a new chocolate strategy. During her time as a leader in innovation and development at Starbucks, Jill is most proud of her work in taking the cold coffee experience to new levels through innovative thought leadership, passion, teamwork, and a devotion to finding solutions. She was the winner of Starbucks' “Trail Blazer” and “Courage” awards for Innovation (championing and driving big ideas to life). As a Food Tech Evangelist at Amazon, Jill developed and trained the team on the product development process and established trained panel to guide rapid product and packaging decision making .   In 2021 she started UpCup Creations, a beverage development consulting firm. She has helped small brands bring numerous products to market from coffee beverages to cocktails in can, and many things in between. Her specialties are beverage innovation, product development, including ingredient sourcing and Commercialization. If you would like to work with passionate founders and rocks stars like Jill, we have a small number of mentor spots left for talented CPG leaders. If you would like to learn more, fill out our Mentor Interest Form and we will schedule an interview. https://lnkd.in/grvpPD8e Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Maddie S. Brooke Wilson #mentors #mentoring #mentorshipmatters #accelerator #cpgaccelerator #startups #cpgstartups #founders #cpgfounders #entrepreneurship #cpg #cpgs #consumerpackagedgoods #consumerproducts #foodandbeverage #innovation #commercialization #productcreation #productlaunch #coffee #coldbrew #coldcoffee #coffeeinnovation #productinnovation

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From #NextGenBaker 📈​ During the American Bakers Association’s NextGenBaker Leadership Forum, held September 30 – October 1 in Washington, DC, Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, LLC, shared three ways brands can grow sales during her presentation, “Bakery Playbook: A Deep Dive into Consumer Trends.”​ Read more ➡️ https://bit.ly/3UnlQ2H #bakingindustry

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Specialty foods are making a big splash among consumers, growing from $207 billion in 2023 to a projected $221.5 billion in 2024. Trends like plant-based meat alternatives focusing on taste and whole foods, global flavors and adventurous eating, and functional ingredients for mental and digestive health are taking off. Read more from Food Technology magazine about why specialty foods are quickly gaining traction: https://hubs.la/Q02Jgjsm0 #IFTFIRST #SpecialtyFoods #FoodInnovation

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Dairy Products Have More Growth Potential Corey Geiger Key Points: In Most U.S. consumers purchase dairy, which is also the largest category in retail. Over the next three years, approximately 90% of people have no plans to reduce their dairy product purchasing behavior. Globally, the cheese snack market is projected to reach $75.1 billion this year, and it could grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% through 2034. Private labels are outpacing brands in 10 of the 15 dairy categories. Store brand options making considerable inroads include yogurt, cream cheese, cream, and creamers. The lactose-free product category provides a simple, yet relevant, tool of innovation for dairy processors to help reach the 120 million Americans who cannot enjoy traditional dairy products due to some form of lactose intolerance. Consumers’ tastes and purchasing patterns continue to evolve, and that means dairy processors, manufacturers, and marketers need to innovate, too. https://lnkd.in/ekvkcu_h

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Curious how one of the nation's largest meat suppliers slashed shipping costs and improved efficiency? Koch Foods, Inc. reveals how 3G immediately helped cut costs, and move billions of dollars worth of product. Read their story 👉 https://bit.ly/3V0SBn4

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 🌱 Plant-Based Surge Continues! 🌱 A new report from the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the retail merchant Kroger highlights a significant trend that we all support: plant-based food sales are on the rise for the fourth consecutive year! The report insights show plant-based alternatives making their way into more baskets, with shoppers seeking nutritious, eco-friendly choices that fit their budgets. As the demand for these products increases, brands and retailers have an incredible opportunity to innovate and meet evolving consumer needs. Fava ingredients can make a real impact in plant-based products foods that consumers want for great taste and texture! What do you think is driving this shift? Are we looking at a long-term change in eating habits? #PlantBased #SustainableFood #FoodIndustry #ConsumerTrends #Innovation #HealthyLiving #SustainableFood #FoodIndustry #ConsumerTrends #Innovation #HealthyLiving #FavaBeans #FavaFlour #FormulatewithFava

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Since my talk at IFT, I've been seeing ashwaganda EVERYWHERE, even more so than what I did before. Could it be the next ingredient in our longevity toolkit? This article says yes! Review reveals benefits of ashwagandha on 'inflammaging' https://buff.ly/4c8V97E

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US Foods is debuting its Fall 2024 Scoop, offering foodservice operators 24-on trend products that can help address inventory, labor and time management costs. 🍲 Learn more about the new Fall Scoop lineup 👉 https://brnw.ch/21wNovM #foodservice #operators #USFoods #ValueAdded #NewProduct

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🌟 The craft beer industry thrives on creativity, and Sam Richardson, co-founder of Other Half Brewing Company, is leading the way in hops innovation. In this Expert Topic article, Sam shares how his team experiments with hop varieties and techniques to craft unique, bold flavors that resonate with beer lovers around the world. Key takeaways: 🍺 Rethinking Tradition– Blending unconventional hop combinations to create standout profiles. 🍺 Innovation in Action– Leveraging technology and creativity to push the boundaries of brewing. 🍺 Flavor as an Experience – Designing beers that connect with consumers on a deeper level. For brewers and industry professionals, Sam's insights are a reminder that innovation isn’t just about the final product—it’s about the journey of exploration and passion. Read more about Sam’s approach to brewing innovation: https://zurl.co/5O9z #CraftBeer #BrewingInnovation #OtherHalfBrewing #HopsScience #BeverageIndustry

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On the 30th of May, TRACT’s CEO, Allison Kopf will be at the Innovation Forum’s The Future of Food and Beverage in Minneapolis sharing her thoughts on how technology can deliver transparent, trustworthy and scalable nature-based solutions. We know data is key, but how can we leverage these technologies to better inform decision-making, more effectively communicate with stakeholders and transform supply? The discussion will dive into the latest tools and technologies that are enabling real time supply chain visibility, how businesses can measure, monitor and verify supply chain claims, how to translate complex data to stakeholders in a credible, meaningful and digestible way, and more! For more information, or to join us at the event, visit: https://lnkd.in/edB-bRNT — #InnovationForum #IF2024 #TRACT #FoodandAg #SupplyChains #Sustainability #SustainabilityMeasurement

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