Meat / Protein


  • A yellow billboard made to look like an advertisement for Jack Links has been spray painted over one for Slim Jims.
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    Courtesy of Jack Links
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    Jack Link’s takes shot at competition in Gen Z-focused national campaign

    “Feed Your Wild Side” will target college towns this summer and include TikTok videos dedicated to “wild content” and taking playful digs at “Jim.” 

    By Sara Karlovitch • May 17, 2024
  • A group of brown cows with yellow tags on their ears stand in a pasture
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Cattle rebuilding unlikely as high interest rates and costs stick around

    Despite improving pasture conditions, farmers continue to sell off their herds, pushing up prices and compressing margins for meat giants like Tyson Foods.

    By Nathan Owens • May 16, 2024
  • A double-decker plant-based burger with lettuce and tomato, American cheese, pickles and other toppings sitting on a white wood-grain surface with white wood paneling in the background. Explore the Trendline
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    Courtesy of Beyond Meat
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    Trendline

    The growth of plant-based foods

    After years of rapid growth, the plant-based category faced some strong headwinds in 2023. Now, it’s time for the category to recalibrate.

    By Food Dive staff
  • A view from a silver catwalk of Upside Foods' bioreactors in its EPIC facility and the stairs and walkway for people to access the tops of the machines.
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    Courtesy of Upside Foods
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    Cultivated meat becomes part of the culture wars in the US

    Two separate bills signed in Alabama and Florida this month make it unlawful to manufacture, sell and distribute products made from animal cells.

    By May 15, 2024
  • A group of cattle stand on pastureland in a fenced-in enclosure
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    Photo illustration by https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/cattle-stand-near-temporary-fencing-while-grazing-in-news-photo/1400572958/Food Dive; photograph by Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Grass-fed beef demand is on the rise. Can supply keep up?

    Although consumer appetite for the label is increasing, cost constraints and environmental questions have prevented a production expansion.

    By S.L. Fuller , Sarah Zimmerman • May 15, 2024
  • eggo fully loaded waffles
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    Courtesy of Kellanova
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    Kellanova packs protein into waffles with Eggo Fully Loaded

    The new offering from the snacking company comes as better-for-you breakfast items gain steam.

    By May 15, 2024
  • Graza beer can
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    Permission granted by Graza
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    Column

    Leftovers: Graza olive oil cracks a cold one | Kraft Heinz grills up Stuffed Dogs

    Oscar Meyer launched a cheesy stuffed hot-dog in time for the summer sun and a Milwaukee-based pizza company is trading in its crust for bowls.

    By Food Dive staff • May 10, 2024
  • A worker stands in the distance as plant-based patties come down the line at a Beyond Meat factory
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    Courtesy of Beyond Meat
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    Beyond Meat CEO sees 2024 as a ‘pivotal year’ despite grim Q1 results

    The plant-based pioneer had its eighth straight quarter of revenue declines, but Ethan Brown is confident sales will pick up in the second half of the year.

    By May 10, 2024
  • A boy is seen from behind as he looks at M&M candy dispensers.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Snickers owner Mars commits $47M to slash dairy emissions

    The CPG giant is testing seaweed feed supplements and plans to open three "net zero" farms as it looks to halve its carbon footprint by 2030.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • May 9, 2024
  • Caulipower's new frozen pasta varieties
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    Courtesy of Jennifer Chong for CAULIPOWER
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    Prioritizing growth, Caulipower names former PepsiCo exec as CEO

    Tyler Ricks’ 30 years of experience in food and beverage includes work with brands eventually acquired by large CPG firms, such as Plum, Bear Naked and Yasso.

    By May 8, 2024
  • Bagged snack foods in a grocery store aisle.
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    Hitra via Getty Images
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    The Ozempic effect is real: Study zeroes in on GLP-1 users’ food needs

    Food startups have an opportunity to jump on the snacking needs of this new demographic with products focused on protein, portion size and hydration.

    By Jennifer Lawinski • May 8, 2024
  • The back of a woman is seen as she looks at the meat section at a grocery store
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    Tyson Foods posts mixed earnings as chicken shows momentum

    Executives issued a cautious outlook for the rest of the fiscal year due to higher commodity costs and demand uncertainty.

    By Nathan Owens • May 7, 2024
  • A stack of uncooked Impossible Burger patties separated by wax paper on a yellow background
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    Courtesy of Impossible Foods
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    Impossible Foods CEO on the importance of first impressions

    With headlines circulating around the declining sales in the plant-based category, Peter McGuinness believes it’s “ill-defined.”

    By May 7, 2024
  • Air fryer wings sold by Perdue Farms
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    Christopher Doering/Food Dive
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    Deep Dive

    Surging air fryer popularity leads Nestlé, other CPG giants to rethink food

    Once a novelty, the gadget’s presence in nearly two-thirds of U.S. homes has forced manufacturers to play catch-up and flood the market with compatible products.

    By May 7, 2024
  • Young dairy calves stand on a pasture
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    ‘We’re basically flying blind’: An epidemiologist’s take on the US response to bird flu

    Katelyn Jetelina, a public health expert and CDC advisor, explains why an outbreak in dairy cows is likely bigger than previously thought and what farm workers should be doing to protect themselves.

    By Nathan Owens • May 3, 2024
  • Several grocery items such as chocolate almond milk and pistachio nut butter against an orange backdrop
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    Courtesy of Walmart
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    Walmart adds new grocery line to private brands portfolio

    The retailer said its new bettergoods line includes 300 items and marks its largest private brand food launch in 20 years.

    By Catherine Douglas Moran • May 1, 2024
  • Ground beef patties move on a conveyor belt.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    US tests ground beef from grocery stores amid bird flu concerns

    Expanded testing comes as Colombia imposes beef trade restrictions over the outbreak in dairy cows.

    By Nathan Owens • April 30, 2024
  • Impossible Chicken Nuggets
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    Permission granted by Impossible Foods
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    Impossible Foods secures ‘highly anticipated’ retail deal with Whole Foods

    CEO Peter McGuinness told Food Dive that though the company was “late to the game in retail,” the launch will help its plant-based chicken products be as available as possible.

    By April 30, 2024
  • A herd of cows roam on a lush, green dairy farm.
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    Sandra Mu via Getty Images
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    Traces of bird flu detected in 1 in 5 grocery store milk samples: FDA study

    The findings come as avian influenza continues to spread in U.S. dairy herds, with a ninth state reporting a positive case.

    By Nathan Owens • April 29, 2024
  • Package of plant-based ground beef are seen in a grocery aisle
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Is plant-based meat more sustainable? Experts question the data

    Researchers have struggled to replicate life-cycle assessments commissioned from companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, and are calling for more transparency.

    By Nithin Coca • April 24, 2024
  • Sixty Kroger stores tested sales of plant-based meat in the meat section in early 2020, in connection with the Plant Based Foods Association.
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    Courtesy of Plant Based Foods Association
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    Plant-based food sales fall to $8.1B as consumers demand lower prices and higher quality

    Though the space has made strides to reach more people, only 15% of U.S. households purchased its alternative protein products in 2023, compared to 19% in 2022.

    By April 22, 2024
  • Beyond Meat new Beyond IV recipe
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    Permission granted by Beyond Meat
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    Beyond Meat’s revamped burger hits shelves

    As the category continues to try to reinvent itself, the company’s new generation of product is now available for consumers to try.

    By April 18, 2024
  • wheaties general mills
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    Courtesy of General Mills
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    General Mills powers up portfolio with Wheaties Protein

    The new “Breakfast of Champions” cereal targets consumers seeking additional value from their foods with more than 20 grams of protein per serving.

    By April 16, 2024
  • Cows walk from a barn after being milked.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Bird flu found in South Dakota dairy herd

    The detection adds to the growing number of states reporting positive cases in cattle.

    By Nathan Owens • April 15, 2024
  • Daring Foods
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    Permission granted by Daring Foods
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    Daring’s new CEO sees the company as a ‘bright spot’ in a contracting category

    The plant-based chicken producer is focusing on profitability while bringing a clean ingredient product to the masses.

    By Updated April 15, 2024
  • Dairy cattle line up to feed.
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    States enact dairy cattle travel restrictions over bird flu concerns

    Key trading partners are monitoring the situation closely, with Mexico taking steps to reinforce surveillance and inspection of livestock from the U.S.

    By Nathan Owens • April 12, 2024