Fresh Foods

Fresh Food Insights in Bite-Sized Portions

Fresh foods at retail is such a big topic — a full meal, if you will — that sometimes it’s easier to understand this subject in bite-sized chunks. All the better if those chunks are available on ...

Unconventional Grilling is Hot this Summer

The Independence Day holiday conjures up all the senses associated with fire – the summer heat, the warmth of family and community gatherings, the smell of fireworks, and the permeating aroma of meat on the outdoor ...

The Three Cs of Value-Added Produce

According to the Power of Produce 2021, more than three out of 10 shoppers believe they will purchase more value-added produce in the future—the highest share in four years. That’s a lot of shoppers expecting to buy more pre-washed lettuce, pre-...

Looking Back and Ahead for Perimeter Insights

I recently sat down with Barb Renner, Deloitte’s vice chairman and U.S. consumer products leader, for the latest edition of FMI’s webinar series called A FreshForward Conversation. Deloitte is FMI’s partner in FreshForward and Barb provided some ...

New Resources for Seafood Buyers

For a seafood buying office, one of the first major career challenges can come in understanding the various specifications for various seafood products. Indeed, buying offices may vary from organization to ...

How The Pandemic Has Changed Produce Cooking

I had an ongoing debate with my son when he was young. Green beans weren’t his favorite vegetable, but I kept telling him it’s not that he didn’t like green beans, it’s just that he hadn’t found the way he liked green beans cooked. I remember one ...

What Is Your Meat IQ?

My co-worker’s husband has become a barbecue aficionado. My son slow cooked a brisket for the first time at home. My grandson was excited to show me his burger-making skills. Is it just me, or has everyone’s meat IQ increased during the COVID-19 ...

Health and Well-being in the Meat Department – Seize the Opportunity!

Over the past year, consumers have flocked to the meat department like never before. Retailers and product suppliers have a prime opportunity to ensure consumers are satisfied with their product selections and choices. Research indicates that while ...

Next Steps for Enhancing Meat Industry Strategies

Fast forward to today, a year after lockdowns began, and the picture is brighter. The meat industry has worked hard to address its challenges — and has succeeded in getting past the worst of ...

What’s the Verdict on Plant-Based Fish Alternatives?

Our 2021 Power of Seafood report finds the biggest reason behind an increase in grocery seafood sales is consumers are trying to eat healthier (59%). In fact, 72% of frequent seafood consumers are putting more effort into making healthy and ...

Three Features of the 2021 Annual Meat Conference

FMI and the North American Meat Institute took inspiration from the retail meat industry, rolled up our sleeves and innovatively redesigned the 2021 Annual Meat Conference (AMC), happening virtually March 22-25, 2021. We think you’ll find that one ...

Get To Know the Sustainable Seafood Shopper

Today’s shoppers have stocked pantries, full freezers and overused cookbooks due to the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time where grocery shopping habits have changed for so many, one would expect seafood sustainability to drop ...

Differentiating in Fresh Through Better Forecasting

As a result, retailers need to increasingly focus on how to succeed with fresh across their omnichannel enterprises. They have to make sure fresh remains a differentiator regardless of the selling channel — from in-store to ...

Speaking from the Heart on Valentine’s Day

I am seizing this opportunity to issue this blog as my heartfelt Valentine’s Day card to the food industry, the community I have always admired and respected, but have come to appreciate and dare I say, love, in some new and more profound ways over ...

State of Change in the Meat Industry: What You Need to Know

Even though the average consumer may not think much about how it gets there, a lot of work, thought and resources go into each product in the retail meat case. And behind every piece of protein there are many people who make it happen, from the farm,...