Hormel announces divesture, the big avocado oil fake out, and more.
August 27, 2026
The Food & Beverage Industry includes many sub-sectors such as the agriculture sector, producers sector, and processors sector. Stay here to keep on top of this fast-paced industry with quick news that is updated regularly. You can click on the links for the full, original news pieces by various sources.
The food giant announced its Q3 earnings statement, which included the selling of its Brazil operations, operated under the Ceratti brand. That occurred earlier in the quarter. As well, Organic net sales decreased in the third quarter of fiscal 2026 (ending July 26), as declines in commodity turkey and private label snack nuts were partially offset by strong performance in value-added turkey offerings, contract manufacturing and Planters nuts. Other brands that delivered solid growth include the SPAM family of products, Applegate natural and organic meats, and Hormel chili. (Hormel)
Federal Efforts to Tighten Food Safety Regs Advance
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an industry-wide investigation into companies that market and sell products that are labeled as “made with avocado oil.” This follows reports that these products may contain undisclosed seed oils or other ingredients that are not identified on their ingredient labels. It stems from a 2026 UC Davis study, which tested various products that were labeled as using avocado oil as the sole oil ingredient. The study revealed that 48 of the 54 avocado oil-labeled products were adulterated with cheaper oils, including 93% of chip samples, 71% of mayonnaise samples, and 100% of salad dressing samples, which contained seed oils yet didn't list them in the products’ ingredient lists or elsewhere on the packaging. Some of the chip products were made by Kettle Brand, Boulder Canyon (Utz Brand), Good Health, Better Goods, Simply Tostitos (Frito-Lay/PepsiCo), Jackson's, Lesser Evil (The Hershey Co.), Sprouts, Siete (owned by PepsiCo) and Sensible Portions. Dressings were by Chosen Foods, Primal Kitchen, Sir Kensington’s, and BetterBody Foods. (TX Attorney General, UC Davis)
Kettle Cuisine, a manufacturer of premium, fresh prepared foods, has appointed Peter Hall as CEO. Hall succeeds Liam McClennon, who recently retired as following 11 years with Kettle.
Hall brings more than 12 years of leadership experience at The Kraft Heinz Co., where he led businesses across multiple geographies and developed deep expertise spanning retail and foodservice. Most recently, he served as president of Kraft Heinz's largest business unit, with approximately $7 billion in revenue and 12 manufacturing facilities. In that role, Hall oversaw a portfolio of iconic brands including Heinz, Kraft, and Philadelphia, spanning both Retail and Away from Home customers.
Which Food & Beverage Manufacturers Are Nixing Artificial Dyes?
Anheuser-Busch has announced a $13 million investment in its Baldwinsville, NY facility. This investment will help the beverage giant meet growing consumer demand for Michelob ULTRA and Cutwater and expand local manufacturing skills training. This latest investment is part of Anheuser-Busch's Brewing Futures initiative through which the company is investing $600 million in its US operations between 2025 and 2026. (Anheuser-Bush)
The J.M. Smucker Co. has named Jeff Varcoe, PhD, to the role of senior vice president, Science and Technical Excellence, effective August 24, 2026. Varcoe will serve as the company's leader of Science and Technical Excellence, ensuring operational excellence across all technical disciplines that underpin product quality, compliance, and innovation. Varcoe has been with the company since 2023, having served as Vice President of Quality Assurance and Food Safety. In this role, he led a comprehensive food safety and quality vision, ensuring the Company continued to uphold its commitment to consumers. (J.M. Smucker)
Tyson to Close 2 More Beef Plants
Jeff Varcoe, J.M. Smucker
The seafood company announced the layoffs in mid-August. The company is permanently closing its Santa Fe Springs, CA, facility, affecting 197 workers as of Nov. 19, 2026. Bumble Bee produces canned tuna, salmon, other seafood, and chicken under the brand names "Bumble Bee," "Wild Selections," "Beach Cliff," "Brunswick," and "Snow's." The brand is called "Clover Leaf" in Canada. The layoffs are part of a larger plan to close the Santa Fe Springs processing facility entirely, likely in late March 2027, according to the Los Angeles Times. Bumble Bee expects approximately 36 additional employees to lose their jobs upon closing the plant. (WARN, Los Cerritos News)
HARIBO of America is entering its next phase of growth in the US under new President & CEO Jon Hughes, with strategic investments in innovation, expanded consumer engagement. Hughes brings extensive experience leading growth across the HARIBO organization, most recently serving as Managing Director for HARIBO U.K. & Ireland. The company also recently announced its first US retail stores. HARIBO will open retail stores at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in NY and Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in MA. (HARIBO)
New CEO Jon Hughes
Roskam Foods is centralizing its cereal and granola production at its Grand Rapids, MI plant as part of a broader network optimization strategy. The consolidation is anticipated to be complete by Oct. 1, 2026, and will result in the closure of the company's San Dimas, CA production facility. The consolidation also allows the co-manufacturer to fully leverage significant new capital investment in cereal and granola manufacturing. (Roskam Foods)
Rebel Creamery, a keto-friendly ice cream sold in major retailers including Target, Walmart, Trader Joe's, Kroger, and Safeway, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. News sources state that the reasoning behind a recent legal battle with Van Leeuwen is part of the cause. A federal judge found that the Utah-based company intentionally infringed and diluted Van Leeuwen’s distinctive packaging trade dress and ordered Rebel to redesign its ice cream pints. The bankruptcy filing comes less than a month after losing the long-running legal battle (which started in 2021) that resulted in a nearly $23.8 million judgment. (Consumer Affair)
Citizens Pet, a California-based producer of premium pet foods and treats, has come out with a new brand: Unconditional, innovative 100% air-dried and air-dried blend recipes made with real ingredients. The new dog food brand's proprietary air-drying process gently removes moisture while helping preserve nutrients and flavor. The result is minimally processed nutrition that offers fresh food without the challenges of refrigeration, thawing, or frozen shipping. It also has a shelf life of 18 to 24 months. Citizens Pet also carries Plato air-dried treats and a meal topper, Furry Republic. (PR Newswire)
Photo: Unconditional
Just this week, Olipop, the popular prebiotic beverage that looks like soda, naming Electrolit head Christian Patiño Webb as its next CEO, moving founder Ben Goodwin into an innovation-focused role. Celsius Holdings announced the departure of Eric Hanson, chief operating officer, as the company reshapes its C-suite days after reporting a nearly 12% revenue decline for its energy drink. Hanson worked with Celsius since early 2025. Diageo is reshaping its portfolio and investment priorities as it seeks to restore sustainable growth amid challenging spirits sales. The spirit maker's strategy centers on building relevant brands within competitive category strategies, sharpening customer and channel execution, and creating a more agile operating framework. While maintaining its premiumization agenda, Diageo is looking to a wider portfolio to serve more consumers across different occasions and price points. (Inc., Trading View)Earlier:
After the mounting recalls lately over foodborne illnesses, The Department of Health and Human Services stated it proposed requiring companies to notify the Food & Drug Administration when they determine an ingredient is “generally recognized as safe," or GRAS. “We’re systematically taking a look at ingredients, particularly those that moms, consumers, and other countries view as the most problematic,” said acting FDA commissioner Kyle Diamantas in an interview with CNBC. The department also said it and the USDA submitted for final review the federal government’s first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods. (CNBC)
The company is celebrating 115 years since Frank C. Mars began selling buttercream candies from his home kitchen in Tacoma, Washington. Five generations later, Mars remains a family-owned business built on the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today.
What began as a one-man operation in a small home kitchen has now evolved into a global business of approximately 170,000 Associates across more than 3,600 sites. That first Mars family candy recipe paved the way for today's portfolio of more than 130 brands of pet food, veterinary care, science & diagnostics, snacking, and food & nutrition. (Mars)
B&G Foods' Board of Directors has appointed Robert D. Mills as president and chief executive officer. Mills has served as a member of its Board of Directors since March 2018, and succeeds Casey Keller who retired as president and chief executive officer and a director at the end of last week. Mills' appointment comes as B&G Foods continues to focus on reshaping its portfolio, improving margins and cash flow, reducing debt and leverage, and strengthening its business performance. (Business Insider)
Earlier:
WK Kellogg Co. has announced an accelerated timeline to eliminate all artificial colors and the preservative BHT from its cereals and cereal packaging. Production of cereals with the new recipes, including Kellogg's Froot Loops and Kellogg's Apple Jacks, will begin later this year. The food giant said that it will switch to colors derived from natural sources, such as fruit and vegetable juices, as well as other plant-based ingredients. WK Kellogg has made a significant investment in its manufacturing facilities to support the transition to natural colors at scale, while maintaining the same great taste and quality, the company stated. (WK Kellogg)
The Farmer's Dog, which manufactures real, human-grade dog food, will acquire Woof, an award-winning pet company offering functional enrichment and wellness products. The acquisition of Woof marks the company's expansion beyond nutrition to build a broader portfolio of products that support dogs' health, happiness, and wellbeing throughout their lives. Woof will operate as an independent division of The Farmer's Dog. (PR Newswire)
Gazpacho refrigerated soup by PepsiCo
PepsiCo has moved into a new food category, with its new refrigerated gazpacho soup line. Alvalle gazpacho is a ready-to-eat refrigerated soup made with vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil. The introduction marks a continued step in the company’s expansion into fresh, meal-adjacent foods and the growing chilled category. The soup is a Mediterranean-style chilled soup made with sun-ripened tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and extra-virgin olive oil. (PepsiCo)
Kristen Kazarian
Editor-in-Chief
Kristen Kazarian is the editor-in-chief at Powder and Bulk Solids. She was previously in the managing editor role for more than two years. Kristen has been a writer and editor for more than 35 years and has worked at several consumer magazines and B2B publications in the fields of food and beverage, packaging, processing, women's interest, local news, health and nutrition, fashion and beauty, automotive, and IT. She was editor-in-chief of Packaging Strategies magazine, managing editor at Food Engineering magazine, and editorial director at Produce Processing magazine and Organic Grower magazine. Kristen also worked in television as the digital producer helping write scripts for advertiser spots. Prior, in the 1990s, Kristen worked at CarCraft, Hot Rod, 'Teen, Sassy, JUMP, Men's Fitness, Shape, and other consumer magazines owned by Petersen Publishing and Weider Publishing. She also worked at a Microsoft partner magazine, Redmond (formerly Microsoft Professional magazine) as the associate editor. In the late '80s to early '90s, Kristen worked as the editorial assistant for a regional weekly newspaper while earning her B.A. in journalism with a concentration in public relations from Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI, in 1991.
Nicole Schlosser
Managing Editor, Powder & Bulk Solids
Nicole Schlosser is the managing editor at Powder & Bulk Solids. She has worked as a writer and editor for nearly two decades, including for several B2B publications. Nicole has covered various aspects of the public and private transportation industries, including vehicle manufacturing, fueling, safety, and fleet management. She has also written about the specialty chemicals and materials, biotech, metals and mining, fintech, portfolio management, and leisure industries. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Transcript, LP Gas magazine, School Bus Fleet, and Metro magazine, among others. Nicole earned her MFA in Creative Writing, with an emphasis on Playwrighting, from St. Mary's College of California, and her B.A. in Theater from Illinois State University.
US Robotics Market for Packaging, Processing to Nearly Double by 2031
CSB Shares Tank Failure Investigation Update
Bringing World-Class Education to Texas
Survey: Pharmaceutical Processing Workers See Higher Salaries
Copyright © 2026 All rights reserved. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC.
