In this episode, Maheen Khan, senior brand manager for Challenge Butter, unpacks new research on Americans’ eating habits and what it signals for the future of food. The survey, sanctioned by Challenge Butter, signals a clear shift away from rigid diets and consumption rules toward a more flexible approach to eating — “culinary individualism,” as Challenge Butter is calling it. Khan explains how consumers are redefining wellness in 2026, prioritizing flavor, quality and enjoyment over restriction, following a mindset that encourages people to cook intuitively and make food choices that fit their own lifestyles.

Finally, Khan dives into how Challenge Butter is positioning itself in the midst of broader industry trends, from GLP-1 drugs to the new Dietary Guidelines and the ultraprocessed foods debate.

“The meat industry is having a moment,” says Brian Brozovic, who details some of the trends and insights he saw and learned at the Annual Meat Conference to start this episode of the podcast, and digs deeper into the culinary and product trends driving innovation today.

Brozovic then goes on to discuss how the industry is preparing for the potential of the MAHA movement and new Dietary Guidelines to give meat and poultry a boost — and whether the U.S. cattle supply chain is capable of handling any uptick in demand. Finally, he details the work he is involved in as a member of the Meat Institute’s Emerging Leaders Program, as well as what he and the Empirical Foods team has been working on nowadays.

In today’s episode, Jason Baskin, director of Retail Strategy and Business Transformation of Hormel Foods Corporation talks about the ways in which the 135-year-old company continues to evolve and grow. Guided by a tight focus on consumers and on providing what the company calls “real food protein,” Hormel feels well-positioned to move into a new phase of growth.

In addition, Baskin offers insights into some of the trends impacting Hormel’s portfolio — from multicultural food influences to the growing specter of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs — and what Hormel’s approach has been to addressing those trends.

This episode is brought to you by Control Concepts Inc.

Food and beverage processing engineers have much to balance when designing and optimizing facilities and production lines — including maintaining optimum food safety and process performance. Implementation of hygienic air-handling systems should be a critical piece of that puzzle, says Henry Tiffany, president of Control Concepts Inc., who shares insights on how processors can ensure product integrity and safety, using innovative dry-cleaning systems.

This episode is sponsored by Control Concepts Inc. Learn more about Control Concepts' AirSweep material activation systems.

Nolan Lewin, director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and vice president of the New Jersey Food Processors Association, joins the podcast to discuss a wide variety of topics hounding the food and beverage industry. First, Lewin discusses the impact that the new Dietary Guidelines and other regulatory machinations are having on processors, and then highlights what some companies are doing to combat GLP-1s and the impacts of the ultraprocessed foods debate.

Lewin also gives his insights into some of the recalls in food products that we’ve seen in recent years, how technology is helping predict outcomes and find more issues particularly in the labeling arena, and how processors should continue to look for solutions to keep people safe.

The robots are coming! Well, in food and beverage processing, robotics and automation are already here, sure — but what we see today pales in comparison to what the future may hold. Berk Pehlivanoglu and Ozan Ozaskinli of Value Gene Consulting Group join the Food For Thought podcast to talk about an in-depth report their firm released in January, titled “How Humanoids Will Reshape Food Manufacturing.”

Ozaskinli and Pehlivanoglu talk about the humanoid robots currently in development, the shortcomings of the technology at the moment, the projected total cost of ownership of humanoids for food processors, and the technological advancement still needed to reach reliable use in food processing. And, they say, food processors should begin to think about how to capitalize on this innovation now — because implementation of humanoids in food and beverage processing isn’t as far away as some might think.

We’ve got a new set of Dietary Guidelines, and as the industry has had some time to digest them, Natalie Rainer, partner and member of the Health Care and FDA practice at K&L Gates, offers her thoughts on how food and beverage processors can prepare. Rainer digs into some of the significant differences between this iteration of the guidelines and previous ones, as well as what hasn’t changed in the overall tone of the document.

Furthermore, Rainer is watching to see what the guidelines and supporting documentation indicate with regard to the future for some embattled ingredients that are currently recognized as safe or have clearance for use in U.S. food and beverage products.

Conagra Brands has released its third annual Future of Frozen Food report, and we’re speaking with Alie Burnet, director of Enterprise & Portfolio Strategy for Conagra, about the report’s findings this year.

She talks with the Food For Thought podcast about four trends driving growth in the frozen foods aisle, from protein-packed meals to restaurant-inspired favorites, family-style solutions, and all-day breakfast. Burnet digs into each of these trends and also discusses the quality demands that consumers have today and how frozen foods have stepped up to the plate to deliver that quality.