The Food Intelligence Podcast

The 2027 Food & Beverage Forecast is here!! In this episode, straight from the live launch event, Miriam and Michael cover the 10 trends set to define 2027 - and what they mean for both consumers and brands. Each trend is organized around four things people now demand from what they eat and drink: control, realness, belonging, and delight. Along the way, we cover the end of the health promise, the Latin American drinks moving into coffee, tradition coming back on purpose, and eating for the mirror. We close with a first look at the Tastewise agent that takes the forecast and returns bespoke assets specifically for your brand. Want to check out the report + agent? Get access here

Alon Chen, CEO and co-founder of Tastewise, joins the show to talk through what the agentic era really asks of food and beverage teams, and why the executive conversation has shifted from whether to adopt agents to how fast you can rebuild around them.We cover the perfect storm hitting the industry (GLP-1, own-brand pressure, challenger brands scaling in record time), why throwing another tool at your go-to-market only deepens the problem, and why data context is the real differentiator. Alon makes the case for modeling agents on your best people instead of replacing them, and shares the one thing any team can do tomorrow to find out whether they're actually operating in an agentic environment or just catching up.

Marketing budgets in food and beverage are growing - but so is pressure to prove ROI.In this episode of the Food Intelligence Podcast, Tastewise CRO Jacques Botbol is joined by Valerie Davidov of Strategy& (PwC) to unpack the findings from a deep-dive study into CPG F&B marketing strategy and budget allocation through 2028. Theirconversation explores how marketing leaders are making tradeoffs today: where budgets are increasing, where spend is being reallocated, and why CFOs are demanding clearer ROI, faster execution, and better use of data.Key topics include:Why F&B marketing spend is projected to grow from ~12% to ~16% of revenueHow the mix is shifting toward digital, marketing tech, and automationThe tension between rising expectations and fragmented dataWhat “real-time marketing” actually means for brand and category teamsWhy many teams underutilize tools — and what drives real adoptionHow AI is reshaping decision-making, not just efficiencyThis episode is especially relevant for brand leaders, category managers, and marketing executives planning for 2026–2027 who want to understand not just where the market is going, but how decisions are being made inside leading F&B organizations.Prefer to watch the original live session? Get your copy of the recording here. 

Speed and precision have become the new competitive edge. In this candid discussion from the Tastewise Growth Summit in Chicago, Tess Sansbury (DSM-Firmenich) and Sacha Derevianko (Campbell’s) share how their teams are redefining the go-to-market process - blending insight, collaboration, and technology to deliver faster innovation and stronger alignment across R&D, marketing, and sales.From Campbell’s flavor innovation to DSM-Firmenich’s creative execution frameworks, this episode is packed with real-world lessons on working smarter in today’s fast-moving F&B ecosystem.Listen for: how agile teams turn insights into action and creativity into growth.Prefer to watch? Click here to access the full video recording.

What really drives the next generation of eaters? Nay Tjatur from Influential brings together real Gen Z consumers for an unfiltered look at how social media, authenticity, and convenience shape what they buy, eat, and crave.Hear firsthand perspectives on influencer culture, brand trust, and the balance between health and indulgence - straight from the voices shaping the future of food.Listen for: an honest, fresh look at how brands can connect with Gen Z audiences (and some Gen Z lingo that you may or may not understand)Featuring: Mariana Montealegre Pinto, Karim Limayem, Keon Berry, Isabella Peixoto GomesPrefer to watch? [Click here to access the full video recording.]

What does it take to lead through transformation in today’s food and beverage landscape? At this year's Tastewise Growth Summit, Tastewise CEO Alon Chen offers an energizing look at how AI and human creativity are reshaping leadership, innovation, and execution. From data-driven insight to the new pace of decision-making, this session explores how leaders can move faster, think bolder, and build smarter organizations.Listen for: practical strategies to connect data, creativity, and agility in your leadership approach.Prefer to watch? Click here to access the full video recording.

In this episode of The Food Intelligence Podcast, Miriam Aniel from Tastewise sits down with Kevin Ryan - the brain behind FoodStuff and Malachite Strategy & Research - for a candid conversation about how culture, emotion, and identity are reshaping the future of CPGs.Together, they unpack how authenticity is redefining what “premium” means, why real meat is making a comeback, and how consumer behavior is driving a new era of purpose-led growth in food and beverage. It’s an honest look at the people and cultural shifts behind the data.In this episode:The rise of “quiet luxury” and food as identityWhy the next big opportunity for CPGs lies in emotional fluencyThe return of “real food” as a wellness and sustainability playHow culture and consumption are becoming inseparableAbout Kevin Ryan: Kevin is the founder of FoodStuff, a must-read weekly newsletter exploring the intersection of food, culture, and business. You can subscribe at foodstuff.substack.com.

Operators are navigating an industry defined by volatility, shifting diner behaviors, labor shortages, and rising expectations. In this insightful panel from the Tastewise Growth Summit in Chicago, leaders from Accenture, Monin, Butterball, and IFMA unpack how supplier–operator relationships are evolving and what’s needed to stay relevant in a market that changes by the month.Discover how data, speed, and true partnership can help suppliers meet operator demands and deliver value beyond the plate.Listen for: actionable insights into collaboration, agility, and the new meaning of value in foodservice.Featuring: Taylor Crown (Accenture), Carrie Gillespie (Monin), Terry Wicks (Butterball), Mike Schwartz (IFMA)Prefer to watch? Click here to access the full video recording.

From labor to logistics, operators are under pressure to grow profitably in an unpredictable environment. In this dynamic discussion from the Tastewise Growth Summit in Chicago, Anna Nguyen of MTY Group and Kevin Wilson of Esrock share how they’re approaching future menus, innovating smarter, and rethinking the guest experience - all while protecting margins and maintaining brand integrity.Listen for: how leading operators are balancing creativity with control to drive sustainable growth.Prefer to watch? Click here to access the full video recording.

In a world full of tools, platforms, and data silos, integration is becoming the true growth driver. This conversation from the Tastewise Growth Summit in Chicago brings together leaders from TELUS Agriculture, Acxion Foodservice, IFMA, and Tastewise to explore how connected systems are transforming productivity, insight delivery, and decision-making across the food ecosystem.Learn how smart integration is reducing friction, empowering sales teams, and unlocking faster, more informed growth.Listen for: practical lessons in digital transformation and adoption from across the industry.Featuring: Dan Scheunemann (TELUS), Sandra Hong (Acxion Foodservice), Mike Schwartz (IFMA), Jacques Botbol (Tastewise)Prefer to watch? Click here to access the full video recording.