November 26, 2025

Please see below for a listing of what the North Point Food & Beverage Team has been tracking this week. We hope that you find the content insightful and a nice way to summarize the most noteworthy Food & Beverage events of the week.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Glen Clarke

Head of Food & Beverage

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Performance Food Group, US Foods mutually terminate merger talks.

• Performance Food Group Company announced that the Company and US Foods have mutually agreed to terminate the previously announced information sharing process and will no longer pursue a potential business combination between the two companies.

Source: Mergermarket

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Once Upon a Farm heading for December IPO launch.

• Once Upon a Farm is well-positioned to move ahead with an initial public offering in December despite market volatility since the end of the US government shutdown, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

Source: Mergermarket 

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Trive Capital collects initial bids for Rubicon Bakers.

• Trive Capital has collected initial bids for its portfolio company Rubicon Bakers, according to three sources familiar with the situation. The bids were collected earlier this month, with two of the sources adding that Trive Capital is looking to conduct management presentations for the manufacturer of branded bakery products in early December. Mostly financial sponsors are left in the process.

Source: Mergermarket

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Shoppers likely won’t curb their grocery budget for the holidays.

• Nearly half of consumers plan to devote the largest share of their holiday budget to food, with shoppers least likely to cut back on grocery spending despite lingering price concerns.
• Confidence is improving as 40% say their income has kept up with inflation and concern about holiday meal costs has fallen to its lowest level in three years.
• December holidays capture 72% of holiday budgets, while Thanksgiving allocations are softening even as retailers push aggressive meal deals.

Source: Grocery Dive   

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Demand for protein expected to continue in 2026.

• Protein tops Innova’s 2026 global food and beverage trends, with nearly 60% of consumers seeking protein for holistic mental and physical benefits across formats and occasions.
• Gut health and functional ingredients continue to surge, as 59% of consumers view gut health as vital and 44% link it to more energy, better skin and stronger immunity.
• Other top trends include multisensory “layers of delight,” functional “beverages with purpose,” and a shift toward “authentic plant-based” foods that emphasize natural proteins, minimal processing and standalone value rather than imitation.

Source: Meat + Poultry 

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GLP-1 users to make up 35% of food and beverage sales by 2030: report.

• Households using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs already represent 23% of U.S. homes and are projected to drive 35% of all food and beverage unit sales by 2030, reshaping purchasing patterns toward higher-protein, higher-fiber, convenient, and healthier options.
• These consumers buy fewer groceries overall but spend more, avoid sugary and high-carb items, and are willing to pay premiums for products with health benefits — pushing major food companies to reformulate and market “GLP-1-friendly” offerings.
• Many users’ cycles on and off the medications, prompting companies to plan for both active and former users by emphasizing foods that promote fullness and support longer-term healthy eating habits.

Source: Food Dive 

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The Foodservice Industry Unites at DMA’s 2025 Fall Conference.

• Industry leaders at DMA’s 2025 Fall Conference highlighted a mixed foodservice outlook: economic uncertainty, calorie declines, and shifting consumer behavior (including GLP-1 influence) pressured restaurants, while protein-led innovation, deals, and modest traffic growth in fast casual and fine dining helped stabilize the market.
• Panels emphasized operational consistency, strong distributor–operator partnerships, and navigating rising regulatory complexity — including divergent state ingredient laws, EPR packaging rules, and sustainability mandates — with AI-driven monitoring and tighter cross-functional coordination.
• DMA unveiled a rebrand while reaffirming its strategic pillars, outlining 2026 priorities centered on data standardization, tech and AI enablement, network optimization, and stronger member engagement; the organization also announced its annual awards recognizing excellence across distribution partners.

Source: The Food Institute 

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Working smarter with automation.

• Automation and robotics are becoming essential for meat and poultry processors as labor shortages persist, with the biggest gains occurring in end-of-line operations such as packaging, warehousing, and fulfillment.
• Companies like Tyson Foods and Lincoln Premium Poultry are heavily investing in advanced automation—including robotic case packing, palletizing, deboning, and even trussing—to improve efficiency, safety, and reduce reliance on difficult, high-turnover jobs.
• Industry-wide adoption of AI and smart manufacturing is accelerating, with manufacturers aiming to boost quality control, optimize processes, and prepare plant teams for robotic integration, especially in older brownfield facilities with space and skills constraints.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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FSIS issues new water retention directive.

• FSIS issued Directive 6700.1 (Revision 1), effective Dec. 1, 2025, directing inspectors to review establishments’ retained water protocols and verify retained water levels in raw meat and poultry products, including carcasses, ground items, and further-processed products whose source material retained water.
• AAMP and industry consultants warned that the rapid timeline — over the Thanksgiving period — is unrealistic, especially for small processors lacking written programs or historical data and urged FSIS to delay implementation and labeling requirements into mid- to late-2026.
• While the directive includes labeling expectations, FSIS said labeling verification will not be enforced until July 2026; nevertheless, establishments without RWPs could begin receiving noncompliance records as soon as the directive takes effect.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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USDA launches website dedicated to New World screwworm information.

• USDA launched screwworm.gov to centralize information on New World screwworm and support Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins’ five-part national strategy to protect the cattle industry.
• The website consolidates resources from multiple federal agencies — including USDA, CDC, DOI, FDA, DOE, DHS, EPA and State — to coordinate surveillance, communication and preparedness.
• It provides targeted guidance for livestock producers, veterinarians, wildlife and health professionals, pet owners and more, and includes USDA-verified updates on cases in Mexico and US readiness efforts.

Source: Meat + Poultry 

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Walmart, Sam’s Club appealing to more higher-income consumers.

• Walmart and Sam’s Club are attracting more middle- and higher-income shoppers as value-seeking behavior intensifies, with rollbacks driving traffic and grocery performance; more than 7,400 active rollbacks — over half in food — contributed to volume gains and market share growth.
• Fiscal Q3 2026 results showed strong momentum: consolidated revenue up 5.8% to $179.5B, US e-commerce up 28%, Sam’s Club e-commerce up 22%, and grocery plus health/wellness delivering solid unit growth amid easing inflation and tariff relief in several food categories.
• Walmart is deepening investments in AI and automation, achieving its seventh straight quarter of e-commerce growth, and will shift its stock listing from NYSE to Nasdaq on Dec. 9; the company raised full-year sales guidance as CEO Doug McMillon prepares to retire, with John Furner set to succeed him. 

Source: Meat + Poultry

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Say cheese: How Babybel is commercializing its plastic-to-paper makeover.

• Bel Group is replacing Babybel’s bioplastic overwrap with a recyclable paper version, a five-year project expected to eliminate 850 tons of plastic and 2,500 tons of CO₂ annually, with U.S. rollout finishing in 2026 and global completion by 2027.
• The company invested millions to adapt high-speed production lines and tested multiple paper substrates to balance barrier protection, consumer experience, and operational efficiency, ultimately finding consumers prefer the new wrap for sustainability and ease of opening.
• Beyond Babybel, Bel is exploring broader packaging reductions — including paper suitable for direct food contact and in-store bulk or reuse systems — as part of a longer-term shift toward lower-impact, circular packaging models.

Source: Food Dive

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Keurig Dr Pepper replaces CFO ahead of JDE Peet’s acquisition.

• Keurig Dr Pepper appointed Anthony DiSilvestro — a veteran of Mattel and Campbell Soup — as CFO to steer its upcoming $18B JDE Peet’s acquisition and planned split into two independent beverage companies.
• • The leadership change comes amid investor concern over the separation plan, which initially wiped $11B from KDP’s valuation; to support the deal, the company secured $7B in private equity financing and reorganized its finance leadership to manage integration, separation and capital markets activity.
• • Former CFO Sudhanshu Priyadarshi will remain as an advisor until April 7, 2026, while newly elevated finance leaders George Lagoudakis and Jane Gelfand take on key roles overseeing the spinoff structure, transaction management and capital strategy.

Source: Food Dive 

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Shepard Boy Farms opens new pet food processing plant.

• Shepherd Boy Farms is investing $50 million in a new 100,000-sq-ft production facility in Greensburg, expanding its total freeze-dried pet food capacity to over 20 million lbs. annually and creating 50 new jobs.
• The expansion supports rising co-manufacturing and private-label demand, featuring new dicing capabilities and proprietary freeze-drying equipment that preserves up to 97% of nutrients.
• The company highlights the project as a commitment to US-based manufacturing and innovation in natural, nutrient-dense pet nutrition.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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How Chips Ahoy! is reaching Gen Z snackers with innovation, Stranger Things.

• Chips Ahoy! is targeting Gen Z by launching new flavors, formats and cultural partnerships — most notably a fruit-flavored cookie tied to Netflix’s “Stranger Things” — to keep the long-standing brand feeling modern and relevant.
• The brand’s strategy focuses on limited editions, eye-catching in-store displays and high-impact PR to generate buzz, drive billions of impressions and attract both loyal fans and new shoppers.
• Innovation such as gluten-free options, new textures and formats, and occasion-specific products is helping Chips Ahoy! broaden usage occasions and maintain growth, contributing to its $1B in sales and 50%+ market share.

Source: Food Dive 

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Tyson to shutter major beef plant in Nebraska amid US cattle shortage.

• Tyson is closing its large beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska, cutting over 3,200 jobs, and reducing production in Amarillo as it responds to a historic U.S. cattle shortage and rising cattle costs.
• The company says the move is needed to “right size” its beef business, shifting production to other facilities to offset lost volume while focusing on efficiency, cost reduction and innovation.
• The closure has significant implications for the rural community and broader beef industry, as the plant processed nearly 5% of daily U.S. beef slaughter, prompting concern from state and federal lawmakers.

Source: Food Dive 

JUST FOR FUN

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The New Krispy Kreme x Peanuts Collection Is Just What Your Holiday Season Needs - Delish

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