Grocery Update #60: Grocery Nerding 101.
Also: Four Questions With Every Body Eat®. And a BFY Soda Smackdown.
Discontents: 1. Four Questions With Trish Thomas of Every Body Eat®. 2. Grocery Nerding 101. 3. BFY Silly Soda Smackdown. 4. Tunes.
1. Four Questions With Trish Thomas of Every Body Eat®
What inspired you and Nichole Wilson to start Every Body Eat®?
Every Body Eat is solving three big problems: 1) creating delicious food people can eat together, regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences, decreasing the social and emotional isolation that people with a special diet experience; 2) building a path to scalable “clean” manufacturing for our company and other entrepreneurs, which is needed for “free from” food to scale and lower costs for consumers; and 3) crafting a workforce development model that is good for business and great for the community.
Once we really understood the root causes behind each of these problems, we couldn’t “unsee” them. In the beginning, we tried partnering with a very large food company, but they didn’t believe that we could make great tasting food with whole food ingredients, healthy fats, low or no sugar, that was free from the top 14 allergens and corn. They wanted us to only be gluten and dairy free, which would not solve the problem of sharing food, because so many diets are different.
Problem solving aside, the catalyst to start Every Body Eat® was meeting each other, discovering we had very complimentary skill sets and experiences, and believing that we could shift paradigms, together.
Personally, I was hungry all the time, because I had eliminated gluten, dairy, egg, soy, and corn from my diet to help manage an autoimmune condition. I couldn’t believe there were less than a handful of great tasting, “clean” (whole food ingredients and healthy fats) options on the market. Additionally, I could no longer eat the same food as the rest of my family, which made me feel very isolated, unhappy, and alone. Nichole was on a journey of her own, discovering that both of her kids were severely lactose intolerant. She was becoming “that mom”, volunteering to bring all of the cupcakes to all of the parties, so that the kids could all eat together.
How does your employment model stand out?
Our employment model isn’t unique – we hire smart, entrepreneurial, growth-minded people and provide an environment in which they have the culture, resources and tools to meet and exceed very high expectations and business targets. A majority of our team members credit their resilience and problem-solving to growing up in some of the most disinvested neighborhoods in the Chicago-area where people consistently experience higher-than average incarceration rates, food and housing insecurity, and homelessness.
Our brand, Every Body Eat®, is about more than our food, it’s about giving everybody the opportunity to sit at the table and leverage their life and work experience to have a voice at the table.
What kind of difference has it made in the community?
We have learned that change happens one person, one family and one neighborhood at a time. This understanding anchors our focus on not only building career skills, but also life skills. Our team members consistently avail themselves of the opportunity to gain knowledge through our company-sponsored training in allergy awareness, financial management and budgeting, and goal setting.
We see the evidence of our impact as our team members create stability in their lives with cars, apartment, neighborhood moves, better physical and mental health. Our only ask is that our team members share this knowledge with their family and friends and become a positive node in their own ever-expanding networks. We see evidence of their broad impact through stories of their family members following in their footsteps and accomplishing the same key stability milestones.
However, there are systems and structures that hold inequity in place and one successful career path isn’t enough to lift a family or a community out of poverty. There is a salient need for micro-lending to facilitate access to better housing, cars loans without interest rates 3-5x the average, flexible education options , and more.
What is your vision for a better food supply?
In a perfect world, we would tip the food supply option upside down and create an infrastructure to help more food entrepreneurs succeed. The failure rates for our industry are higher than average, because of the unique and significant challenges driven by the complexities of ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, and expiration dates on food.
We also envision better access to quality fruits and vegetables, competitively priced regenerative and/or certified “clean” ingredients (e.g., gluten free, nut free, kosher, non-GMO, seed oil free) that are farmed in the US for large and small food manufacturers. In addition, access to financial resources to help more food entrepreneurs build manufacturing capabilities would help boost the quality of our diets/food, create jobs, and better ensure stability within our food supply system.
Greater numbers of, and more success among, small food entrepreneurs is critical in increasing equitable access to quality food for all consumers and the elimination of food deserts.
2. Grocery Nerding 101.
I read a lot about food every day. I do this for a few reasons. I like to read and usually read science fiction, comic books, history or economics when I have time. I enjoy keeping up with the food industry, food trends, economics, policy and assorted, related issues. It helps keep everything else in perspective, considering the shit show around us, and also helps me stay focused on what I know best.
I feel that learning and self-improvement should be democratized, we should all be experts in what we do, and not just let expertise be confined to the Ivy League academics who are not in the day to day weeds, the corporate consultants churning out white papers or the think tanks pushing their sponsors’ agendas. I wish higher education was free for all, so in the meantime, I am working on my ongoing PhD from the U. of Hard Knocks.
I also believe in reading critically, not just taking it all in passively. What are they leaving out, what are they leaning into? This is not something we teach in society very well, unless you were lucky enough to take a media studies course at a prestigious liberal arts college. We just have a blanket ideological dismissal, CNN or Fox, which flavor bullshit you prefer, or we write it all off and tune it out. Or we loyally tune in for our favorite podcaster or YouTuber to brosplain it all.
Thinking is hard, but it is fun. And it isn’t illegal yet. It’s like training a muscle. I like working out, too. Reading is not much different. H/T Levar Burton.
It is also something I started doing at Whole Foods many years ago, where they sent us a pre-digested media monitor of newsworthy tidbits that the censors did not find too offensive. Our executive leadership were real sensitive when it came to stuff that was too critical or though provoking, but they loved their self-promoting PR placements. I always found shit they left out and passed it along to my team, like if we were getting boycotted why we were a target, what critics were saying, why maybe they were right or wrong, etc. I can imagine the censorship now. Hang in there, Whole Foods peeps.
But the critical exposure made us better. As a category management professional, a big part of the job was absorbing and observing trends and developments in the world and applying it all to innovation, product development, assortment planning and pricing strategies. You couldn’t just tune it all out and hope your data saved you, although there are always folks who work that way. Any category manager who isn’t keeping up with things is doing a disservice to their customers. It’s a tough job, and unless you are organized in a very secure bargaining unit or part of a tight knit patronage network, being an expert in what you do is your best survival strategy.
And once I flew the coop from WF, I realized I needed to build out my own news lists to stay informed, and to read a variety of sources so I could interrogate my own biases and stay out of my comfort zone while always learning and improving as a professional. And sure, I still have biases, I am human. It took me a few years, but I now have a trusted stable of information resources.
I have other things I read, but I decided to just list out the most relevant. So if you don’t see something you like, don’t think less of me. Also, I didn’t want to list anything I was too critical about, I am not here to talk trash, but I do have some gentle criticisms of some these faves below. Also, I did not include IPES-Food, because I am a panel member and of course recommend us highly and am a big fan of fellow writers/panelists/homies like Phil Howard, Jennifer Clapp, Molly Robinson, Olivier DeSchutter, Jomo Sundaram, Million Belay and Raj Patel. Read them all!
So here is my lengthy list of daily and weekly food industry news sources. I realize it is a lot, but think of it as a buffet, with ratings of three, four or five stars, good, great or excellent, to help you prioritize your pickings:
NOSH from Bevnet is a keeper. It’s a bit pricey but worth it. Their pieces are well-written, sometimes funny and usually insightful. I can identify their writers by style. I find myself arguing with them in my head sometimes. I like healthy debate, even if it is imaginary. They also do good work in building community and cooperation. I think they genuinely care about the industry and food supply. Highly recommended, save your pennies and subscribe. 5/5 stars.
Dive is a great source, particularly Food Dive and Grocery Dive. The Dive family is owned by Informa. They do a good job of covering the various food industry sectors. I could do without their op-eds though, they have a corporatist slant, but they have some great journalists pounding the pavement and worth reading every day. The one bummer is they bought Winsight News, and then shut it down. 4/5 stars.
Supermarket News is also owned by Informa, and is very much the old guard, standard grocery trade journalism. Every once in a while they have a gem. 3/5 stars.
Food Navigator. This source is more food-tech focused but most pieces are well-written and they post a lot of interesting content. They don’t allow cut and pastes from their articles, which is annoying. But still, 4/5 stars.
NYC Food Policy Watch. Published by Hunter College, this is a great weekly summary of food policy and various food industry sector news stories. Always worth skimming the links and flagging top stories. 4/5 stars.
Food+Tech Connect: When they publish, it is a great resource that I usually spend a few hours a week clicking through their links. Wish it were more regular. 5/5 stars.
Marion Nestle, Food Politics. Professor Nestle is the grand dame of food policy. She is like twice our age but really stays busy, publishing a few times a week. Nestle is always punchy and well researched. I would not mess with her. She would kick your ass too. She's a national treasure. 5/5 stars.
Food And Power. Claire Kelloway is one of my favorite food/economics writers and I always move her articles to the top of the stack. She focuses on market concentration and industry power dynamics, including antitrust. She hyperlinks as many references in her work as I do, so I respect the diligence. 5/5 stars.
Progressive Grocer: Another grocery trade rag. Nothing special but good to keep up with. Their op-eds can be tiresome, but they cover the industry adequately and every once in a while they publish a keeper. And not owned by Informa! 3/5 stars.
Hartman: Market research firm with compelling infographics. 4/5 stars.
NIQ: Data driven reports and press releases. 4/5 stars.
BIG/Matt Stoller: A leading expert on antitrust and monopolies, well-researched and timely, very punchy and unfiltered. Fun to read. 5/5 stars.
Deena Shanker: A great Bloomberg reporter who gets into the weeds and has a good sense of humor. 4/5 stars.
Jess Newman: A great WSJ reporter who does her research and spends hours digging into relevant topics. 4/5 stars.
Tom Philpott: The OG food investigative journalist, also a great writer with a memorable, punchy style. Great taste in hats. 5/5 stars.
Other great food journalists to flag: Mark Bittman, Chloe Sorvino of Forbes, Lela Nargi, Leah Douglas, Michael Sainato, Moe Tkacic of The American Prospect, Alicia Kennedy’s Newsletter, Jane Black. 4/5 stars each.
The Guardian: Despite some obvious liberal biases, by far the best daily news source and usually on the money when it comes to food and ag reporting, with the exception of George Monbiot, who has really gone off the deep end lately. But otherwise, 4/5 stars. I do not read NYT or WaPo too much or watch other MSM like CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, CNBC too often due to their corporatist biases and self-censorship. Fox is just a Trump Administration mouthpiece like Pravda/Tass for the Kremlin, predictable right wing garbage. Once in a while they each have a good piece on the food industry, even broken clocks are right twice a day. But The Guardian tends to do this quality work much more often. Maybe because it is still funded by its readers?
EWG: They were making America healthy before it was cool, and didn’t kiss the Trump ring. Ken Cook rocks. Scott Faber is the man. 4/5 stars.
News.coop for keeping up with international cooperative news. 3/5 stars.
Food Fix: usually worth a read, but lately the breathless coverage of RFK and #MAHA has been tiresome, and out of context of all the other insanity from God Emperor Cheeto Palpatine, like threatening to annex Canada and Greenland, or ICE kidnapping farmworkers off the streets, to cutting cancer research and public health services, to firing park rangers and food safety inspectors, to deregulating water, chemical and environmental toxins on behalf of corporate lobbyists, or canceling $1 billion in local food infrastructure funding while imposing food import tariffs, or the prevalence of rape accusations, or the overt Nazism, or billionaires cosplaying as public servants while firing lifelong public servants who they then scapegoat for the ills in society that these same billionaires are causing and profiting off of. But at least we won’t have any more red dye in Fruit Loops! Beige-pink fruit loops to purify the blood of the nation. On the other hand, the Food Fix coverage of the infant formula recall and chaos at the FDA was essential, Pulitzer-worthy and I don’t doubt they have their ear to the ground in DC. Hopefully they keep it together. 3/5 stars.
Non GMO and Organic Report: The best resource on keeping up with alternative ag production, farmers and CPG marketing, both thorough and comprehensive. I am a longtime paid subscriber. 5/5 stars.
Food Print: Long form investigative news on food and ag, also thorough and well written. 4/5 stars.
Civil Eats: Essential reading on the food system. A little light on retail and manufacturing but great on food access, agroecology, industry corruption and food policy. Lisa Held is always a must read, especially the Food Policy Tracker. The weak coverage on food inflation was their one miss, so I give them 4.5/5 stars. Still, highly recommended.
Organic Insider: Max Goldberg's newsletter on the organic sector, high quality stuff. Max truly cares about organic and puts the work in. 4.5/5 stars.
Green Queen Media: Despite their over the top food-tech biases and penchant for every weird-ass animal protein analogue, I really enjoy reading their stuff. They are well-researched and thorough, even when pushing their eco-vegan techno-fetishism. At least they also want a greener, cleaner more fair and just world, even if we disagree on some of the details. 4/5 stars.
New Hope: Also owned by Informa, they put on the Natural Product Expos. Newsletters are worth keeping up with to see what is happening in the “BFY” retail and CPG sector. 3/5 stars.
Store Brands: Comprehensive coverage of the Private Label industry. 3/5 stars.
3. BFY Silly Soda Smackdown.
Yo, you heard? Poppi sold to Pepsico for almost $2 billion. A true unicorn. Prebiotic, “BFY” soda is the new normal. A mythical creature in the CPG world. Beverage marketing is brutal. New brands have upwards of a 90% attrition rate after a couple years. The chances of your new hip new, colorfully branded, alt-beverage making it to a $10 million a year run rate are slimmer than the jeans you millennials were all wearing in 2014. I appreciate the Gen Z/Zoomers bringing back baggy jeans, but I also blame them for buying into all this “prebiotic” soda silliness. Just eat some sauerkraut instead. Biotics, pre and pro.
But at least the kids know that Poppi and OliPop are a bit less toxic than your typical soft drinks, no high fructose corn syrup, less overall sugar, no artificial colors or flavors, less environmental despoliation, at least so far. But now that Poppi is being assimilated into the Pepsico Borg, who knows.
Like Pepsi buying Siete Foods, it means that the incumbent monopoly strengthens their market dominance while making some incremental reforms to the food supply. Food system dialectics, contradictions, not absolutes. They increase the availability of “better for you” options by folding these products into their vast supply chains and wholesale operations, and subsequently encourage the enthusiasm and optimism of investors, competing emerging brands and overt copycats who are now thinking they too can be the next big winners while not addressing the economic and racial inequities, health and environmental problems with their core products, like the floating oceanic garbage dump filled with their empty bottles or the $1.3 trillion annual costs in non-communicable diseases. Typical American capitalism, and a few founders and investors, including one of those Shark Tank wankers, are now unimaginably wealthy. And you wonder why I stump for a public grocery sector?
So I thought, maybe I should try that stuff? I don’t care for soda, or soft drinks, or pop. I like my seltzer. I am a seltzer loyalist. My fridge is filled with seltzer. But as a sacrifice to my loyal readers, I stopped by a local Wegman’s and bought some of the two leading BFY soda brands, Poppi and OliPop. Tasting notes:
Cherry flavor:
OliPop: Cola forward, some cherry fruity notes, mostly harmless and hippy mellow.
Poppi: Very Dr. Peppery, with heavy chemical bug spray vibes, this soda is trying very hard and it paid off handsomely.
Orange flavor:
OliPop: Like a watered down Sunkist, tangerine-ish and mild navel orange tones.
Poppi: Much more intense orangey flavor, with a Lysol-toned attack. Intense.
Winner: Pepsico, obviously. I need a seltzer.
4. Tunes.
KNEECAP are the best thing to come out of Northern Ireland since Sister Michael in Derry Girls. KNEECAP are super interesting, bringing back the Gaelic indigenous language while supporting economic justice. Extremely NSFW but you should blast it very loud at your workstation regardless. Just say you are preserving ancient Gaelic and can’t understand it.
peace.
Great reading list!