Peter Deans’ Post

🔹 HKFoods updates its strategy and long-term financial targets 🔹 In HKFoods’ updated strategy, the core business will continue to be pork, beef and poultry meat, meat products, ready meals and meal components. HKFoods' strategic focus areas have been specified as follows:  ⭐️Growth in selected food moments: The target is to achieve profitable growth through selected food moments, which include simple everyday meals, enjoyable taste experiences and nutritious snacks.   ⭐️Operational excellence:  Production and processes are enhanced and automated, and the entire value chain is streamlined and developed. Joint efforts are strengthened both internally and through partners.  ⭐️Competent, healthy personnel: HKFoods inspires people to get involved and renews itself. Wellbeing and safety at work are developed, and corporate culture is strengthened.  ⭐️Sustainable value chain: HKFoods cares and takes responsibility for a sustainable value chain by developing contract production, utilising innovations and producing tasty, healthy and safe food for consumers' various food moments.   “Our target is to achieve profitable and sustainable growth as well as a strong presence in consumers' food moments as a valued partner. Our focus is on growing product segments: strong and innovative poultry products, and meals and meal components. Meat and meat products remain at the core of the company’s operations and play a significant role,” says CEO Juha Ruohola.        🔹 New long-term financial targets 🔹    ✅EBIT: over 5 per cent of net sales   ✅Return on capital employed (ROCE): over 12 per cent   ✅Net gearing: less than 80 per cent   ✅Dividend: more than 50 per cent of net profit     Read more in the stock exchange release: https://lnkd.in/d66GE2Eg    #hkfoods #strategy #MostValuedPartnerOfFoodMoments

Beyond Meat To Cut 6% Of Its Workforce As Plant-Based Demand Languishes. Beyond Meat has announced a 6% reduction in its global workforce, equating to about 44 employees in North America, as the company navigates a significant decline in demand for plant-based products. This move comes alongside a reported 20% drop in revenue during its latest quarter, driven by softness in U.S. retail and international foodservice markets. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3V6o6uZ #FlavorWiki #PlantBased #BeyondMeat #FoodIndustry #Sustainability #Innovation

Breaking: Kraft Heinz confirms split! The company will separate into two independent publicly traded entities, together representing more than $25B in 2024 net sales. The split will create: 🍅 Global Taste Elevation Co. ($15.4B) Heinz, Philadelphia, Kraft Mac & Cheese 🧀 North American Grocery Co. ($10.4B) Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles, and Lunchables The official narrative is about “reducing complexity” and “unlocking brand potential.” 👉 But notice what is missing. At a time when the EU has banned multiple controversial food dyes and additives, and when RFK Jr. has been outspoken about ultra processed food in US schools, Kraft Heinz has not announced meaningful health reform. Lunchables are still being pushed in cafeterias, despite being loaded with preservatives and high glycemic carbohydrates that would never pass European standards. This restructuring may create financial efficiency, but it does not address the core issue: the health impact of ultra processed food. Legacy food brands are reinventing themselves financially without reinventing the actual food. What do you think? Will shareholder value continue to outweigh consumer health? Will pressure from regulators and parents finally force reform?

From Sizzle to Fizzle: How Beyond Meat Became a “Nothing Burger” In 2019, Beyond Meat was the juiciest IPO on Wall Street’s plate — surging 163% on day one and eventually hitting $239 a share, an 856% gain from its $25 debut. But THEIA Analytics Group, Inc. patented AI saw the undercooked fundamentals from the start. BYND entered the market with a Regulatory Risk Quotient of 7 — 82% below the industry average. When those risks, flagged at IPO by our RRX software, were eventually realized, the market’s appetite vanished. The stock didn’t just cool — it froze, collapsing 97% from its peak. It's now fizzling in single digits as a meme stock. This isn’t about taste preferences. It’s about what happens when markets ignore the ingredients that matter most: governance, disclosure quality, and regulatory resilience. 📄 Read the full case study and blog: https://lnkd.in/eeVsHAUp https://lnkd.in/e8Z73rgb

🌿🍗 LIVEKINDLY COLLECTIVE BUCKS PLANT-BASED MEAT SLOWDOWN, EXPECTS PROFITABILITY THIS FALL Fresh from relaunching its Like brand of plant-based meat in the UK, the LIVEKINDLY Collective is approaching a key financial milestone: profitability. The Blue Horizon-owned company’s CEO, David Suarez, has been at the helm for a year now, and has overseen a “bold strategy” that leverages its global footprint to accelerate its profitable growth plan. “Our trajectory and financial plans indicate that we should be profitable in fall,” he tells Green Queen. “This is a result of applying learnings from many of the lessons. Since I took over last year, we finalised the consolidation of our back-office operations, which allowed us to unlock resources and invest them back in our front-office capabilities and products.” While sales of plant-based meat have largely been stagnant, the holding company delivered high single-digit year-on-year growth in the first half of 2025. “Our growth over the past years has been consistent even while we were focused on consolidating the different organisations we acquired,” Suarez explains. “In the first half of 2025, we are starting to collect the fruits of the strategic investments into growth we decided on, and we plan to continue on this path. Our results reflect solid progress not only on revenue growth, but at the same time improved gross margin, disciplined cost control and a clear path towards profitability. “On top of that, we are seeing early signs of renewed momentum in our core markets, both from our established product range and from innovation-driven launches. We didn’t disregard the headwinds, but learned from them and quickly transformed to keep going strong.” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eU3QFhfj #GreenQueen #altprotein #plantbased #vegan #futurefood #foodsystems #sustainability

Over the last 3 years, the S&P 500 grew ~17% annually. The Food & Beverage ETF? Just ~3%. Investors are pouring money into tech and AI, while food companies are left fighting for capital. And when the money gets tight, every decision gets harder; Every investment needs to be further justified. This is where food safety leaders have to step up. Because food safety isn’t just compliance. It’s the difference between protecting consumers and protecting the business. ** Speak in business terms, not just technical language. ** Show how food safety fuels trust, protects brands, and reduces risk. ** Build a culture where leaders see food safety as a strategic priority, not a cost center. If capital is moving elsewhere, then the way we “tell our story” matters more than ever. Food safety is not optional. It’s the backbone of resilience. And it’s up to us to make sure leadership sees it that way

One of the most consistent challenges I see in our sector is the presence of silos between growers, wholesalers, retailers, regulators and even between policy areas like health, trade and infrastructure. The fresh produce supply chain is deeply interconnected. What happens in one part of the system, whether it’s water allocation, labour shortages or a supermarket pricing strategy, quickly ripples through every other part. Yet too often, solutions are developed in isolation. Breaking down these silos is not just a nice idea, it’s a necessity if we’re serious about building a sustainable, resilient and competitive food system. That means: 🔹 Government engaging across departments so biosecurity, trade and health policy reinforce each other. 🔹 Industry bodies collaborating rather than duplicating, so advocacy is sharper and more effective. 🔹 Supply chain partners sharing insights, because retailers can’t thrive if wholesalers and growers are struggling, and vice versa. When we take a systems view, we can see the bigger picture: that a strong, independent fresh produce sector underpins food security, regional jobs and the health of our communities. I believe our greatest opportunities lie in those moments of connection, when we sit at the same table, share perspectives and design solutions together. Breaking silos isn’t easy, but it’s how we’ll move from short-term fixes to long-term transformation. #FoodSecurity #SupplyChain #Collaboration #IndustryLeadership #Freshmark #FreshProduce

Ever considered the stark differences in how the same product can shape two distinct businesses? Applying the Industry Analysis Framework, let's juxtapose a coffee farm 🌱 and a coffee café 🍵: 🔹 Value Chain • The farm sells beans as a commodity • The café offers an experience + brand 🔹 Key Drivers • The farm's success hinges on climate, yield, and global coffee prices • The café thrives on factors like location, menu variety, and fostering customer loyalty 🔹 Regulations • The farm operates under agriculture, trade, and sustainability certifications • The café must adhere to regulations covering food safety, labor laws, and local licenses 🔹 Risks • The farm faces risks from weather, pests, and price fluctuations • The café's risks stem from consumer spending habits and seasonal demand variations 🔹 Competition • The farm deals with being price takers versus negotiating with large buyers • The café leverages its brand and customer experience to wield pricing power 💡 Insight: A coffee farm excels in cost efficiency and sustainability. A coffee café shines in branding and delivering exceptional customer experiences. 👉 Same bean. Different businesses. Unique strategies. Which would you choose to manage — the farm or the café

From salmon burgers made with tinned salmon to beans and rice replacing more expensive meat, households are redefining value. Brands must keep pace or risk losing their seat at the table. Hoping and waiting isn’t a strategy. Winners are rewriting the rules, competing for share rather than waiting for growth to return. 👉 Read the full article by my colleagues Jeff Gell and Dan Riff. https://bcg.smh.re/GVy

Food manufacturing never sits still, does it? Every week there’s something new hitting the headlines that’s set to shake things up in the sector: 🍎 Baby food is under the microscope – the government has given manufacturers 18 months to cut sugar and salt or face tougher rules. No more hiding behind clever marketing claims. Reformulation is about to get serious. 🥛 Oat milk is having its moment – it’s now the UK’s favourite plant-based drink. And the interesting bit? Brands like Alpro are doubling down on British-grown oats to strengthen supply chains and win over consumers on sustainability. 🍌 Gene-edited fruit is coming – think bananas that don’t brown and tomatoes packed with vitamin D. Regulators say we could see them on shelves as early as 2026. Like it or not, this is going to change product development forever. 🏭 Investment is stalling… unless you’re Kraft Heinz – many UK food and drink firms are pulling back thanks to rising costs and low confidence. Meanwhile, Heinz is going all in with a $3bn upgrade of 30 plants to boost efficiency and innovation. So, what does all this mean? It looks like the next couple of years will separate the businesses that play it safe from the ones that drive change. Whether that’s reformulating, sourcing more locally, investing in automation, or backing bold innovation, sitting still probably isn’t an option. Curious to hear from those of you in the sector… What’s the biggest shift you’re seeing on the ground right now?