Latest from Food Politics: A food business opportunity: Happy Halloween!

Halloween is about selling candy and lots of it.   Here is a small collection of items about the Halloween business. Here’s what’s selling Why brands like PepsiCo are betting big on Halloween: Halloween becomes a bigger occasion for snacks, sips ...

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By Marion Nestle October 30 2026 A food business opportunity: Happy Halloween! Halloween is about selling candy and lots of it.  Here is a small collection of items about the Halloween business. Here’s what’s selling Why brands like PepsiCo are betting big on Halloween: Halloween becomes a bigger occasion for snacks, sips and treats – particularly among adults… Read more Why candy prices are scary high ahead of Halloween: Rising ingredient costs have prompted confectionery giants such as Hershey to broaden trick-or-treating options to include salty snacks. Pringles, Hostess and Goldfish get their Halloween on: Brands are mixing familiar snacks with seasonal surprises as shoppers seek affordable ways to celebrate… See more Chart of Note: Pumpkins harvested on more than 99,000 acres across the Nation: Pumpkins are grown in all 50 States and were harvested from more than 99,000 acres on about 15,000 farms, according to the latest comprehensive data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture published by USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) What food companies need to do Halloween candy sales are down. Here’s what’s driving it: Halloween candy sales are down as rising living costs and sharply higher chocolate prices tighten consumer budgets, leading shoppers to buy smaller packages, wait for discounts, and shift spending patterns, though overall Halloween spending is still expected to grow. A celebrity event designer’s playbook for Halloween launches: Edward Perotti argues that brands must move beyond predictable colours and seasonal sprinkles if they want their Halloween launches to command attention… Read more Here’s my favorite item Easy Recipes for Pumpkin Dog Treats:  With or without Halloween costumes, you and your pup can celebrate autumn with homemade treats starring pumpkin. But uh oh: Trick not treat E. coli infections reported among children who visited pumpkin patches, petting zoos: The County of San Luis Obispo, CA, Department of Public Health has confirmed five cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection and is investigating a potential link to Brookshire Farms in San Luis Obispo. Enjoy the holiday (in moderation, of course)! The post A food business opportunity: Happy Halloween! appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle       Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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Latest from Food Politics: Food factory closures: anomaly or trend?

I am seeing more and more notices of food factory closures.   Here are some examples: Nestlé to close Ohio factory by end of 2027:  The food giant will shift production to South Carolina, saying it is “the most sustainable path forward” as ...

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By Marion Nestle October 29 2026 Food factory closures: anomaly or trend? I am seeing more and more notices of food factory closures.  Here are some examples: Nestlé to close Ohio factory by end of 2027:  The food giant will shift production to South Carolina, saying it is “the most sustainable path forward” as consumer needs and volumes shift. PepsiCo shutters Tennessee bottling plant amid soda slump: The closure comes after the beverage giant’s CEO laid out a cost-cutting plan to improve flattening growth. Tyson to close more beef plants amid cattle shortage: The meat giant will sell or end operations at three facilities and lay off at least 2,500 workers as the company struggles to overcome heavy losses. Danone to close plant-based dairy facility in New Jersey: The Silk and So Delicious manufacturer said 114 workers will be laid off and production will be reassigned to other U.S. facilities. Mars to close Nature’s Bakery plant, lay off 345 workers: The closure comes a year after the brand opened a new $237 million production facility to keep up with demand. Amy’s Kitchen Built Its Food Empire in Santa Rosa. Now It’s Closing Its First Factory: The organic food company is consolidating production in Oregon and Idaho. An MIT restructuring expert explains what separates a well-managed closure from one that damages the remaining workforce. JBS to close meat plants in manufacturing reshuffle: The company plans to lay off at least 2,000 workers as it shutters a Pennsylvania beef processing facility and makes changes at majority-owned Pilgrim’s Pride. And their consequences: Food and beverage layoffs accelerate:  The sector has slashed close to 30,000 jobs as of September, up 76% from the same period last year. What’s going on? The standard explanation is efficiency, which translates to reducing production costs. This, in turn, translates to reducing labor costs and avoiding local taxes. Americans are spending less on food as a result of the effects of concerns about ultra-processed foods, GLP-1 drugs, and inflation. This is another reason to invoke my mantra: Eating less is bad for business. The post Food factory closures: anomaly or trend? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Layoffs: a sign of flagging food industry sales Is the food industry really in trouble? What are the top food brands?   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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