Member News & Headlines Blog

The food industry in Chicago is experiencing a dynamic phase of growth and innovation, positioning the city as a national leader in food production and access. With a diverse ecosystem of established food giants, thriving startups, investors, culinary experts, and programs addressing food security, Chicago's food sector offers tremendous potential for economic recovery and community development. 

Recent acquisitions of local companies by major players have yielded substantial returns for founders and investors, fueling the expansion of the city's fast-rising food businesses. The Chicago Venture Summit: Future-of-Food brought together key stakeholders committed to solidifying Chicago's status as the capital of food in the United States. Furthermore, Chicago excels in promoting food access, health education, and sustainable practices through organizations like Feeding America and urban farming projects.

Over the past two years, a wave of new, exciting pizzerias has spread across the region, and Pizza City Fest thinks it’s about time we celebrate Chicago's pizza diversity. The first Pizza City Fest brought together 40 of the region’s best pizza makers for two days of pizza making and appreciation in the West Loop, along with speakers, demos and seminars. 

For the 2nd annual event, it'll continue with another 40 pizza makers, but there's a bit of a change to improve the experience. Steve Dolinsky – a 13-time James Beard Award-winning food reporter, currently “The Food Guy” at NBC 5 Chicago – has made it his mission to dispel myths and show the world there is more to the Windy City than just deep-dish, stuffed or tavern-style pies. He’s written two books on the subject, launched a weekly tour business, produces and hosts a bi-monthly podcast and is now taking the next step – creating a series of pizza festivals. 

CFBN members go to MEMBER PERKS for your discount code.

Interest in both functional beverages and digestive health has been bubbling up for the last several years, creating the perfect opportunity for prebiotic sodas. The drinks provide consumers with the fizz they crave and the digestive health benefits of prebiotic dietary fiber.

According to SPINS data, functional soda, including prebiotic varieties, now represents 14% of the digestive health category.

However, there are looming threats that could hinder future category growth. Many prebiotic fibers have limited heat and pH stability which drives up manufacturing costs and requires them to be stored in the refrigerated section.

COMET, a North American food ingredient manufacturer, has risen to the challenge and brings a science-backed solution to the beverage world. Its proprietary line of Arrabina prebiotic dietary fibers can survive shelf-life limitations and the demanding beverage manufacturing processes that often involve high heat, high pressure, and acidic environments.  

Other prebiotic fibers, including inulin, break down into sugar in these conditions, which raises production and storage costs at a time inflationary prices are already eating into consumers’ grocery budgets.

According to Datassential research, 84% of operators say taking care of their employees’ mental health is important to them — so we take a look at how the industry is changing and how the importance of mental health policies stretch past just the employee and employer, but to consumers as well. 

Download this compelling report on the state of mental health in the food industry and see what foodservice operators say is working in the effort to better serve employees, how the industry is changing, and where there’s still more work to do.

CohnReznick is excited to share their newest piece of M&D thought leadership. This article highlights the opportunities available to manufacturers in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA contains over $700 billion allocated towards new climate-related tax credits that can largely benefit manufacturers making advancements in the green-tech space.

The Inflation Reduction Act introduces tax credits specifically tailored to incentivize the manufacturing of clean tech products. Manufacturers engaged in producing eligible clean tech energy and storage components, such as batteries, or mining critical minerals used in these components, may be eligible for federal manufacturing income tax credits on a per unit basis.

The global food color market is set to experience steady growth in the coming years due to several factors. The expansion of the food and beverage industries, rising disposable incomes, and changing consumer preferences are driving the demand for food colors worldwide. As the population grows, there is an increasing need to cater to the rising demand for visually appealing food and beverage products. Food colors enhance the attractiveness of these products, making them more enticing to consumers. Additionally, the rise in disposable incomes has led consumers to allocate a larger portion of their budget towards aesthetically pleasing food items. Furthermore, changing consumer preferences towards natural and clean-label products are driving the adoption of natural food colors sourced from fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based ingredients.

According to market research, the global food color market is projected to reach USD 4.7 billion by 2026, with the Asia-Pacific region expected to witness significant growth. Natural food colors are gaining traction, outpacing synthetic colors, as consumers increasingly prefer clean-label products. The future of the food color market looks promising, with manufacturers and suppliers focusing on innovation and sustainability to meet the demand for visually appealing and natural food and beverage products. Overall, the food color industry is poised for a vibrant and prosperous future.

Read The Bright and Versatile FD&D Yellow 5: A Guide to its Benefits and Applications

Clayco has just released it’s quarterly Cost Index Report which shows how supply chain disruption continues to impact projects across the USA. Highlights: 

• Generally speaking, construction material availability continues to improve with the significant exception of electrical items. However, lead times for both materials and equipment are 3-5X historical averages
• Steel costs continue to increase while drywall and insulation prices are beginning to decline.
• The construction industry continues to be hampered by skilled labor shortages, resulting in project schedule extension and increased costs.
• RS Means City Cost Index shows the Midwest to be tracking at the national average of 1.0 while the Northeast and Western regions are considerably higher at 1.06-1.07.
• • SE/Gulf Coast are tracking well below average at 0.89

On the positive side, current commodity futures look flat which should result in price stability in the short to medium term.

To see the full Clayco Cost Index Report contact Ron Jones.

As the food industry continues to evolve, more companies are realizing the benefits of collaboration and how working together can lead to better products for customers. In this Table to Talk chat, join Edlong leaders Laurette Rondenet, Brenda Dehart, Denise Senter, and Lauren Hopkins as they discuss insights into how collaboration across the industry drives efficient and cost-effective developments for better quality products. From topics such as when to consider flavor in the product design cycle to thinking about what is best for customers, they highlight how Edlong is spearheading collaboration in the industry.

Chicago was named among Food & Wine's Top 10 U.S. Food Cities as part of the magazine's new Global Tastemakers Awards, described as its first-ever "readers’ choice awards celebrating the best culinary experiences and destinations in the U.S. and abroad." Chicago clocked in at No. 6 of the Top 10, while New York nabbed the No. 1 spot and three cities in California landed on the list, two ahead of Chicago.

1. New York, New York                                            

 2. New Orleans, Louisiana                            

 3. San Francisco, California                                      

 4. Los Angeles, California                                        

 5. Portland, Oregon                                                 

 6. Chicago, Illinois                                                    

 7. Charleston, South Carolina                                  

 8. Miami, Florida                                                      

 9. San Diego, California 

10. Austin, Texas   

Stoked is a network of food trucks for which 25-50% of operating time will be spent in food insecure neighborhoods selling food on a donation-priced basis, while the remaining time is spent selling meals at market price in other neighborhoods. These food trucks will be operated and partially owned by entrepreneurs from the local food-insecure community, and representative of its demographics in order to create culturally applicable and locally marketable meals.

Stoked's target beneficiaries are asset-limited, income-constrained, employed (ALICE) consumers for whom time and money are at a premium, fresh produce is difficult to access, and dignity is important. They are led by a wonderful chef, Kiara Jones, who has accumulated over 600k followers on social media for her cooking and has catered throughout Chicago including for some Chicago Bears players! 

Stoked is excited to announce they will be operating on Friday, May 12^th at 58th St & Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL from 11 AM – 1:00 PM.