From frozen desserts to appetizers and meals, the frozen section in U.S. grocery stores has the ability to be a one-stop shop for on-the-go consumers. In fact, 26% of total U.S. grocery shoppers are shopping in the frozen foods department more frequently than last year, and it’s being led by Millennials and households with children, according to “The Future of Frozen,” produced by Acosta Sales & Marketing, Jacksonville, Fla.

But, in today’s day and age where food safety is of utmost importance and becoming more sustainable is key to success, many of today’s frozen food processors continue to build, expand and innovate.

In fact, the food market will experience rapid evolution in 2018, according to sector experts at MSL, Seattle, Wash.

Meanwhile, the application of advanced analytics, the use of innovation accelerators and the level of digital investments are just a handful of definitions used to set innovative organizations apart, according a report released by The Grocery Manufacturers Association, Washington, D.C.

But, how will mergers and acquisitions re-shape the future of frozen foods?

When Amazon, Seattle, Wash., acquired Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas, in June 2017, it was the shock heard ‘round the world. An online retailer adding a better-for-you supermarket chain to its portfolio? In fact, this news ranked as 2017’s No. 1 food news story among Millennials, GenXers and Baby Boomers/Matures alike, according to an “Annual Food News Study,” produced by Hunter Public Relations, New York.

But, little did the food and beverage industry know that this play was just the beginning of a long line of unconventional mergers and acquisitions to come, allowing center-store, shelf-stable food processors to take up market share and shelf space in retailers’ freezercases.

Welcome to Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ annual Top 150 Frozen Foods Processors report, which breaks down the Top 25 frozen food processors in each of the six sectors. Processors are ranked by annual net sales and listings.

Specifics about each report:

• Meals/Entrées—20 out of 25 processors (80%) updated their profiles.
• Meat/Poultry/Seafood—20 out of 25 processors (80%) updated their profiles.
• Dairy—16 out of 25 processors (64%) updated their profiles.
• Snacks/Apps/Sides—16 out of 25 processors (64%) updated their profiles.
• Bakery—17 out of 25 processors (68%) updated their profiles.
• Fruits/Vegetables—12 out of 25 processors (48%) updated their profiles.

Twenty-two companies appear in more than one category, and are marked with an (*) by the company name. For those companies that didn’t respond or refused to release figures, estimated sales numbers, which are marked with an asterisk (*), are based on company reports, news releases, market analysts’ reports, industry media and more. This report represents Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ best efforts to reflect pertinent sales from all channels.

A special thank you goes to Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ sister publications—Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, National Provisioner and Dairy Foods—for their research and support in the meat/poultry/seafood and dairy foods sections, respectively. And, of course thank you to all of the respondents for taking the time to update their company information and providing the industry with the most up-to-date information possible.

Prepared Foods Present Added Buying Power for Retailers

Prepared foods continue to present a major opportunity for retailers, including convenience stores.

Here’s a snapshot of the Top 25 leaders in this category.

Changes from last year’s report:

• Removed AdvancePierre Foods, due to Tyson Foods’ acquisition (see below).
• Removed Bellisio Foods.
• Removed Little Lady Foods.
• Added Pinnacle Foods.
• Added Monogram Foods.
• Added John Soules Foods.
• Added Hain Celestial.

On-Cor Frozen Foods rolled out a brand refresh that included product enhancements, packaging redesign and an innovative advertising campaign. Click here for more info.

Significant events in 2017:

• Palermo Villa, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., acquired Connie’s Naturals, LLC, a Carol Stream, Ill.-based frozen pizza manufacturer.
• On-Cor Frozen Foods, Aurora, Ill., rolled out a brand refresh, which resulted in being named a Processor to Watch in 2018 by Refrigerated & Frozen Foods (December 2017 issue).
• Schwan’s Co., Bloomington, Minn., acquired Better Baked Foods, North East, Pa., and Drayton Foods, Fargo, N.D., from parent company NE Foods Inc., and announced plans to acquire MaMa Rosa’s Pizza LLC, Sidney, Ohio, from private equity firm HGGC, Palo Alto, Calif. Meanwhile, Schwan’s formed a strategic partnership with The trū Shrimp Co., an affiliate of Ralco, Balaton, Minn., to help propel in-land shrimp production forward. Furthermore, Schwan’s created Schwan’s Strategic Partner Solutions, a new business unit focused on growing the company’s private label and contract packing businesses with select retailers and food manufacturers.
• Nestlé S.A., Switzerland, announced its goal to source only eggs from cage-free hens for all food products globally by 2025.
• Tyson Foods, Inc. opened the doors to its new office building at its Springdale, Ark., headquarters. And, as part of Tyson Foods’ focus on sustainable food production at scale, it committed to creating a better workplace at its production facilities. In fact, Tyson Foods announced a collaboration with the World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C., to develop science-based greenhouse gas and outcome-based water conservation targets for its operations and supply chains. Tyson Foods also acquired AdvancePierre Foods Holdings, Inc., Cincinnati. Tyson Foods and its corporate venture subsidiary Tyson Ventures invested in Tovala, a Chicago-based food startup that manufacturers smart countertop steam ovens with fresh ready-to-cook meals. Tyson Foods also formed an agreement with startup incubators Plug and Play, Sunnyvale, Calif., and 1871, Chicago, to develop the future of the industry.
• Conagra Brands, Inc., Chicago, acquired Sandwich Bros. of Wisconsin, a producer of frozen breakfast and entrée flatbread sandwiches and division of Kangaroo Brands, Milwaukee, Wis.
• The Kraft Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., signed on as the largest tenant of Dallas Logistics Pointe in Garland, Texas, for a grocery-style distribution hub for fulfillment and logistics. Kraft Heinz also released its inaugural corporate social responsibility report, which announces its commitment to transition to 100% cage-free eggs in all global operations by 2025.
• Post Holdings, Inc., St. Louis, acquired Bob Evans Farms, Inc., New Albany, Ohio.

Significant events to come in 2018

• Ruiz Foods, Dinuba, Calif., announced a $79 million expansion to its Florence, S.C., facility, adding new production lines and 705 new jobs over the next seven years.
• Pinnacle Foods, Parsippany, N.J., announced plans to build a 164,000-square-foot frozen goods warehouse connected directly to its existing building in Fayetteville, Ark. It’s scheduled to become operational this fall.
• Paul Norman, president of Kellogg North America, Battle Creek, Mich., announced plans to leave the company, effective April 1. Company CEO Steve Cahillane will oversee the company in the interim. 
• Steve Presley, currently chief finance and strategic transformation officer, will succeed Paul Grimwood as market head and CEO of Nestlé USA, Rosslyn, Va., effective April 1.

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The Big Boom in Frozen Meat

The meat, poultry and seafood industry is experiencing a global boom, according to a report produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, Reston, Va. Factors influencing this boom include population gains, increased demand for meat, poultry and seafood and growth in foodservice and export opportunities.

Here’s a rundown of the Top 25 processos in this category.

Changes from last year’s report:

• Removed AdvancePierre Foods, due to Tyson Foods’ acquisition (see below).
• Added Colorado Premium.

Golden State Foods teamed up with IBM to plug into the power of the IoT. Click here for more info.

Significant events in 2017:

• Sanderson Farms, Inc., Laurel, Mass., signed an agreement to continue processing chickens grown by House of Raeford Farms, Rose Hill, N.C., at its St. Pauls, N.C., poultry processing facility.
• OSI Europe Foodworks, a division of OSI Group, LLC in Europe, acquired Hynek Schlachthof GmbH, Tauberbischofsheim, Germany. OSI Group also opened its new GenOSI facility in the Philippines, while OSI Food Solutions Spain added a high-capacity production line to its existing operation in Toledo, Spain.
• West Liberty Foods, LLC, West Liberty, Iowa, agreed to acquire Crystal Lake Farms and Free Ranger, Decatur, Ark., which now operate under the name Liberty Free Range Poultry, L.L.C.
• Greater Omaha Packing, Omaha, Neb., opened a 20,000-square-foot grinding facility.
• Butterball, LLC expanded its United States Cold Storage facility in Warsaw, N.C. The Garner, N.C., company also closed its Montgomery, Ill., plant.
• Golden State Foods (GSF), Irvine, Calif., announced plans to open a new manufacturing and distribution facility for its liquid products division in Burleson, Texas. GSF also teamed up with IBM, North Castle, N.Y., to plug into the power of the IoT, and was featured in Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ September 2017 cover story on foodservice distribution.
• Cargill’s North America protein business announced plans to build a new headquarters, which is to remain in Wichita. Cargill Protein also invested $146 million to expand its Nashville, Tenn., facility. And, in April 2017, Cargill Protein opened the doors to its $111 million cooked meats facility in Columbus, Neb.
• In September 2017, Seaboard Triumph Foods expanded its new pork processing facility in Sioux City, Iowa, to include the addition of a second shift.
• Tyson Foods, Inc. opened the doors to its new office building at its Springdale, Ark., headquarters. And, as part of Tyson Foods’ focus on sustainable food production at scale, it committed to creating a better workplace at its production facilities. In fact, Tyson Foods announced a collaboration with the World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C., to develop science-based greenhouse gas and outcome-based water conservation targets for its operations and supply chains. Tyson Foods also acquired AdvancePierre Foods Holdings, Inc., Cincinnati. Tyson Foods and its corporate venture subsidiary Tyson Ventures invested in Tovala, a Chicago-based food startup that manufacturers smart countertop steam ovens with fresh ready-to-cook meals. Tyson Foods also formed an agreement with startup incubators Plug and Play, Sunnyvale, Calif., and 1871, Chicago, to develop the future of the industry.
• John Soules Foods, Tyler, Texas, purchased a 266,000-square-foot facility in Valley, Ala., to produce fully cooked meat.
• High Liner Foods, Canada, acquired Rubicon Resources, LLC, a Culver City, Calif.-based sustainably sourced frozen shrimp producer to the private label market.

Significant events to come in 2018

• Sanderson Farms announced plans to build a new hatchery, feed mill and processing plant in Lindale-Tyler, Texas, scheduled to open in 2019.
• Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc., Siloam Springs, Ark., announced plans to build a new chicken facility in Benton County, Ark., scheduled to open in 2019.
• Greater Omaha Packing announced plans to build an automated storage and retrieval facility.
• Butterball is expanding its Raeford, N.C., operations to include a new production line for turkey bacon products.
• GSF broke ground on a new 165,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art meat processing facility in Opelika, Ala.
• Jensen Meat Co. announced plans to install additional IQF lines to its San Diego, Calif., headquarters processing facility.

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Year-Round Ice Cream Heats up Dairy Aisle

Ice cream is said to be one of the largest supermarket food categories, one of only 10 with double-digit billion dollar sales, according to Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md. Even so, results from a survey conducted by Cumberland Farms, Framingham, Mass., revealed that 95% of respondents indulge in ice cream year-round, regardless of the season.

Here’s a rundown of the Top 25 frozen dairy processors heating up the ice cream and frozen novelties aisles.

Changes from last year’s report:

• Removed Conagra Brands, per company request.
• Added Hershey’s Ice Cream.

The Kroger Co.’s culinary development team announced a new restaurant concept, Kitchen 1883, which offers a fresh take on new American comfort food. Click here for more info.

Significant events in 2017:

• Shamrock Foods, Phoenix, Ariz., purchased Dee’s FoodService, El Paso, Texas.
• In July 2016, France-based Danone S.A. acquired WhiteWave Foods Co., Broomfield, Colo. As a result, The Dannon Co. was re-named to DanoneWave, still based in White Plains, N.Y.
• Schwan’s Co., Bloomington, Minn., created Schwan’s Strategic Partner Solutions, a new business unit focused on growing the company’s private label and contract packing businesses with select retailers and food manufacturers.
• Nestlé S.A., Switzerland, announced its goal to source only eggs from cage-free hens for all food products globally by 2025.
• Tyson Foods, Inc. opened the doors to its new office building at its Springdale, Ark., headquarters. And, as part of Tyson Foods’ focus on sustainable food production at scale, it committed to creating a better workplace at its production facilities. In fact, Tyson Foods announced a collaboration with the World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C., to develop science-based greenhouse gas and outcome-based water conservation targets for its operations and supply chains. Tyson Foods also formed an agreement with startup incubators Plug and Play, Sunnyvale, Calif., and 1871, Chicago, to develop the future of the industry.
• The Kroger Co., Cincinnati, and The Kroger Co. Foundation partnered with ReFED, a multi-stakeholder, non-profit organization committed to reducing food waste in the United States. Kroger also announced a national effort aimed at ending hunger in the communities it calls home and eliminating waste company-wide by 2025. Also, EG Group, a privately-held petrol forecourt convenience store retailer based in the United Kingdom, purchased Kroger’s convenience store business. Kroger’s culinary development team announced a new restaurant concept, Kitchen 1883, which offers a fresh take on new American comfort food, and opened a 12,000-square-foot, LEED-designed Culinary Innovation Center.
• Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., acquired Betty Ice SRL, a Romanian ice cream producer, and Weis Frozen Foods, an Australia-based processor of ice cream products.

Significant events to come in 2018

• Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., Edwardsville, Ill., announced a $29 million investment in its Battle Creek, Mich., facility. Construction is expected to be complete in April.
• Steve Presley, currently chief finance and strategic transformation officer, will succeed Paul Grimwood as market head and CEO of Nestlé USA, Rosslyn, Va., effective April 1.

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Potato Specialties Pave Way for Growth in Frozen Snacks Arena

Potato specialties, handheld snacks and flavor fusion rank as top trends impacting growth and innovation in the frozen snacks, appetizers and sides sector.

Learn how the Top 25 processors in this category keep consumers coming back for more.

Changes from last year’s report:

• Removed MegaMex Foods, as it’s ranked as part of Hormel Foods.
• Removed Chung’s Gourmet Foods.
• Added Pinnacle Foods.
• Added Lamb Weston.

McCain Foods USA, Lisle, Ill., announced plans to expand its production capacity at its Burley, Idaho, frozen French fries manufacturing facility. Click here for more info.

Significant events in 2017:

• McCain Foods Ltd., Canada, opened its new $65 million state-of-the-art potato specialty production line, expanding the company’s flagship potato processing facility in Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick. Meanwhile, McCain Foods USA, Lisle, Ill., announced plans to expand its production capacity at its Burley, Idaho, frozen French fry manufacturing facility.
• Schwan’s Co., Bloomington, Minn., created Schwan’s Strategic Partner Solutions, a new business unit focused on growing the company’s private label and contract packing businesses with select retailers and food manufacturers.
• Nestlé S.A., Switzerland, announced its goal to source only eggs from cage-free hens for all food products globally by 2025.
• Tyson Foods, Inc. opened the doors to its new office building at its Springdale, Ark., headquarters. And, as part of Tyson Foods’ focus on sustainable food production at scale, it committed to creating a better workplace at its production facilities. In fact, Tyson Foods announced a collaboration with the World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C., to develop science-based greenhouse gas and outcome-based water conservation targets for its operations and supply chains. Tyson Foods also formed an agreement with startup incubators Plug and Play, Sunnyvale, Calif., and 1871, Chicago, to develop the future of the industry.
• Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., Eagle, Idaho, completed the expansion of its Richland, Wash., French fry operation. Lamb Weston also partnered with Graphic Packaging International Inc., Atlanta, to develop Tite-Pak recyclable packaging.

Significant events to come in 2018

• Ruiz Foods, Dinuba, Calif., announced a $79 million expansion to its Florence, S.C., facility, adding new production lines and 705 new jobs over the next seven years.
• Ajinomoto Windsor, Inc., Ontario, Calif., announced plans to open a state-of-the-art coated appetizer manufacturing and R&D facility in Joplin, Mo.
• Steve Presley, currently chief finance and strategic transformation officer, will succeed Paul Grimwood as market head and CEO of Nestlé USA, Rosslyn, Va., effective April 1.
• Lamb Weston introduced Crispy on Delivery, a comprehensive solution that combines the right product, packaging and back-of-house expertise to deliver French fries from store to door.

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Lifestyle Changes Prompt Growth in Specialty Bakery

The global market for specialty frozen bakery has witnessed continued demand during the last few years, and is projected to reach $3,434 million by 2022 with CAGR of 4.45% in terms of value and is projected to reach 209,530 tons with CAGR of 3.46% in terms of volume, according to a “Cooked Research Report,” published by Market Research Future, Woburn, Mass.

Changes in lifestyle and adoption of various frozen bread rolls/artisan loaves and sweet baked goods encourage specialty frozen bakery products consumption. And, globally, quick-service restaurants (QSR) and foodservice held more than 45% of market share in 2016, as maximum variety of specialty frozen bakery products available in QSR and foodservice compare to others. Meanwhile, convenience/independent retail will witness higher growth rate during the forecast period due to increasing number of small vendors in specialty frozen bakery market.

Find out how the Top 25 players in this category experienced growth.

Changes from last year’s report:

• Changed Maplehurst Bakeries to Weston Foods, per company request.
• Changed Wenner Bread Products to Wenner Bakery, per company request.
• Removed Boboli International (see below).
• Added Cole’s Quality Foods.

The global market for specialty frozen bakery has witnessed continued demand during the last few years, and is projected to reach $3,434 million by 2022, according to a report published by Market Research Future. Click here for more info.

Significant events in 2017:

• Schwan’s Co., Bloomington, Minn., created Schwan’s Strategic Partner Solutions, a new business unit focused on growing the company’s private label and contract packing businesses with select retailers and food manufacturers.
• Tyson Foods, Inc. opened the doors to its new office building at its Springdale, Ark., headquarters. And, as part of Tyson Foods’ focus on sustainable food production at scale, it committed to creating a better workplace at its production facilities. In fact, Tyson Foods announced a collaboration with the World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C., to develop science-based greenhouse gas and outcome-based water conservation targets for its operations and supply chains. Tyson Foods also formed an agreement with startup incubators Plug and Play, Sunnyvale, Calif., and 1871, Chicago, to develop the future of the industry.
• J&J Snack Foods Corp., Pennsauken, N.J., strengthened its portfolio by becoming the official licensee and distributor of premium Auntie Anne’s frozen soft pretzel products, which includes pretzels, pretzel nuggets and pretzel sandwiches sold in retailers nationwide.
• Boboli International, Stockton, Calif., filed for bankruptcy and eventually ceased operations.

Significant events to come in 2018

• Bill Toler, president and CEO of Hostess Brands, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., announced plans to retire, effective March 1. No replacement was named as of press time.
• CSM Bakery Solutions, Atlanta, unveiled plans to rebrand its North American operations under the Brill brand, effective immediately.

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Frozen Produce Provides Number of Health Benefits Over Fresh Counterparts

Consumers create less waste from frozen vegetables, potato products and berries than from fresh, canned or jarred alternatives, according to a study by Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands. The study, conducted within CARVE’s public-private partnership, shows that using frozen foods might reduce consumers’ food waste.

Meanwhile, the nutritional value of certain frozen fruits and vegetables are generally equal to fresh produce, according to “The Journal of Food Composition and Analysis,” a report published by Elsevier, Atlanta. In fact, the amounts of vitamins A and C and folates of some frozen fruits and vegetables were greater than fresh-stored produce. 

Read on to find out how today’s Top 25 frozen fruit and vegetable processors fare in the industry.

Changes from last year’s report:

• Removed Lisa’s Organics.
• Removed Healthy Pac Corp.
• Added B&G Foods.
• Changed Sunrise Growers-Frozsun Foods to Sunrise Growers, per company request.

Significant events in 2017:

• Pinnacle Foods, Parsippany, N.J., took ownership of a new manufacturing facility for Birds Eye vegetables in Beaver Dam, Wis.
• Schwan’s Co., Bloomington, Minn., created Schwan’s Strategic Partner Solutions, a new business unit focused on growing the company’s private label and contract packing businesses with select retailers and food manufacturers.
• Inventure Foods, Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., sold Fresh Frozen Foods to The Pictsweet Co., Bells, Tenn., and sold its frozen business, including the Rader Farms and Willamette Valley Fruit Co. brands, frozen fruits, vegetable blends, beverages and frozen desserts business to Oregon Potato Co. The remainder of the company was scooped up by Utz Quality Foods, LLC, a Hanover, Pa.-based salty snack manufacturer.
• Twin City Foods shifted re-pack operations from its Stanwood, Wash., headquarters plant, to its Pasco, Wash., facility. The corporate office remains in Stanwood.

Significant events to come in 2018

• Lakeside Foods, Inc., Manitowoc, Wis., announced plans to invest over $40 million in expanding its Manitowoc packaging facility. The 100,000-square-foot addition would include an expanded frozen warehouse and increased refrigerated packaging space.
• Conagra Brands, Inc., Chicago, entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Del Monte processed fruit and vegetable business in Canada to Bonduelle Group, Canada.

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The Reports