Alyse Thompson

Chicago

Associate EIC of @FoodEng. Former @CandyIndustry, @WhigNews + @CantonLedger. There's no such thing as too many books or too much chocolate.

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Articles

FA&M 2025 Expands First-Timer’s Food Manufacturing Knowledge

1 week ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

For all the time I’ve spent covering the food industry, I never had the chance to attend the Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo – until this year. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but while planning the agenda alongside Kelley Rodriguez, FA&M content manager and editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, I knew the attendees – including myself – would absorb a wealth of manufacturing knowledge. That proved to be true.
Food Plant Openings and Expansions April 2025

1 week ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry, including Bazooka Brands’ Ring Pop factory, Conagra Brands’ adoption of Bloom Energy fuel cells, Bauducco Foods’ Florida facility, FIFCO’s Genesee Brewery can line and Fortune Fish & Gourmet’s New Jersey fish cutting facility. Bazooka Brands Opens Ring Pop Factory in Pennsylvania The Moosic facility is set to make 400 million Ring Pops annually – or about 1.5 million Ring Pops a day.
How Do Consumers Feel About Ultra-Processed Foods?

4 weeks ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

Lately, there has been buzz around “processed” and “ultra-processed” foods – even more so since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the helm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this year. It warrants a look at whether consumers understand these terms and if they have their own opinions on them. Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability (CFDAS) has done just that.
Food Plant Openings and Expansions March 2025

1 month ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

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Cal-Maine Foods Reports Cooperation with DOJ Investigation into Egg Prices

1 month ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. reports it is cooperating with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division into egg price increases resulting from outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI). Reports of the DOJ’s investigation surfaced in March. In its FY25 third-quarter financial statement, Cal-Maine acknowledges it received a civil investigative demand from the DOJ the same month.
Sweet Success: How Carolina Foods Drives Growth with Automation

1 month ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

With 90 years as a Southeastern staple, Carolina Foods has a long legacy of producing Duchess honey buns, GEM mini doughnuts and pastries for retailers across North America. But a sticky situation has developed at the company’s 100,000-sq.-ft. bakery on South Tryon Street in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s out of space. “The problem is, the land in the South End of Charlotte is maxed out,” says CEO Dan Myers.
Carolina Foods drives growth with automation

1 month ago | snackandbakery.com | Alyse Thompson

With 90 years as a Southeastern staple, Carolina Foods has a long legacy of producing Duchess honey buns, Gem mini doughnuts, and pastries for retailers across North America. But a sticky situation has developed at the company’s 100,000-sq.-ft. bakery on South Tryon Street in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte, NC. It’s out of space. “The problem is, the land in the South End of Charlotte is maxed out,” says CEO Dan Myers. “We could not put in another operation, another line—nothing.
Trump Imposes Reciprocal Tariffs on Imported Goods

1 month ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced new tariffs on good imported from other parts of the world. Trump will impose a 10% tariff on all goods from other countries, effective April 5. Citing large trade deficits, the president also announced individualized reciprocal tariffs that are set to take effect on April 9. Specifically, China will face a reciprocal tariff of 34%, while Vietnam will see a reciprocal tariff of 46%. The European Union will see 20%, Taiwan will see 32% and Japan will see 24%.
Food Plant Openings and Expansions February 2025

1 month ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

Plant Openings EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry, including Nestlé USA’s beverage processing facility, Il Pastaio’s manufacturing plant, Palermo’s pizza production facility, Hain Celestial’s fourth distribution center, Calbee America’s innovation center and Holladay Distillery’s ironclad rickhouse.
Pursuing Price Parity: A Closer Look at the Cost of Alternative Protein

2 months ago | foodengineeringmag.com | Alyse Thompson

Manufacturers highlight the potential health benefits and sustainability aspects of alternative protein products, but these offerings are often more expensive than their traditional counterparts. While taste is critical, price is a significant factor in consumer purchase decisions. The Good Food Institute (GFI) notes plant-based categories can sit “two -to-four-times the price of conventional products,” adding “altruistic” characteristics may not be the strongest purchase drivers.