mondelez international

As weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic continue to gain traction across the US, Americans could potentially reduce their purchases of high-calorie snacks and fast-food. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about how these weight loss drugs work and how the food industry has slowly but surely become aware of the potential impact of these drugs. For example, Walmart’s US CEO recently revealed that consumers using Ozempic tend to purchase fewer groceries. Shares of Mondelez International have fallen nearly 11 percent over the past six months. Food giant Nestlé has seen a 15 percent dip in the same period and even announced plans to develop products similar to Wegovy and Ozempic amidst concerns that they could reduce food consumption and impact profitability. While the team believes it’s too early to tell what the impact could be, they are intrigued by the possibility of these two worlds colliding.

Also in this episode, Sydney talks about Consumer Reports’ (CR) revelation that dark chocolate could contain cadmium and lead, metals known to cause health issues. While cacao is the heart and soul of chocolate, giving it its characteristic taste, it’s also where these heavy metals predominantly reside. With dark chocolate usually having a higher cacao content, it’s more susceptible. In its pursuit of clarity, CR tested 48 different products spanning seven categories, namely cocoa powder, chocolate chips, milk chocolate bars, dark chocolate bars, brownie mixes, chocolate cake mixes and hot chocolate. Out of seven dark chocolate bars tested, five, or 71 percent, surpassed CR’s thresholds for cadmium, lead or both. The team posits that most people won’t need to worry about heavy metal consumption from dark chocolate, but it should encourage consumers to stay informed, choose wisely and enjoy in moderation.

Read the full article here:

Are Wegovy and Ozempic a Threat to the Food Industry?
Cadmium and Lead in Dark Chocolate: A Sweet Treat with Bitter Concerns

For more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.

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Oreos are not quite what you think. To be remembered, one either has to be the first or the best, and Oreo didn’t check both those boxes. The one that did is a cookie you’ve probably never even heard of.

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This week we talk with Farrah Bezner, The Culture Maker. Farrah is the Marketing Director for Halls & Candy at Mondelez International, one of the world’s largest snacks companies with the No. 1 position globally in Biscuits, Chocolate and Candy. Besides having a very sweet disposition(it’s true!), Farrah has instituted ground breaking marketing programs for such iconic brands as Sour Patch, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Maxwell House Coffee. With Sour Patch, she’s connected the well known candy brand to today’s millennial audience by creating unique engagement programs that’s translate beyond traditional branding. Your going to learn all about how to make candy famous with the Tech Cat and Farrah Bezner, the Culture Maker.
Live performance at The Patch in Austin with X Ambassadors (former Patch guests, have blown up recently in popularity): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T13p1POMXE4