Episode 52
2025 Food Industry M&A Forecast, 2025 Food Safety Trends, Securing Research Funding
Episode Description
Get the latest insights from the food science and technology community in the January 2025 episodes of the Omnivore podcast.
Jeff Grogg, a seasoned R&D professional who is founder and managing director of JPG Resources, shares his perspective on the 2025 food industry merger & acquisition market. Dr. Willette Crawford, principal consultant and owner of Katalyst Consulting, provides her forecast on whether the food safety challenges of 2024 will continue to be top problems for the food industry in this New Year, and what advancements in food science are trending to help the food system overcome them. Matthew Moore, an associate professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, discusses the dire state of agrifood research funding in the United States and tips on how to find and secure funding.
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Featured Guests
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Jeff Grogg
Jeff Grogg is founder and managing director of JPG Resources, a consulting and business development group that has commercialized thousands of food and beverage products and has focus areas of strategy and innovation, operations, and product/process development. Earlier in his career, Jeff was an R&D lead and member of the executive team at Kellogg that grew the Kashi brand from $25 million to $750 million in nine years. He has a B.S. degree in food science from Purdue University. -
Willette Crawford CEO
Willette Crawford, PhD, MPH, PCQI, is the principal consultant and CEO of Katalyst Consulting LLC, and one of the preeminent U.S. experts in food safety and food law (wmc@katalystfoodsafety.guru).
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Matthew Moore, PhD
Matthew Moore, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 2024, he was named the winner of IFT’s Outstanding Young Scientist Award for his significant, early-career research contributions that advance the science of food. His research primarily focuses on food safety microbiology with a focus on foodborne viruses. He received his undergraduate degree in food science from Cornell University, before earning his PhD in the same subject from North Carolina State University.
Categories
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Food Safety
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Food Safety and Defense
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Research
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Podcasts
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Omnivore
Omnivore
IFT’s Omnivore and Omnivore Presents: SciDish podcasts spark lively, thought-provoking conversations with the science, business, and regulatory leaders shaping the future of food. Each episode delivers sharp analysis, practical insights, and bold ideas designed to challenge assumptions, ignite innovation, and energize your work across the global food system.
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