Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are set to stop as soon as Saturday amid the government shutdown -- a move that could negatively impact the nation's most vulnerable families as well as food retailers. FMI -- The Food Industry Association and other industry groups have urged Congress to reopen the government to ensure continuous SNAP funding. "We urge Congress to move forward now on a path that reopens the government and ensures families relying on SNAP can access their November benefits without interruption or delay," said FMI Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher.

Food retailers, manufacturers and other industry partners are offering emergency food response assistance to support those potentially affected by the expiration of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits amid the government shutdown:

• DoorDash plans to deliver about 1 million free meals through food bank partners, waive fees for 300,000 SNAP customers ordering groceries from participating retailers including Sprouts Farmers Market, Dollar General, Schnucks, Ahold Delhaize brands, Hy-Vee and Wegmans, and will donate food from DashMart to local food banks.
• H-E-B has committed $6 million to support food relief efforts in Texas as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program faces potential funding disruption. The donation includes $5 million to 20 food banks and $1 million to Meals on Wheels programs.
• Households in Central and Western New York affected by the shutdown will be able to receive up to $150 in Wegmans gift cards through a new relief initiative spearheaded by philanthropist Jeff Knauss.
• And neighbors across the country are connecting through social media to create "grocery buddy" groups to offer direct food support, whether by shopping for affected families, providing gift cards or accompanying them to supermarkets.

PepsiCo's first new logo in 25 years is part of a move to a "branded house" model. The logo features a "P" coming out of a smile, a leaf and a water droplet, symbolizing customer-centricity, snacks and beverages, respectively. The rebranding aims to improve brand recall and will debut on packaging next year and "come to life in a variety of ways" across social, the company says.

Church & Dwight has partnered with Storesight to enhance inventory visibility and address phantom inventory issues. The AI-enabled tool provides real-time photos to identify inventory gaps, leading to significant replenishment orders and better merchandise planning. The visibility allowed the company to identify stores with empty shelves despite system records showing products in stock, leading to manual replenishment orders worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Coca-Cola is among major brands that have adopted Adobe's Firefly Design Intelligence to streamline global brand design. The company uses StyleIDs -- AI-powered Adobe files -- to maintain design consistency across brands such as Coke, Sprite, Smartwater and BodyArmor. "For all of [our] campaigns coming out in the future, this is a mandatory tool to be used," says Livia Heinrich, global design lead for Coca-Cola.

Imagine rethinking grocery shopping from the shopper's point of view, where loyalty is a data-driven relationship built on relevance. GroceryLab is the food industry’s first cross-functional, behavior-shifting forum to reimagine how we serve the shopper in a world that moves at the speed of technology. Build grocery’s smarter, faster future with us, June 2-6, 2026, at the Gem Theatre in Detroit.

I view the holidays as a magical time for fresh foods. The season evokes images of families and friends gathered around tables to enjoy fresh entrees, sides and desserts. However, magic doesn’t necessarily come easy. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes. Shoppers and hosts rely on food retailers to help foster delicious, nutritious and affordable meals and provide supportive customer service. This ties into three key topics spotlighted at FMI’s FreshForward conference in August: meals, labor and health and well-being. Insights from the conference’s speakers and attendee breakout groups can help guide retailers’ fresh strategies during the all-important holiday season.

Food Lion has grown its private brand offerings with French toast sticks, ice cream pints and a variety of frozen vegetables to meet customer demand for affordable and diverse products. "We listen to our customers and continuously evaluate our private brand offerings to ensure we're providing the products they want," says Gene Faller, senior vice president of center store category management.

Gelson's Markets has partnered with Flashfood to offer $9 produce boxes containing seasonal fruits and vegetables nearing their best-by date at select Los Angeles stores. The initiative, which marks Flashfood's entry into Los Angeles, aims to improve access to healthy food and reduce food waste. The boxes, valued at $18, are available through the Flas