PepsiCo has declared the establishment of a Multicultural Business and Equity Development Organisation that will manage operations across the brand’s North American food businesses to eliminate any sort of racial inequality and support minority groups. The creation of a new organization is a step towards advancement under pep+ PepsiCo positive’s Racial Equality Journey REJ, which aims to foster growth and equality among the masses. The firm is dedicated to invest $560 million in REJ over 5 years to accelerate the representation of versatile employees, strengthen scale, influence suppliers, and empower the marginalized group of North America. Read more from Esmmagazine

Sprout, a social media management software provider, presented its report after surveying 1000 US consumers, stating that the majority of consumers (98%) are planning to buy things from social media platforms this year. Although 60% of consumers have already shopped from social media platforms, the other 60% plan to buy from brands that are considerate of fair trade, ethical sourcing, and rights of workers. 32% of Gen Zers and 30% of millennials are ready to incorporate virtual and augmented reality into their shopping patterns. Gen Zers are more likely to use Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok for shopping, while Gen X and boomers prefer Facebook and Pinterest. Read more from Mediapost

Mondelēz International presented a report after surveying 3,055 individuals regarding snack choices, which indicates that the majority of consumers are adding value to what they want to buy. 85% of consumers hold that they would prefer buying snacks from an organisation that tries to counterbalance its ecological impacts, while 87% are concerned with the rights of workers, producing food items. The statistics forecast that this sense of broader consciousness is probably going to extend in the future. Currently, 75% to 78% of consumers’ snack choices are influenced by low-waste packaging, animal welfare, environmental concerns, and fair labour practices. However, these concerns are more likely to affect 92% to 93% of consumers’ snack choices in the coming years. Read more from Fooddive

Many Hollywood legends, including actors and former government officials, have joined companies to use their expertise. Leonardo DiCaprio is an environmental activist and a member of the Sustainability & Health Advisory Council SHAC headed by Perfect Day. DiCaprio also participated in the COP26 climate summit in Scotland and joined cell-based meat manufacturers Aleph Farms and Mosa Meat as an advisor and investor. Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary have invested in tech empowered companies, including Airbnb and Uber, the pair also collaborated with cultured meat company MeaTech 3D. Ann Veneman, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also joined the board for tech companies as a member of Perfect Day’s SHAC. Former USDA Secretary, Dan Glickman, is a representative on the Good Meat Advisory Board. Read more from Fooddive

As per the results of Prosper Insights & Analytics annual survey and NRF, American consumers have celebrated this Valentine’s Day extravagantly by spending $175. The total amount spent during this holiday reached $23.9 billion. NRF pointed out three trends encouraging Americans to celebrate Valentine’s Day 2022 with zest. 1, Among 73% of the consumers, 66% of them embraced Valentine’s Day, 2022 by spending over $100 on gifts for significant others because they were looking for a change in a tension-driven world. 2, Both men and women have surprised their partners with diamonds this year, instead of chocolates and flowers. Men (30%), while females (14%) have spent $75 and $24, respectively on jewellery. 3, Despite the omicron variant, 30% of consumers have enjoyed the day outside, either by going to a concert, relaxing at a spa or relishing the thrills of sky diving. Read more from Nrf

Nestlé’s health science division is all set to purchase most of the shares of Orgain, a protein powder, bars, and shake manufacturing firm. The agreement, however, allows the founders of Orgain to own minor shares of the firm and continue serving as the CEO of the company. This move would speed up Nestlé’s endeavours over the past couple of years to develop and extend its wellbeing and health business. Read more from Fooddive