Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now

Watch out, Oreos. You too, Sprite. Quit laughing, Fruity Pebbles. You aren't immune from this, either.

In the wake of the most recent recession, many consumers are rethinking past cavalier spending habits. And a recent study shows one way people are cutting back is by switching to private-label goods. Big brands, are your days numbered?

A shift in the way people shop
According to Deloitte's annual American Pantry Study, brand loyalty has dropped for the second year in a row, signaling a dwindling number of consumers who are staying loyal to their favorite brands. The study shows nearly nine in 10 consumers are swapping out big branded goods for private-label ones.�

The survey also found that 94% of Americans indicate they'll remain cautious and keep their spending for foods, beverages, and household goods at current levels, despite the rising stock market and strengthening economy.

Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: Pinnacle Foods Inc (PF)

Pinnacle Foods Inc., incorporated on July 28, 2003, is a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded food products in North America. The Company operates in three segments: the Birds Eye Frozen Division, the Duncan Hines Grocery Division and the Specialty Foods Division. The Birds Eye Frozen Division and the Duncan Hines Grocery Division, which collectively represent its North America Retail operations, include the brands. Its brand portfolio enjoys household penetration in the United States, where its products can be found in approximately 85% of U.S. households. Its products are sold through supermarkets, grocery wholesalers and distributors, mass merchandisers, super centers, convenience stores, dollar stores, drug stores and warehouse clubs in the United States and Canada, as well as in military channels and foodservice locations. On June 24, 2011, the Company completed the sale of its Watsonville, California facility which had been recorded as an asset held for sale.

Birds Eye Frozen Division

The Company�� Birds Eye Frozen Division includes its steamed and non-steamed product offerings, with a 27.0% market share, making Birds Eye the recognized frozen vegetables brand in the United States. Birds Eye was the Company to capture a nationwide market share with a product that enables consumers to conveniently steam vegetables in microwaveable packaging.

Duncan Hines Grocery Division

Duncan Hines is the division�� brand and includes cake mixes, ready-to-serve frostings, brownie mixes, muffin mixes, and cookie mixes. During the fiscal year ended September 23, 2012, the Company added two additional items to the line. In February 2012, the Company introduced a line of frosting products, Duncan Hines Frosting Creations, which uses a patent pending frosting system to allow consumers to customize their frosting into one of 12 different flavors. The Company also offers a complete line of shelf-stable pickle products that we market and distribute n! ationally, primarily under the Vlasic brand, and regionally under the Milwaukee�� and Wiejske Wyroby brands. In 2012, the Company introduced Vlasic Farmers Garden, artisan-quality pickle line.

Specialty Foods Division

The Company�� snack products primarily consist of Tim�� Cascade, Snyder of Berlin and Husman��. These direct store delivery brands have local awareness and hold market share positions in their regional markets. The Company also manufactures and distributes certain products, mainly in the frozen breakfast, canned meat, and pie and pastry fruit filling categories, through food service channels. The Company also manufactures and distributes certain private label products in the canned meat, shelf-stable pickles and frozen seafood. As part of its ongoing strategic focus over the last several years, the Company has deemphasized the food service and private label businesses for the benefit of its higher margin branded food products.

Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: Safeway Inc.(SWY)

Safeway Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a food and drug retailer in North America. The company operates stores that provide an array of grocery items, food, and general merchandise, as well as features specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral, and pharmacy, as well as coffee shops and fuel centers. It also offers SELECT line of products that include baked goods, sparkling ciders and lemonades, salsas, whole bean coffees, frozen pizzas and entrees, and fresh and dry pastas and sauces, as well as an array of ice creams, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts; O ORGANICS line, which comprises milk, chicken, salads, juices, and entrees; Lucerne line of dairy products; Eating Right line of better-for-you products; Bright Green line of home care products; Total Pet Care line of pet foods and pet care products; and Value Red line of value-priced paper goods. As of December 31, 2009, Safeway operated approximately 1,725 stores in California, Oregon, Wash ington, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba/Saskatchewan. In addition, the company owns and operates GroceryWorks.com Operating Company, LLC, an online grocery channel, doing business under the names Safeway.com, Vons.com, and Genuardis.com; and Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., which provides third-party gift cards, prepaid cards, telecom cards, and sports and entertainment cards to North American retailers for sale to retail customers. Additionally, it engages in gift card businesses in the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, and Australia. Further, the company, through a 49% ownership interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V. operates 156 food and general merchandise stores in Western Mexico. The company was formerly known as Safeway Stores, Incorporated and changed its name to Safeway Inc. in February 1990. Safeway was founded in 1915 and is based in Pleasanton, California.

Hot Paper Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ)

Mondelez International, Inc. (Mondelez International), formerly Kraft Foods Inc., incorporated on December 7, 2000, is a maker of chocolate, biscuits, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages. The Company consists of the global snacking and food brands. Mondelez International's portfolio includes several brands, such as Cadbury and Milka chocolate, Jacobs coffee, LU, Nabisco and Oreo biscuits, Tang powdered beverages and Trident gums. The Company�� products include chocolates, cookies, gums, beverages and crackers. Alpen Gold is a chocolate brand in Russia. Alpen Gold is available in chocolate bars, boxed chocolates and creamy, mouth-watering pralines. Its markets include Poland, Russia and Ukraine. Bubbaloo is a gum brand sold in more than 25 countries and three different continents, including India, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. Belvita are breakfast biscuits made with wholegrain, cereals and fiber. It is sold in Belgium, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.

The Cadbury Creme Egg brand is available annually from New Year�� Day to Easter Day. It is sold in Australia, Canada, New Zealand the United Kingdom and the United States. Carte Noire is the coffee brand in France. It is sold in France, Ireland, Russia, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Chips Ahoy! cookies are chocolate chip cookies packed with chocolate chips. It is sold in Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, Mexico, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, the United States and Venezuela. Club Social is a cracker in Brazil and Latin America. The newest addition to the Club Social family is Club Social chips in Argentina, available in original, parmesano, and cream and onion flavors. Cote d'Or is a chocolate brand sold in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Middle East, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Cadbury Dairy Milk is a milk chocolate bar sold in 33 countries, including Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and available in more than! 23 varieties, like fruit and nut, WholeNut, Snack, Caramello and Breakaway. Dentyne is a gum to aid in oral hygiene sold in Canada and the United States.

Cadbury Flake is chocolate bars sold in Australia, Egypt, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Gevalia brand offers more than 50 varieties of coffee and 20 choices of tea, and sold in the United States, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the United States. Grand Mere coffee brand is sold at France. Green & Black�� is a chocolate brand and also includes gift chocolates, ice cream, biscuits and hot beverages. Halls is sold as a cold relief product. Halls is used as a refreshing candy. Halls products are available in more than 26 flavors.

Hollywood gum is a chewing gum in France. Jacobs coffee is sold throughout Europe and the Middle East, and in Austria, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. Jacobs is available in roast and ground, whole beans, soluble crystals, coffee pods and flavored mixes. Kenco coffee is a coffee brand sold in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Lacta is a chocolate in Brazil. It also includes Bis chocolate wafers, Sonho de Valsa pralines and Lacta white chocolate.

LU biscuits are available in 100 countries. Other international brands under the LU name include Petit Dejuener, Mikado, Pepito (Mini Stars), Cracotte, Ourson and Tuc. Milka is a European chocolate. Marabou is a chocolate brand in Sweden. Nabisco�� brands include cookies and crackers. Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs includes 12 varieties, such as Chips Ahoy! Thin Crisps, Oreo Thin Crisps, Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookie Crisps, Ritz Snack Mix, Planters Peanut Butter Cookie Crisps, Kraft Cheese Nips Thin Crisps, Wheat Thins Multigrain Chips, Ritz Chips, Honey Maid Cinnamon Thin Crisps, Mini Teddy Grahams Cinnamon Cubs, Alpha-Bits Mini Cookies and Barnum�� Animals Choco Crackers.

Nutter Butter are sandwich cookies sold in the United States. Nilla wafers include original, reduced-fat and mini wafers. Newtons! are whol! esome snack made with real fruit. It also offers Newtons Fruit Thins and Fruit Crisps. The Natural Confectionery Company is a candy product. Onko offers coffee mixes in cappuccino flavors.

Oreo is a milk favorite cookie. Oreo is available in many flavors and varieties, such as chocolate covered, wafers, pie crusts and soft snack cakes. Premium saltine crackers come in six varieties, including unsalted tops, original, fat-free, low-sodium, soup and oyster and multi-grain. Prince biscuits are available in more than eight countries, including Algeria, Austria, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. Prince biscuits come in creme-filled sandwiches, rolls and chocolate-covered varieties.

Stimorol is a chewing gum brand in Northern Europe, as well as 40 other markets from Greenland to Fiji. Simmenthal is a canned meat in jelly. Simmenthal�� products include beef in jelly with chili and chicken in jelly with curry. Tang is available in more than 30 countries and is a powdered beverage. Tassimo is a hot beverage system, which helps in making coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cappuccino, espresso and lattes. Toblerone is a Swiss chocolate bar made with honey and almond nougat. Trakinas is a creme-filled sandwich cookie.

Trident is a chewing gum brand in the world. Triscuit varieties include original, reduced fat, cheddar, cracked pepper and olive oil, fire roasted tomato and olive oil, garden herb, deli-style rye, roasted garlic, thin crisps, and rosemary and olive oil. Wheat Thins are wheat crackers in a variety of flavors, including sundried tomato and basil, multigrain and parmesan basil.

Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: Gruma SAB de CV (GMK)

Gruma, S.A.B. de C.V. (GRUMA), incorporated on December 24, 1971, is a holding company and conduct its operations through subsidiaries. The Company is engaged principally in the production, distribution and sale of corn flour in Mexico. Its commercial names are GRUMA and MASECA. The Company has operations in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, as well as Ecuador, which the Company includes as part of its Central American operations. Its products include tortillas, corn flour, and other tortilla related products. The Company�� subsidiaries include Grupo Industrial Maseca, S.A.B. de C.V. (GIMSA), Molinera de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (Molinera de Mexico), Gruma Corporation, Azteca Milling, LP, Gruma de Guatemala, S.A., Derivados de Maiz Alimenticio, S.A., Derivados de Maiz de Honduras, S.A. (Gruma Centroamerica) and Industrializadora y Comercializadora de Palmito, S.A. On November 16, 2011, the Company, through its subsidiary Gruma International Foods, S.L., acquired Semolina A.S.

On April 15, 2011, the Company, through its subsidiary Gruma Corporation, acquired the business of manufacturing, distributing and selling of corn and wheat flour tortillas of Albuquerque Tortilla Company. On August 25, 2011, the Company, through its subsidiary Gruma Corporation, acquired the business of manufacturing, distributing and selling of corn and wheat flour tortillas of Casa de Oro Foods. On July 13, 2011, the Company, through its subsidiary Gruma International Foods, S.L., acquired Solntse Mexico.

U.S. and European Operations

The Company conducts its United States and European operations principally through its subsidiary, Gruma Corporation, which manufactures and distributes corn flour, packaged tortillas, corn chips and related products. Gruma Corporation operates primarily through its Mission Foods division, which produces tortillas and related products, and Azteca Milling, L.P., a limited partnership between Gruma Corporation (80%) and Archer-Daniels-Mi! dland (20%) which produces corn flour. Mission Foods manufactures and distributes packaged corn and wheat tortillas and related products (which include tortilla chips) under the MISSION and GUERRERO brand names in the United States, as well as other regional brands. Mission Foods serves both retail and food service customers. Azteca Milling distributes approximately 40% of the corn flour it produces to Mission Foods��plants throughout the United States and Europe. Azteca Milling�� third-party customers consist of other tortilla manufacturers, corn chip producers, retail customers and wholesalers.

The Company competes with Ole Mexican Foods, Reser�� Fine Foods, Tyson, Bimbo, Hormel Foods, General Mills and Santa Maria.

Mexican Operations

The Company in Mexico is engaged in the business of manufacturing and sale of corn flour, which it conducts through its subsidiary GIMSA. Through its association with Archer-Daniels-Midland, it has also entered the wheat milling business in Mexico through Molinera de Mexico. Its other subsidiaries engage in the manufacturing and distribution of packaged tortillas and other related products in northern Mexico, conduct research and development regarding corn flour and tortilla manufacturing equipment, produce machinery for corn flour and tortilla production and construct its corn flour manufacturing facilities.

GIMSA also produces wheat flour and other related products. It sells corn flour in Mexico mainly under the brand name MASECA. GIMSA produces approximately 50 varieties of corn flour for the manufacture of different food products. It sells corn flour to tortilla and tortilla chip manufacturers, as well as in the retail market. GIMSA sells packaged corn flour in bulk principally to thousands of small tortilla manufacturers (tortillerias), which purchase in 20-kilogram sacks and produce tortillas on their premises for sale to local markets. GIMSA also sells corn flour in bulk to supermarkets��in-store tortill! erias and! snack manufacturers. GIMSA owns 19 corn flour mills, all of which are located throughout Mexico. GIMSA also owns two plants, one of which produces wheat flour and the other, corn grits and several types of corn based products. Its wheat flour brands are REPOSADA, PODEROSA and SELECTA. The Company owns and operates nine wheat flour plants, including one of which it hold a 40% ownership interest.

The Company competes with Grupo Minsa, S.A. de C.V., OPTIMASA , Trimex, Tablex, La Espiga, Elizondo, and Anahuac.

Central American Operations

Gruma Centroamerica produces corn flour, and tortillas and snacks. The Company also cultivates and sells hearts of palm and process and sells rice. It sells corn flour under the MASECA, TORTIMASA, MASARICA and MINSA brands. In Costa Rica, it sells packaged tortillas under the TORTI RICA and MISION brands. The Company operates a Costa Rican snack operation, which manufactures tortilla chips, potato chips and similar products under the TOSTY, RUMBA, and LA TICA brand. Hearts of palm are exported to numerous European countries as well as the United States, Canada, Chile and Mexico. 79% of Gruma Centroamerica�� sales volume during the year ended December 31, 2011, derived from the sale of corn flour. It had an annual installed production capacity of 350 thousand tons for corn flour and other products as of December 31, 2011.

The Company competes with Del Comal, Dona Blanca, Selecta, Bachoza and Instamasa.

Gruma Venezuela

As of December 31, 2011, it owned 72.86% in MONACA. In addition, it owned 57% in DEMASECA. Gruma Venezuela produces and distributes corn flour, as well as wheat flour, rice, oats and other products. It sells corn flour under the brand names JUANA and DEMASA. The Company sells wheat flour under the ROBIN HOOD, FLOR DE TRIGO and POLAR brand, rice under the MONICA brand and oats under the LASSIE brand. It operates five corn flour plants, five wheat flour plants, two rice plants, one! pasta pl! ant, and two plants that produce oats and spices in Venezuela with a total annual production capacity of 823 thousand tons as of December 31, 2011.

The Company competes with Alimentos Polar, Industria Venezolana Maizera PROAREPA, Asoportuguesa, La Lucha and Cargill.

Top 5 Food Companies To Watch In Right Now: MicroFinancial Incorporated(MFI)

Microfinancial Incorporated, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialized commercial finance company that provides microticket equipment leasing and rental, and other financing services in the United States. The company provides financing alternatives, and leases and rents commercial equipment to start-up and established businesses for use in their daily operations. It leases water filtration systems, food service equipment, security equipment, point-of-sale cash registers, salon equipment, health care and fitness equipment, and automotive equipment. The company primarily sources its originations through a network of independent equipment vendors, sales organizations, and other dealer-based origination networks. Microfinancial Incorporated was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.