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The trouble with making predictions for an agriculture-based industry is that uncontrollable factors have a funny way of intruding.

In a perfect world, everyone’s cholesterol and credit levels would be right where they needed to be, and consumers could enjoy their meals without any outside interference.

Consumer habits are shifting as economic uncertainty, technological advancements and evolving demographics all push shoppers in new directions.

Many external forces, from droughts and other natural disasters to rising corn prices, have greatly impacted the price of beef in recent years.

According to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), there are nearly 40,000 products in a typical supermarket, all competing for the same consumer dollars.

If there is an absolute truth about packaging today, it is that one size does not fit all, and there is no one solution for everyone.

American consumers increasingly choose foods with health and nutrition in mind.

The turkey market downturn that began in 2012 continued into this year.

Profitability, historically, has been a powerful incentive driving chicken production upward and onward.

So far, 2013 has been both a good and bad year for food safety. The good: We have made many advances, laboratory tests are getting faster and more accurate, food-safety programs are becoming more robust, and we have learned a lot about Salmonella and are realizing the true challenge it presents.