Food & Beverage — Mars $100M Chicago expansion signals consolidation of snack giants as AI reshapes food safety landscape

Food & Beverage · 2026-03-31

Today's developments reveal two major shifts reshaping the Food & Beverage landscape: the acceleration of snack industry consolidation and the mainstream adoption of AI in food safety operations. Mars's $100M investment in Chicago, following its $36B Kellanova acquisition, demonstrates the increasing concentration of snack manufacturing power among fewer players. Meanwhile, the industry's embrace…