Data, the secret ingredient

From Kraft to General Mills Inc to Conagra Brands Inc, big food makers are finally warming up to analytics as they try to become nimbler and more responsive to consumer whims. — Photos: 123rf.com

When a handful of teens took to social media to complain about the paltry size of their microwaveable mac and cheese, Big Food was paying attention.

At Kraft Heinz Co, the corporate behemoth that’s responsible for a lot of the items in the pantry, a “social listening team” picked up on that chatter in late 2019.