The Reinvention Playbook for Legacy Food Brands

Episode Summary

How do global brands balance speed to market with the growing complexity of food regulations and consumer expectations? In this episode of Food Tech Talk: Supply Chain Insights from Farm to Fork, host Katy Jones, CEO of Trustwell, sits down with Charlie Chappell, VP of Innovation and Global Research & Development at The Hershey Company to explore how companies like his can approach innovation, compliance, and consumer trust at scale.

Drawing on more than 25 years of industry experience, Charlie explains why strong alignment between marketing and R&D is essential for successful product development. As clean label demands and transparency expectations continue to grow, brands can no longer rely on technical language or vague claims. Instead, Charlie discusses the value of clear communication and honest labeling in building consumer trust that can go the distance.

The conversation also explores the future of AI in reformulation and food innovation, including the challenge of modeling taste and consumer preference. Charlie shares how digital twins and predictive technologies are already helping teams optimize formulations and accelerate development, while emphasizing that human expertise remains critical when interpreting consumer insights and navigating supply chain disruptions.

Katy and Charlie also discuss why reformulation should be viewed as an opportunity for growth instead of a market pressure reaction. By simplifying ingredient statements, improving product quality, and staying closely connected to consumer expectations, legacy brands can retain the loyalty of longtime fans while staying competitive in an industry where tastes and trends can change very quickly,