What else can be said about the stellar performance of frozen foods in 2020? Every single category saw unprecedented leaps in year-over-year (YOY) growth, driven by a population immersed in pandemic precautions, and consequently eating the majority of their meals at home.
Frozen foods offer the combination of convenience, variety, value and longevity that many other foods can’t match, and were perfectly suited to 2020’s homebound circumstances. Approximately 7% of consumers bought frozen foods for the first time in 2020, according to the American Frozen Food Institute’s (AFFI) most recent Power of Frozen report, which was compiled with market research firm IRI.
Other statistics from 2020 tell the story of an extraordinary year for the industry. These numbers come from AFFI’s Power of Frozen report, and from the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), who compiled retail frozen food sales in 2020 with market research firm Nielsen:
- Frozen foods sold $67.5 billion in 2020, moving 17.3 billion units, an increase of nearly 21% from 2019. In contrast, the YOY growth for frozen foods from 2018 to 2019 was just 2% (NFRA).
- During the peak pandemic purchasing timeframe (March 2020), YOY sales of frozen foods were 53% higher than March 2019 (AFFI).
- Ice cream and frozen novelties combined for $14.4 billion, up from $11.3 billion in 2019 (AFFI and NFRA).
- Frozen seafood saw the largest gain of any product, selling $1.6 billion more than 2019, for a total of $6.8 billion—a 35% YOY increase (AFFI).
- Frozen pizza sold $6.1 billion, while frozen entrées sold $10.3 billion, for a combined $16.4 billion, compared to $9.3 billion in 2019 (AFFI and NFRA).
- Approximately 9% of consumers purchased kitchen appliances in 2020 to cook frozen foods at home. These include air fryers, Instant Pots, pizza ovens, and more (AFFI).
- About 77% of total frozen food sales in 2020 were from national brands, down from 80.4% in 2015. Private label growth increased during that time by 22.8%, but national brands still dominate with $7.3 billion in sales, compared to $2.8 billion for private label foods in 2020 (AFFI).
- Approximately 70% of frozen foods customers are interested in plant-based options today, with the majority of them adopting a flexitarian diet, as opposed to straight vegan or vegetarian eating (AFFI).
- Among high-frequency frozen foods consumers, 46% say resealable packaging is very important, while 37% say sustainable frozen foods packaging is also very important (AFFI).
- The continued rise of e-commerce for frozen foods (home delivery, curbside pickup, direct-to-consumer shipping) was boosted by pandemic precautions for shoppers, accounting for $7.4 billion in sales—a 75% increase over 2019 (AFFI).
The success of frozen foods in 2021 will depend on several factors, including whether people have made purchasing, cooking and consuming frozen foods a permanent at-home habit, and whether foodservice—which was essentially wiped out by COVID-19—makes a full comeback with on-premise dining.
From any perspective though, it looks like frozen foods are poised to continue growing in 2021, and while they likely won’t reach the sales peaks of 2020, anything close to double-digit YOY growth in 2021 will be viewed as a major success, particularly since YOY growth for frozen foods was stuck in the low single digits (or even negative growth) for years before 2020.
*Click the image to see a larger version
All meal occasions—dinner, lunch, snacks and breakfast—are contributing to an increase in frozen food purchases.
Our Rankings
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ annual Top 150 Frozen Foods Processors Report is a snapshot of the top 25 frozen foods processors in six categories: Meals & Entrees; Snacks, Appetizers & Sides; Meat, Poultry & Seafood; Dairy; Fruits & Vegetables; and Bakery.
This report represents Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ best efforts to reflect recent sales data based on annual reports, news releases, and statistics from our sister publications Dairy Foods and National Provisioner, and other business media sources. Because most companies do not separate frozen sales from their total sales, the figures are either company-wide or segmented by region (North American sales, for example).
If you work for a company on this list and know the approximate sales data of the frozen products your business produces, please contact me and I will update this page.
Meals & Entrées
Frozen pizza sold $6.1 billion in 2020—an increase of $885 million over 2019—with a year-over-year dollar growth of +9.4%, according to the AFFI/IRI Power of Frozen report.
Entrées and Pizza Combine for 25% of all Frozen Food Sales in 2020
According to the latest AFFI/IRI Power of Frozen report, prepared frozen meals and entrées sold $10.3 billion in 2020—$885 million more than 2019, with a YOY dollar growth of +9.4%. Meals and entrées made up 15.7% of all frozen food sales in 2020.
Frozen pizza accounted for $6.1 billion, which is $981 million more than 2019, for a +19% YOY dollar growth. Pizza was 9.3% of all frozen food sales in 2020. Combined, entrées and pizza sold $16.4 billion in 2020, and comprised 25% of all frozen food purchases.
Handheld entrées sold $1.19 billion in 2020, a YOY increase of +14.2%, according to NRFA/Nielsen retail statistics. Meanwhile, frozen breakfast meals increased to $508 million, up from $405 million in 2019.
Frozen meals, like this spicy shrimp and rice bowl, accounted for 15.7% of all frozen food sales in 2020.
Significant Events in 2020
- Tyson Foods named Dean Banks to succeed Noel White as president & CEO. The company also named Donnie King as president of Tyson’s poultry business, and from a product standpoint, Tyson updated its line of Instant Pot meal kits in response to the pandemic-driven increase in family meals at home, and the corresponding rise in cooking fatigue.
- Minnesota-based Schwan’s announced plans to expand its Salina, Kansas, frozen pizza plant by 400,000 square feet, to be completed in 2023. The company also launched five new frozen products under their Red Baron, Freschetta, Pagoda, and Edwards brands in 2020. In personnel news, Schwan’s promoted Julie Francis to COO.
- Schwan’s parent company—Korean-headquartered CJ CheilJedang—announced plans to build a new 700,000-square-foot production facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to be completed by 2025. The plant will produce frozen Asian foods, sold and distributed by Schwan’s and CJ Foods.
- Milwaukee-based Palermo Villa rolled out several new varieties of pizza under its Urban Pie, Screamin’ Sicilian, Palermo’s, Primo Thin, and Neighborhood Pizzeria lines, including hemp seed crust, rising crust, Wisconsin co-branded Leinenkugel Beer and Johnsonville Brats pies, and more.
- Chicago-based Devanco Foods was named Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2020 Frozen Foods Processor of the Year, for their focus on the freezercase during the pandemic, with family-friendly build-at-home meal kits.
Snacks, Appetizers & Side Dishes
Frozen meatballs sold $96 million in 2020--an increase of 8.8% over 2019-- according to NFRA/Nielsen stats.
Demand for Comfort Food During the Pandemic Helps Drive Snack and Small Bites Sales
Appetizers, snacks and side dishes took a giant leap in sales last year, due to the increased demand for convenient comfort food during the pandemic. The AFFI/IRI Power of Frozen report shows $2.9 billion in frozen appetizer/snack sales last year, a gain of $532 million over 2019, with dollar growth at +22.1%. Side dishes sold $1.4 billion—an increase of $50 million over 2019—with +3.8% dollar growth.
Diving deeper, frozen potato products generated $2.3 billion across all categories, an increase of 26.5% over 2019, according to NFRA/Nielsen retail stats. Frozen sandwiches sold $2 billion, which is a YOY increase of 16%, and frozen breakfast sandwiches sold $1.5 billion, a gain of 20.1% compared to 2019.
Significant Events in 2020
Cheese sticks, like these breaded mozzarella appetizers, sold $289 million in 2020, a 36% increase over 2019, according to NFRA/Nielsen statistics.
- Conagra launched more than 24 new sides, snacks, and plant-based products under its Bird’s Eye, Healthy Choice, Gardein, Marie Callender’s, Blake’s, and EVOL brands, responding to the rise in demand for frozen foods during the pandemic.
- Del Monte Foods launched a line of frozen plant-based handheld pockets and appetizers under the Veggieful brand.
- Tyson’s Jimmy Dean brand debuted frozen plant-based breakfast sandwiches in English muffin and croissant varieties.
- Frozen appetizer processor Farm Rich had a busy year. They conducted a study with OnePoll showing 2 in 3 Americans were eating more comfort food due to the pandemic. Farm Rich was also named the official frozen snack sponsor of the SEC Conference through 2022; they launched the plant-based Garden Inspirations line of breaded cauliflower and zucchini appetizers; they partnered with Disney for Mickey and Minnie Mouse breaded mozzarella snacks; and they rolled out breaded sweet onion petals with Aussie dipping sauce.
- Monogram Foods partnered with snack companies Utz and Zapp’s for a line of breaded appetizers using Utz and Zapp’s signature flavors.
- Frozen potato giant McCain Foods was featured in Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ December issue, detailing the company’s progress since McCain’s 2012 R&FF cover story.
Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Frozen seafood—like this salmon filet—had the highest year-over-year dollar growth of any frozen product in 2020, at +35.3%, according to the AFFI/IRI Power of Frozen report.
Meat Sales Soared in 2020, as Processors Tried to Keep Up with Demand
First, the good news: the top two foods among all frozen categories in terms of YOY dollar growth were seafood (+35.3%) and poultry (+34%), at $6.8 billion, and $6 billion in sales, respectively, according to the AFFI/IRI Power of Frozen report. All frozen meats combined accounted for $16.1 billion, compared to $10.7 billion in 2019.
Now, the not so good news: in order to keep up with record demand, some meat processors were lax in monitoring the health of their employees during the peak of the pandemic, leading to plant shutdowns, hiccups in the supply chain, and in one highly publicized case, the dismissal of management at one factory for wagering how many frontline workers would contract COVID-19. No doubt these stories are giving companies that process plant- and cell-based meats plenty of PR fuel as they try to gain market share.
Speaking of alternative proteins, the AFFI/IRI report details which generations are most interested in plant-based meats: younger millennials top the demographics at 56% among their generational peers, followed by older millennials (53%), Gen Z (50%), Gen X (45%) and baby boomers (22%).
Significant Events in 2020
Cuts of frozen beef sold $1.5 billion in 2020, according to NFRA/Nielsen statistics. Meanwhile, frozen ground beef patties sold $1 billion.
- Dennis Organ was named president & CEO of Smithfield Foods, and subsequently appointed 16 others to his executive leadership team.
- Butterball promoted Neal Walsh to COO, Bill Folk to VP of operations, and Darrell Bradfield to director of corporate safety, health and security. Butterball also announced an $8.7 million investment in two of its Arkansas processing plants. Finally, former Butterball CEO Kerry Doughty passed away after a battle with cancer.
- President & CEO Jim Walstrom of Morey’s Seafood left the company after 26 years.
- Wayne Farms launched a line of frozen chicken breast products called Chef’s Craft, sold at 2,400 Walmarts and more than 1,000 Food Lion stores.
- Foster Farms debuted a line of frozen pizzas called Smart Crust, featuring a chicken breast-based crust.
Cuts of frozen beef sold $1.5 billion in 2020, according to NFRA/Nielsen statistics. Meanwhile, frozen ground beef patties sold $1 billion.
Dairy
According to the AFFI/IRI report, ice cream sales were $7.9 billion in 2020—up $1 billion from 2019.
Ice Cream and Frozen Novelties Combine for $14.4 Billion in 2020
Ice cream and frozen novelties once again ruled the frozen dairy aisle in 2020, reaching unprecedented sales heights due to the pandemic and strong demand for comfort food by consumers. According to the AFFI/IRI report, ice cream sales were $7.9 billion—up $1 billion from 2019—with dollar growth of +15.2%. Frozen novelties sold $6.5 billion, an increase of $918 million, with dollar growth of +15.2%. The $14.4 billion in combined sales exceeds 2019’s total of $11.3 billion.
Nestlé—at or near the top of this list for several years—has been replaced by the company that purchased all of Nestlé USA’s ice cream brands, Froneri. That $4 billion transaction became official in January, 2020, and now Froneri produces ice cream and novelties for the Haagen-Dazs, Dreyer’s, Drumstick, Edy’s, Skinny Cow, and Outshine brands in the U.S. market, while General Mills still has the overseas rights to Haagen-Dazs.
Ice cream cakes sold $283 million in 2020, according to NFRA/Nielsen statistics.
We won’t know the full extent of Froneri’s ice cream revenues from the Nestlé transaction until Froneri releases their 2020 annual report, which usually comes out at the end of June. Currently, Froneri is the world’s second largest ice cream producer, after Unilever.
Significant Events in 2020
- Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) completed the acquisition of Dean Foods’ assets for $433 million in May.
- Dippin’ Dots opened a new manufacturing facility in Kentucky focused on expanding the cryogenic process of using liquid nitrogen to flash freeze its products into other industries.
- Unilever rolled out 25 new ice cream flavors and novelties at the end of 2020, under the Talenti, Breyer’s, Klondike, Magnum, Viennetta, and Popsicle brands.
- Danone North America launched a line of dairy-free frozen desserts under the So Delicious Dairy brand, with 330 calories or less per pint.
- Ben & Jerry’s debuted four Netflix-themed ice creams, a Colin Kaepernick-themed flavor, as well as election- and social justice-themed flavors.
- J&J Snack Foods partnered with Minute Maid for a line of frozen juice sticks.
- Mars ice cream launched co-branded Twix and Snickers ice cream bars, shaped like their namesake candy bars.
Fruits & Vegetables
Frozen mixed vegetables sold nearly $1.1 billion in 2020, an increase of 17.5% over 2019, according to NFRA/Nielsen numbers.
Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Benefit from Pandemic Purchasing
According to the AFFI/IRI report, frozen vegetables sold $3 billion last year, an increase of $403 million, with dollar growth at +15.3%. Frozen fruit saw even higher YOY gains, selling $1.5 billion—an increase of $332 million over 2019—with dollar growth at a robust +29.7%. Combined with frozen potatoes and onions, this segment accounted for 10.2% of all frozen food purchases in 2020.
Significant Events in 2020
Frozen berries accounted for approximately $942.8 million in 2020 sales, according to NFRA/Nielsen statistics.
Blueberries led the way with $327 million in sales, followed by strawberries at $275 million, and mixed berries at $259 million.
- Joe Yanda succeeded Glen Tellock as president & CEO of Lakeside Foods.
- Robert Van Der Geest was named GM of Nature Fresh Farms’ Mexico operations.
- John Warehime, CEO of Hanover Foods, passed away in March.
- Former Lamb Weston President & CEO Bobby Horowitz passed away at 71.
- Brad Vesterby, director of sales at Firestone Pacific Foods, passed away after battling cancer.
- B&G Foods’ Green Giant brand rolled out several new products, including cauliflower-based breadsticks, rings, and fries; three new flavors for the Simply Steam line of frozen vegetables, new varieties of grilled vegetables, and a riced cauliflower medley.
- Frozen plant-based brand Ark Foods announced plans for a new 15,000-square-foot production facility in New Jersey.
- Path of Life expanded distribution of its products into California, Hawaii and Texas.
- Wholly Veggie debuted a line of plant-based cauliflower wings, and increased distribution to 1,200 Target stores.
Bakery
According to NFRA/Nielsen numbers, frozen pies sold $545 million in 2020, a YOY increase of 9.4%, while frozen pie crust sold $98 million, a 12% rise over 2019.
Frozen Bakery Sees Rising Sales in 2020
According to the AFFI/IRI numbers, frozen bread and dough sales accounted for $1.3 billion, an increase of $187 million over 2019, for a healthy dollar growth of +17.2%. Frozen desserts made up $792 million in sales, a gain of $119 million with dollar growth of +17.7%. Meanwhile, frozen pies sold $731 million, an increase of $69 million YOY, with dollar growth of +10.5%.
At the peak of pandemic purchasing last March, one of the curiosities as consumers stockpiled comfort foods was the astronomical sales of frozen cookie dough, which at the time was seeing a 570.4% YOY increase, according to IRI. By the end of 2020, NFRA/Nielsen stats show frozen cookie dough had sold $17 million, a YOY gain of 149.4%. That $17 million figure was comprised mostly of chocolate chip cookie dough, which sold $13.5 million—a YOY increase of 191%. This is perhaps the best example to quantify just how far from normal the pandemic drove frozen food sales in 2020.
Significant Events in 2020
Frozen specialty desserts sold $41.4 million in 2020, according to NFRA/Nielsen retail statistics.
- Gonnella transitioned from fresh bread production to a frozen dough business model in February.
- Mondelez purchased Give and Go Prepared Foods for $1.2 billion.
- The Fillo Factory acquired gluten-free frozen bakery brand GeeFree.
- Dawn Foods sold its North American frozen bakery business to Rise Baking Company.
- Sara Lee Frozen Bakery acquired Cyrus O’Leary’s Pies.
- Flowers Foods restructured the company and created separate departments for innovation, cake, and snacking. Flowers also hired Brad Cashaw as chief supply chain officer, and promoted Heeth Varnedoe to chief transformation officer.
- Soozy’s Grain-Free launched frozen plant-based bagels and breads at Whole Foods.
- TOAST-IT debuted frozen Venezuelan arepas in two varieties.
The Reports
| Rank | Company Name |
HQs | Top Executive | FY 2020 Sales | FY Ended | Product | No. of Plants* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyson Foods Inc. | Springdale, AR | Dean Banks, President & CEO | $43.1B | 10/3/2020 | Meals, entrées, dinners, pizza, breakfast items, handheld sandwiches | 110 |
| 2 | Nestlé, Zone Americas | Arlington, VA (U.S.A.); North York, Ontario (Canada); Mexico City (Mexico) | Laurent Freixe, CEO, Zone Americas | $37.4B | 12/31/2020 | Meals, pizza, meal kits, pasta dishes, handheld sandwiches, breakfast items | 114: 79 U.S.; 17 Mexico; 18 Canada |
| 3 | The Kraft Heinz Co. | Chicago, IL & Pittsburgh, PA | Miguel Patricio, CEO | $26.1B | 12/26/2020 | Meals, entrées, pizza, breakfast items, pasta dinners | 80 |
| 4 | General Mills Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | Jeff Harmening, Chairman & CEO | $17.6B | 5/31/2020 | Pizza, entrées, sandwiches, pasta meals, breakfast items | 24 |
| 5 | Kellogg's | Battle Creek, MI | Steve Cahillane, Chairman & CEO | $13.7B | 12/31/2020 | Entrées, breakfast items, sandwiches | 5 |
| 6 | Conagra Brands | Chicago, IL | Sean Connolly, President & CEO | $11.1B | 5/31/2020 | Meals, entrées, pot pies, pasta dishes, meal kits, breakfast items, handheld sandwiches | 32 |
| 7 | Hormel Foods Corp. | Austin, MN | Jim Snee, Chairman, President & CEO | $9.6B | 10/25/2020 | Meals, sandwiches, handheld items, breakfast items | 35 |
| 8 | Ajinomoto Foods North America | Ontario, CA | Sumio Maeda, CEO | $4.5B | 3/31/2020 | Global entrées, pasta meals, meal kits, sandwiches, breakfast items | 8 |
| 9 | J. R. Simplot Co. | Boise, ID | Garrett Lofto, President & CEO | $4.2B** | 9/30/2020 | Meals, entrées | 20 |
| 10 | Rich Products Corp. | Buffalo, NY | Richard Ferranti, CEO | $4B** | 12/31/2020 | Meals, entreés, pizza, sandwiches, breakfast items | 41 |
| 11 | Koch Foods | Park Ridge, IL | Joseph Grendys, President & CEO | $3.6B** | 12/31/2020 | Chicken meals | 18 |
| 12 | Schwan's Co. | Marshall, MN | Dimitrios Smyrnios, CEO | $2.55B | 12/31/2020 | Meals, pizza | 17 |
| 13 | The Hain Celestial Group | Lake Success, NY | Mark Schiller, President & CEO | $2.05B | 6/30/2020 | Meals, entreés | 23 |
| 14 | ARYZTA North America | Los Angeles, CA | Tyson Yu, CEO | $1.54B | 7/31/2020 | Pizza, breakfast items | 19 |
| 15 | Bob Evans Farms, Inc. | New Albany, OH | J. Michael Townsley, President, CEO & Chairman | $961M** | 9/30/2020 | Sandwiches, breakfast items | 2 |
| 16 | Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. | Siloam Springs, AR | Joe Sappenfield, President | $940M** | 12/31/2020 | Entrées, breakfast items | 6 |
| 17 | High Liner Foods | Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada | Rod Hepponstall, President & CEO | $827.5M | 1/2/2021 | Seafood entreés | 3 |
| 18 | Ruiz Food Products Inc. | Dinuba, CA | Kimberly Ruiz Beck, Chairman | $785M** | 10/31/2020 | Mexican entrées, meals, dinners | 3 |
| 19 | Monogram Foods | Memphis, TN | Karl Schledwitz, Chairman & CEO | $760M** | 12/31/2020 | Entrées, sandwiches, breakfast items | 8 |
| 20 | Amy's Kitchen Inc. | Santa Rosa, CA | Andy Berliner, CEO & Co-Founder | $480M** | N.A. | Entrées, pizza, burritos, wraps, global meals | 4 |
| 21 | Request Foods Inc. | Holland, MI | Steve DeWitt, President | $379M** | 9/30/2020 | Meals, entrées, breakfast items, pasta dishes, side dishes | 2 |
| 22 | Palermo Villa Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | Giacomo Fallucca, Chairman & CEO | $281.8M** | 12/31/2020 | Pizza, sandwiches, handheld items | 1 |
| 23 | On-Cor Frozen Foods, LLC | Aurora, IL | Sheldon Lavin, Chairman & CEO, OSI Group | $200M** | 12/31/2019 | Entrées, pasta meals, breakfast items | 2 |
| 24 | Nation Pizza and Foods | Schaumburg, IL | Richard Auskalnis, President | $197.6M** | 10/31/2020 | Pizza, sandwiches | 2 |
| 25 | Inn Foods Inc. | Watsonville, CA | Mike Randle, President & CEO | $125M** | 12/31/2020 | Entrées, meal kits, pasta meals, breakfast items | 1 |
| Rank | Company Name |
HQs | Top Executive | FY 2020 Sales | FY Ended | Product | No. of Plants* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyson Foods Inc. | Springdale, AR | Dean Banks, President & CEO | $43.1B | 10/3/2020 | Appetizers, side dishes, breakfast items | 110 |
| 2 | Nestlé, Zone Americas | Arlington, VA (U.S.A.); North York, Ontario (Canada); Mexico City (Mexico) | Laurent Freixe, CEO, Zone Americas | $37.4B | 12/31/2020 | Handheld foods, side dishes, breakfast items | 114: 79 U.S.; 17 Mexico; 18 Canada |
| 3 | The Kraft Heinz Co. | Chicago, IL & Pittsburgh, PA | Miguel Patricio, CEO | $26.1B | 12/26/2020 | Appetizers, snacks, breakfast items | 80 |
| 4 | General Mills Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | Jeff Harmening, Chairman & CEO | $17.6B | 5/31/2020 | Appetizers, breakfast items | 24 |
| 5 | Conagra Brands | Chicago, IL | Sean Connolly, President & CEO | $11.1B | 5/31/2020 | Breakfast items, handheld foods | 50 |
| 6 | McCain Foods | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Max Koeune, President & CEO | $10.2B** | 6/30/2020 | Potato specialties, snacks | 51 |
| 7 | Hormel Foods Corp. | Austin, MN | Jim Snee, Chairman, President & CEO | $9.6B | 10/25/2020 | Burritos, tacos, appetizers, handheld foods | 35 |
| 8 | Ajinomoto Foods North America | Ontario, CA | Sumio Maeda, CEO | $4.5B | 3/31/2020 | Global snacks | 8 |
| 9 | J. R. Simplot Co. | Boise, ID | Garrett Lofto, President & CEO | $4.2B** | 9/30/2020 | Potato specialties, sides | 20 |
| 10 | Rich Products Corp. | Buffalo, NY | Richard Ferranti, CEO | $4B** | 12/31/2020 | Snacks, appetizers, potato specialties, side dishes | 41 |
| 11 | Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. | Eagle, ID | Tom Werner, President & CEO | $3.79B | 6/30/2020 | Potato specialties | 25 |
| 12 | Koch Foods | Park Ridge, IL | Joseph Grendys, President & CEO | $3.6B** | 12/31/2020 | Chicken nuggets, popcorn chicken | 18 |
| 13 | Schwan's Co. | Marshall, MN | Dimitrios Smyrnios, CEO | $2.55B | 12/31/2020 | Global snacks, appetizers | 17 |
| 14 | Reser's Fine Foods | Beaverton, OR | Mark Reser, President & CEO | $1.63B** | N/A | Frozen burritos | 14 |
| 15 | Del Monte Foods Inc. | Walnut Creek, CA | Greg Longstreet, President & CEO | $1.52B | 5/3/2020 | Snacks, handheld foods | 10 |
| 16 | J&J Snack Foods Corp. | Pennsauken, NJ | Dan Fachner, President | $1.026B | 9/30/2020 | Soft pretzels, pretzel rolls, pocket sandwiches, handheld pies | 16 |
| 17 | Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. | Siloam Springs, AR | Joe Sappenfield, President | $940M** | 12/31/2020 | Chicken items | 6 |
| 18 | Bob Evans Farms, Inc. | New Albany, OH | J. Michael Townsley, President, CEO & Chairman | $961M** | 9/30/2020 | Breakfast items | 2 |
| 19 | Ruiz Food Products Inc. | Dinuba, CA | Kimberly Ruiz Beck, Chairman | $785M** | 10/31/2020 | Appetizers, breakfast items, handheld foods | 3 |
| 20 | Monogram Foods | Memphis, TN | Karl Schledwitz, Chairman & CEO | $760M** | 12/31/2020 | Snacks, potato specialties | 8 |
| 21 | Cavendish Farms | Dieppe, NB, Canada | Robert Irving, President & Co-CEO | $475M** | 12/31/2020 | Potato specialties, breakfast items | 5 |
| 22 | Morrison Lamothe Inc. | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | David Pigott, President | $170.5M | N.A. | Hors d'oeuvres, appetizers, snacks, handheld foods, meat pies | 3 |
| 23 | Bellisio Foods Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | Steve Young, CEO | $169.1M** | 12/31/2020 | Appetizers | 4 |
| 24 | Inn Foods Inc. | Watsonville, CA | Mike Randle, President & CEO | $125M** | 12/31/2020 | Appetizers, potato specialties | 1 |
| 25 | The Fillo Factory/Cuisine Innovations Unlimited | Northvale, NJ, Lakewood, NJ | Ron Rexroth, CEO & Owner | $50M** | 12/31/2020 | Hors d'oeuvres, appetizers | 2 |
*Not all plants produce frozen foods. **2020 FY not available at press time or company declined to confirm figures.
| Rank | Company Name |
HQs | Top Executive | FY 2020 Sales | FY Ended | Product | No. of Plants* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyson Foods Inc. | Springdale, AR | Dean Banks, President & CEO | $43.1B | 10/3/2020 | Chicken, beef, pork, seafood | 110 |
| 2 | JBS USA | Greeley, CO | Andre Nogueira, CEO | $34.9B** | 12/31/2020 | Beef, pork, chicken, lamb | 50 |
| 3 | Cargill Protein | Wichita, KS | Jon Nash, President | $20B** | 5/31/2020 | Beef, poultry | 36 |
| 4 | Sysco Corporation | Houston, TX | Kevin Hourican, President & CEO | $17.9B | 6/27/2020 | Beef, pork, poultry, seafood, game | 17 |
| 5 | Smithfield Foods Inc. | Smithfield, VA | Dennis Organ, President & CEO | $16B** | 12/29/2020 | Pork, processed meats | 42 |
| 6 | Hormel Foods Corp. | Austin, MN | Jim Snee, Chairman, President & CEO | $9.6B | 10/25/2020 | Pork, processed meats | 35 |
| 7 | National Beef Packing Co. | Kansas City, MO | Tim Klein, President & CEO | $8.8B** | 12/31/2020 | Beef, boxed beef | 7 |
| 8 | Perdue Farms | Salisbury, MD | Randy Day, CEO | $7.1B | 3/30/2020 | Poultry, pork | 22 |
| 9 | OSI Group | Aurora, IL | Sheldon Lavin, Chairman & CEO | $6.3B** | 12/31/2020 | Beef, pork, poultry, seafood | 59 |
| 10 | Rich Products Corp. | Buffalo, NY | Richard Ferranti, CEO | $4B** | 12/31/2020 | Beef, pork, poultry, seafood | 41 |
| 11 | Koch Foods | Park Ridge, IL | Joseph Grendys, President & CEO | $3.6B** | 12/31/2020 | Poultry | 18 |
| 12 | Sanderson Farms Inc. | Laurel, MS | Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., Chairman & CEO | $3.5B | 10/31/2020 | Poultry | 13 |
| 13 | American Foods Group, LLC | Green Bay, WI | Steve Van Lannen, President & COO | $3.1B** | 9/30/2020 | Beef | 8 |
| 14 | Foster Farms | Livingston, CA | Dan Huber, CEO | $2.5B** | 12/31/2020 | Poultry | 11 |
| 15 | Mountaire Farms Inc. | Millsboro, DE | Phillip Plylar, President | $2.3B** | 12/31/2020 | Chicken | 4 |
| 16 | Wayne Farms LLC | Oakwood, GA | J. Clinton Rivers, CEO | $2.2B | 3/31/2020 | Chicken | 11 |
| 17 | Greater Omaha Packing Co. Inc. | Omaha, NE | Henry Davis, president, CEO | $1.9B** | 11/1/2020 | Beef | 1 |
| 18 | George's Inc. | Springdale, AR | Carl George and Charles George, Co-CEO/Presidents | $1.8B** | 12/31/2020 | Beef, pork, poultry | 8 |
| 19 | Seaboard Foods, LLC | Merriam, KS | Duke Sand, President & CEO | $1.6B** | 12/31/2020 | Pork | 6 |
| 20 | Butterball LLC | Garner, NC | Jay Jandrain, President & CEO | $1.5B** | 12/31/2020 | Poultry | 6 |
| 21 | Wolverine Packing Co. | Detroit, MI | Jim Bonahoom, President | $1.3B** | 12/31/2020 | Beef, pork, veal, lamb, game, seafood | 3 |
| 22 | Indiana Packers Corp. | Delphi, IN | Russ Yearwood, President & CEO | $1.2B** | 6/30/2021 | Beef, pork, poultry | 4 |
| 23 | Peco Foods Inc. | Tuscaloosa, AL | Mark Hickman, President & CEO | $1B** | 12/31/2020 | Poultry | 7 |
| 24 | Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. | Siloam Springs, AR | Joe Sappenfield, President | $940M** | 12/31/2020 | Poultry | 6 |
| 25 | High Liner Foods | Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada | Rod Hepponstall, President & CEO | $827.5M | 1/2/2021 | Seafood | 3 |
*Not all plants produce frozen meats. **2020 FY not available at press time or company declined to confirm figures.
| Rank | Company Name |
HQs | Top Executive | FY 2020 Sales | FY Ended | Product | No. of Plants* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danone North America | White Plains, NY; Broomfield, CO | Shane Grant, CEO & EVP | $16.1B | 12/31/2020 | Frozen yogurt, frozen desserts | 12 |
| 2 | Unilever USA | Englewood Cliffs, NJ | Fabian Garcia, President | $12.2B | 12/31/2020 | Frozen desserts, frozen novelties | 6 |
| 3 | Dairy Farmers of America Inc. | Kansas City, KS | Rick Smith, President & CEO | $11.3B** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, ice cream mixes, frozen novelties, sherbet, sorbet | 86 |
| 4 | Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. | Edwardsville, IL | Edward Mullins, CEO & EVP | $4.1B** | 9/30/2020 | Ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen novelties | 52 |
| 5 | Rich Products Corp. | Buffalo, NY | Richard Ferranti, CEO | $4B** | 12/31/2020 | Frozen desserts and novelties | 41 |
| 6 | The Kroger Co. | Cincinnati, OH | Rodney McMullen, Chairman & CEO | $3.3B** | 2/1/2020 | Ice cream, frozen novelties | 19 |
| 7 | General Mills Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | Jeff Harmening, Chairman & CEO | $3B | 5/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen novelties | 2 |
| 8 | Schwan's Co. | Marshall, MN | Dimitrios Smyrnios, CEO | $2.55B | 12/31/2020 | Frozen yogurt, ice cream, frozen novelties | 17 |
| 9 | HP Hood LLC | Lynnfield, MA | John Kaneb, President & CEO | $2.4B** | 12/31/2020 | Frozen yogurt, ice cream, frozen desserts, frozen novelties | 13 |
| 10 | Publix Super Markets Inc. | Lakeland, FL | Todd Jones, President & CEO | $1.9B** | 12/28/2020 | Ice cream, frozen yogurt | 3 |
| 11 | HEB Grocery Co. | San Antonio, TX | Ken Jorgensen, Director of Dairy Operations | $1.398B** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen novelties | 2 |
| 12 | Wells Enterprises | Le Mars, IA | Mike Wells, President & CEO | $1.385B** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen desserts, frozen novelties, frozen yogurt | 5 |
| 13 | Albertsons | Boise, ID | Vivek Sankaran, President & CEO | $1.2B | 2/29/2020 | Ice cream, frozen novelties | 2 |
| 14 | J&J Snack Foods Corp. | Pennsauken, NJ | Dan Fachner, President | $1.026B | 9/30/2020 | Fruit bars, frozen beverages | 16 |
| 15 | Froneri | Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, England | Ibrahim Najafi, CEO | $728.7M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen novelties, former Nestle USA brands Haagen-Dazs, Dreyer's, Drumstick, Edy's, Skinny Cow, Outshine | 28 |
| 16 | Crystal Creamery | Modesto, CA | Dennis Roberts, President & CEO | $599M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream | 2 |
| 17 | Blue Bell Creameries | Brenham, TX | Ricky Dickson, President & CEO | $496M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen desserts, frozen novelties | 3 |
| 18 | Byrne Dairy | Lafayette, NY | Carl Byrne, CEO & President | $377M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream | 1 |
| 19 | SmithFoods Inc. | Orrville, OH | Nate Schmid, President | $377M** | 9/30/2020 | Ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen novelties | 2 |
| 20 | Dippin' Dots LLC | Paducah, KY | Scott Fischer, CEO | $330M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, ice | 1 |
| 21 | Producers Dairy Foods Inc. | Fresno, CA | Scott Shehadey, President | $306M** | 9/30/2020 | Ice cream | 2 |
| 22 | Meijer | Grand Rapids, MI | Rick Keyes, President & CEO | $282M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen novelties | 2 |
| 23 | Super Store Industries | Lathrop, CA | Tracy Twomey, President | $275M** | 12/29/2020 | Ice cream | 1 |
| 24 | Clover Sonoma | Petaluma, CA | Marcus Benedetti, President & CEO | $215M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream | 1 |
| 25 | Mars Ice Cream | Burr Ridge, IL | Hank Izzo, CMO | $210M** | 12/31/2020 | Ice cream, frozen novelties | 1 |
*Not all plants produce frozen foods. **2020 FY not available at press time or company declined to confirm figures.
| Rank | Company Name |
HQs | Top Executive | FY 2020 Sales | FY Ended | Product | No. of Plants* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Mills Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | Jeff Harmening, Chairman & CEO | $17.6B | 5/31/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 24 |
| 2 | Conagra Brands | Chicago, IL | Sean Connolly, President & CEO | $11.1B | 5/31/2020 | Vegetables | 32 |
| 3 | McCain Foods | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Max Koeune, President & CEO | $10.2B** | 6/30/2020 | Vegetables | 51 |
| 4 | Ajinomoto Foods North America | Ontario, CA | Sumio Maeda, CEO | $4.5B | 3/31/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 8 |
| 5 | J. R. Simplot Co. | Boise, ID | Garrett Lofto, President & CEO | $4.2B** | 9/30/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 20 |
| 6 | Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. | Eagle, ID | Tom Werner, President & CEO | $3.79B | 6/30/2020 | Vegetables | 25 |
| 7 | Schwan's Co. | Marshall, MN | Dimitrios Smyrnios, CEO | $2.55B | 12/31/2020 | Vegetables | 17 |
| 8 | Grimmway Farms | Bakersfield, CA | Jeff Huckaby, President & CEO | $1.86B** | 9/30/2020 | Vegetables | 19 |
| 9 | B&G Foods Inc. | Parsippany, NJ | David Wenner, President & CEO | $1.66B** | 12/31/2020 | Vegetables | 1 |
| 10 | Goya Foods Inc. | Jersey City, NJ | Robert Unanue, CEO | $1.5B** | 12/31/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 26 |
| 11 | Bonduelle Americas Long Life | Quebec, Canada | Mark McNeil, CEO | $834M | 6/30/2020 | Vegetables | 12 |
| 12 | Oregon Potato Co. | Pasco, WA | Frank Tiegs, President | $819M** | 12/31/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 6 |
| 13 | Cavendish Farms | Dieppe, NB, Canada | Robert Irving, President & Co-CEO | $475M** | 12/31/2020 | Vegetables | 5 |
| 14 | The Pictsweet Co. | Bells, TN | Wesley Eubanks, CEO | $403.3M** | 2/28/2020 | Vegetables | 4 |
| 15 | Hanover Foods Corp. | Hanover, PA | Jeff Warehime, CEO | $401M | 5/31/2020 | Vegetables | 4 |
| 16 | SunOpta Inc. | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Joeseph Ennen, CEO | $349M** | 12/31/2020 | Fruits | 8 |
| 17 | Lakeside Foods Inc. | Manitowoc, WI | Joe Yanda, CEO | $335.7M** | 4/28/2020 | Vegetables | 13 |
| 18 | Twin City Foods, Inc. | Stanwood, WA | Roger Lervick, Chairman & CEO | $225.17M** | 6/30/2020 | Vegetables | 5 |
| 19 | Superior Foods | Watsonville, CA | R. Neil Happee, President & CEO | $225M** | 12/31/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 4 |
| 20 | Bellisio Foods Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | Steve Young, CEO | $169.1M** | 12/31/2020 | Vegetables | 4 |
| 21 | Inn Foods Inc. | Watsonville, CA | Mike Randle, President & CEO | $125M** | 12/31/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 1 |
| 22 | Seabrook Brothers & Sons Inc. | Seabrook, NJ | James M. Seabrook, Jr., CEO | $100.89M** | 6/1/2020 | Vegetables, side dishes | 1 |
| 23 | Smith Frozen Foods, Inc. | Pendleton, OR | Gary Crowder, President & CFO | $92.82M** | 12/31/2020 | Vegetables | 1 |
| 24 | NORPAC Foods Inc. | Salem, OR | Shawn Campbell, President & CEO | $35M** | 9/30/2020 | Fruits, vegetables | 2 |
| 25 | Jasper Wyman & Son, Inc. | Milbridge, ME | Anthony Shurman, President & CEO | $20.17M** | 10/31/2020 | Fruits | 2 |
*Not all plants produce frozen foods. **2020 FY not available at press time or company declined to confirm figures.
| Rank | Company Name |
HQs | Top Executive | FY 2020 Sales | FY Ended | Product | No. of Plants* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyson Foods Inc. | Springdale, AR | Dean Banks, President & CEO | $43.1B | 10/3/2020 | Tortillas, breadsticks | 110 |
| 2 | General Mills Inc. | Minneapolis, MN | Jeff Harmening, Chairman & CEO | $17.6B | 5/31/2020 | Bread, dough | 24 |
| 3 | Conagra Brands | Chicago, IL | Sean Connolly, President & CEO | $11.1B | 5/31/2020 | Dough, bread, cakes, pies | 32 |
| 4 | Flowers Foods Inc. | Thomasville, GA | Ryals McMullian, President & CEO | $4.38B | 1/2/2021 | Bread, cookies, dough | 45 |
| 5 | Rich Products Corp. | Buffalo, NY | Richard Ferranti, CEO | $4B** | 12/31/2020 | Bread, rolls, bagels, biscuits, cookies, cakes, dough, pizza crust | 41 |
| 6 | Schwan's Co. | Marshall, MN | Dimitrios Smyrnios, CEO | $2.55B | 12/31/2020 | Dough, pies | 17 |
| 7 | CSM Bakery Solutions | Atlanta, GA | Marianne Kirkegaard, President & CEO | $2.2B** | 12/31/2020 | Dough, bread, cookies | 8 |
| 8 | Dawn Food Products | Jackson, MI | Carrie Jones-Barber, CEO | $2B** | 12/31/2020 | Cakes, cookies, dough, breakfast items | 57 |
| 10 | Weston Foods | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Luc Mongeau, President | $1.7B** | 12/31/2020 | Bread, cakes, pies, desserts, cookies, rolls, bagels, biscuits | 40 |
| 9 | ARYZTA North America | Los Angeles, CA | Tyson Yu, CEO | $1.54B | 7/31/2020 | Cookie dough, ready-to-bake bread | 19 |
| 11 | Lancaster Colony Corp. | Westerville, OH | David Ciesinski, president & CEO | $1.33B | 6/30/2020 | Garlic bread, rolls | 10 |
| 12 | FGF Brands | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Ojus and Tejus Ajmera, Co-Founders | $1.22B** | N.A. | Desserts, sweet goods, flatbreads, laminated dough | 4 |
| 13 | Europastry | Ronkonkoma, NY | Jean François Duquesne, CEO, North America | $1.027B** | 12/31/2020 | Bread, cookies, dough | 3 |
| 14 | J&J Snack Foods Corp. | Pennsauken, NJ | Dan Fachner, President | $1.026B | 9/30/2020 | Pretzel rolls, cookies, bread, biscuits, pastries | 16 |
| 15 | Hostess Brands | Kansas City, MO | Andrew Callahan, President, CEO & Director | $907.67M** | 12/31/2020 | Baked goods | 5 |
| 16 | Harlan Bakeries, LLC | Avon, IN | Hugh Harlan, President | $843M** | 12/31/2020 | Bread, cookies, dough | 5 |
| 17 | Give and Go Prepared Foods Corp. | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Joel Flatt, President & CEO | $592.66M** | 6/30/2020 | Bread, rolls, bagels, biscuits, dough, cookies, cakes, desserts | 6 |
| 18 | Sara Lee Frozen Bakery | Oakbrook, IL | Craig Bahner, CEO | $548M** | 6/27/2020 | Breads, cakes, pies, pastries, sweet goods | 5 |
| 19 | Turano Baking Co. | Berwyn, IL | Joseph Turano, President | $211M** | 12/31/2020 | Bread | 5 |
| 20 | Bridgford Foods Corp. | Anaheim, CA | John V. Simmons, President | $197.97M | 10/30/2020 | Dough, bread, rolls, biscuits | 5 |
| 21 | Lone Star Bakery | San Antonio, TX | Mac S. Morris Jr., President | $135.34M** | 3/31/2020 | Cakes, sweet goods, dough | 2 |
| 22 | Dianne's Fine Desserts | Newburyport, MA | Mike Knowles, CEO | $104.6M** | 12/31/2020 | Frozen desserts, cakes, cookies, novelties | 2 |
| 23 | Gonnella Baking Co. | Schaumburg, IL | Nick Marcucci, President | $100M** | 12/31/2020 | Bread, dough | 3 |
| 24 | Rhodes Bake-N-Serv | Salt Lake City, UT | Kenny Farnsworth Jr., President | $65M** | 6/30/2020 | Bread, rolls, cinnamon roll dough | 1 |
| 25 | The Fillo Factory/Cuisine Innovations Unlimited | Northvale, NJ, Lakewood, NJ | Ron Rexroth, CEO & Owner | $50M** | 12/31/2020 | Filo dough, puff pastry, ready-to-fill shells/cups, crepes, desserts | 2 |
*Not all plants produce frozen foods. **2020 FY not available at press time or company declined to confirm figures.
