US – 7 food companies have been featured in TIME100 Most Influential Companies, a new list—and an expansion of Time Magazine’s iconic TIME100 franchise—that highlights businesses making an extraordinary impact around the world.

In developing the list, TIME says it solicited nominations across sectors including health care, entertainment, transportation, technology and more from its global network of editors and correspondents, as well as from industry experts.

The magazine then evaluated each one on key factors, including relevance, impact, innovation, leadership, ambition and success.

Oatly, Beyon Meat, Tilray- food pioneers

Oatly, Beyond Meat, and Tilray made it to the 100 companies club for their pioneering innovations that had an impact on the food industry.

Sweden-based Oatly was recognized for its role in developing the plant-based dairy market. The company’s products were highly sought after during the onset of the pandemic and it now wants to open one of the world’s largest plant-based “dairy” factories in the U.K.

Beyond Meat inclusion in the list is a no brainer as the company pioneered in plant-based foods and is today one of the faster-growing U.S. food companies; its plant-based proteins dot grocery cases and menus at KFC, Dunkin’ and Pizza Hut.

The 12-year-old company is even destined to become even bigger as it recently signed a three-year deal to become the preferred provider for the McPlant line at McDonald’s.

An interesting addition to the list is Tilrey, the world’s largest cannabis company by annual revenue—more than US$685 million, with potential to grow even further as regulations around cannabis become more regularized.

Yum China- leading innovation in fast food

Yum China, the operator of several fast-food restaurants in China including KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, also made it to the list for its innovation.

The company with over 10,000 restaurants in 1,400 cities in China and has revenues of over US$8 billion was recognized for its early adoption of technology in its operations leading to digital orders accounting for 83% of Yum’s KFC and Pizza Hut sales in the most recent quarter, a 22% increase.

Yum China also deserved a space among the 100 as it is known for setting the pace in new-product innovation: it experiments with hundreds of new food offerings a year, such as salted-egg-yolk rice rolls and sweet pumpkin congee, with best sellers added to menus.

Walmart, Amazon- Industry Titans

When it comes to industry titans, Walmart and Amazon stood out for time for their role in distributing food amid a pandemic.

 Time for instance, noted that Walmart, once reviled as a destroyer of small-town Main Streets, played a critical role in keeping the nation fed and clothed during the pandemic.

The company even went a step further by making its thousands of stores, many in rural, underserved areas, are vaccinating customers.

Amazon, the undisputed e-commerce leader in the world, also made on the list thanks to its crucial role in supplying groceries to homes and for adding over 400,000 jobs in 2020 alone, at a time when most companies were sending people home.

Doordash- saving restaurants from oblivion
DoorDash—the U.S.’s most popular meal-delivery app- made it to the list for disrupting the restaurant business model at a time when it was facing a threat of crumbling down.

The company quickly came to their rescue, offering temporary reductions or exemptions from its commission fees to ensure these restaurants stayed afloat amid one of the most difficult economic environments of our times.

The seven companies form part of a diverse array of 100 institutions, from the tech startup engineering a smarter way to recycle to the cryptocurrency firm reimagining the future of money to the pharma titans creating the vaccines of tomorrow (and today).

“Together, these businesses—and the leaders who steer them—are helping to chart an essential path forward,” Time Magazine said.

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