From food and ingredient producers to CPG and food services companies, the food industry was well represented on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies lists this year.
To create the list, Fortune ranked companies according to nine criteria based on survey responses gathered from executives, directors, and analysts.
Ranking criteria
- Innovation
- People management
- Use of corporate assets
- Social responsibility
- Quality of management
- Financial soundness
- Long-term investment value
- Quality of products/services
- Global competitiveness
Here are the top five food companies in each industry. Note that all of the companies in the No. 1 spots have been there before.
Food production
- Tyson Foods
- Archer Daniels Midland
- Wilmar International
- Ingredion
- Louis Dreyfus Company
Tyson once again took the top spot in food production, ranking #1 on seven of the nine criteria (all except social responsibility and global competitiveness, for which Tyson was #2). In a press release about the announcement, the company highlighted a new sustainability initiative aimed at helping it achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 30% by 2030.
Consumer food products
- Nestlé
- PepsiCo
- Danone
- Mondelez International
- General Mills
Nestlé is also no stranger to the top spot on this list — it’s been there for more than a decade. Nestlé was also one of the few food companies to make the 50 All-Stars list, where the food and beverage giant came in at #47.
Beverages
- Diageo
- Coca-Cola
- Anheuser-Busch InBev
- Suntory Holdings
- Heineken Holding
Diageo is having a good run. Not only is the company #1 on Fortune’s list, again, but last month it was named Britain’s Most Admired Company 2018 by Management Today. Diageo is also the only food and beverage company to make Glassdoor’s 50 Best Places to Work UK.
Food services
- Starbucks
- Domino’s Pizza
- McDonald’s
- Yum Brands
- Yum China Holdings
Starbucks is also making a repeat appearance in the top spot. Like Tyson, the company ranked #1 in the industry on all but two criteria (quality of management and global competitiveness). Starbucks also made #5 on the 50 All-Stars list and was the only food company to reach the Top 10.
The 50 All-Stars
The All-Stars list is determined differently from the industry rankings. Rather than rating companies on specific criteria, executives, directors, and securities analysts were asked to select the 10 companies they admired most. Five food companies made the list.
- Starbucks (#5)
- Coca-Cola (#15)
- McDonald’s (#37)
- PepsiCo (#41)
- Nestlé (#47)
