With a 14 percent sales increase in 2008, Nestle USA and Canada leapfrogged several huge processors to reach No. 1 on our Top 100 list. In what was undeniably a year full of challenges, the industry did fairly well. Only one of the 27 largest companies reported a decrease in sales, and 16 reported increases in net income, as well. Which, of course, means 11 were flat or worse off than they were in 2007.

Clicking on the table headers to sort each column

This Year Last Year Company 2008 Food Sales 2007 Food Sales 2008 Total Company Sales 2008 Net Income* (-loss) 2007 Net Income* (-Loss)
1 4 Nestle (U.S. & Canada) 26477 23300 102962 17089 9460
2 1 Tyson Foods Inc. (9/27/08) 26325 25246 26862 86 268
3 2 Pepsico Inc. 25346 21186 43251 5887 5065
4 3 Kraft Foods Inc. 23956 22876 42201 2901 2590
5 5 Anheuser-Busch InBev 15571 14159 39158 1712 1965
6 6 Dean Foods Co. 12455 11821 12455 184 131
7 7 General Mills Inc. (5/31/09) 12100 11093 14691 1304 1295
8 8 Smithfield Foods Inc. (5/3/09) 10726 9749 12488 -190 129
9 10 Kellogg Co. 8457 7786 12822 1148 1103
10 13 Coca-Cola Co. 8205 7761 31944 5807 5981
11 9 ConAgra Foods Inc. (5/31/09) 8031 7435 12731 978 931
12 12 Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (9/27/08) 8025 7110 8525 -999 47
13 11 JBS USA 8000 7616 13284 11 -104
14 16 Dole Food Co. Inc. 7620 6821 7620 121 -58
15 14 Mars Inc. 7000 7000 22000 NA-Private NA-Private
16 17 Sara Lee Corp. (6/28/08) 6828 6550 13212 -79 504
17 18 Hormel Foods Corp. 6755 6007 6755 286 302
18 15 Unilever North America 6647 6958 56408 7357 6038
19 30 Saputo Inc. (3/31/09) 5793 4000 279 224
20 19 Dr Pepper Snapple Group 5710 5695 5710 -312 497
21 20 Cargill Inc. (5/31/08) 5500 5500 120439 3951 2343
22 21 Campbell Soup Co. (8/03/08) 5448 5113 7998 1165 854
23 22 Maple Leaf Foods 5243 5210 5243 -37 207
24 24 Hershey Co. 5026 4819 5133 311 214
25 26 Procter & Gamble Co. 4852 4589 83503 12075/(477 food) 414 (food)
26 27 H.J. Heinz Co. (4/29/09) 4642 4571 10148 923 845
27 NA MillerCoors (24) 4329 4238 4329 222 282
28 29 Land O’Lakes Inc. 4136 4176 12000 160 161
29 NA Grupo Bimbo 4020 4568 6034 537 589
30 39 J.M. Smucker Co. (4/30/09) 3758 2525 3758 266 170
31 31 Del Monte Foods (4/27/09) 3627 3737 3627 172 133
32 25 Chiquita 3609 3465 3609 -324 -49
33 33 Perdue Farms 3400 3400 4100 NA-Private NA-Private
34 35 Brown-Forman Corp. (4/30/09) 3192 3282 3192 435 440
35 41 Agropur Cooperative (11/1/08) 2824 2450 2824 121 130
35 44 Ralcorp Holdings 2824 2233 2824 168 32
37 36 Interstate Bakeries Corp.(6/2/08) 2798 2917 2798 -144 -112
39 37 Fortune Brands Inc. 2481 2607 7609 311 762
40 45 Flowers Foods Inc. 2415 2037 2415 119 95
40 40 Rich Products Corp. 2400 2500 2800 NA-Private NA-Private
41 43 H.P. Hood Inc. 2200 2300 2200 NA-Private NA-Private
42 46 Constellation Brands (2/28/09) 2196 2031 3655 -301 -613
43 52 Great Lakes Cheese Co. 2150 1775 2150 NA-Private NA-Private
43 55 National Dairy Holdings LP 2150 1606 2150 NA-Private NA-Private
45 51 Colgate-Palmolive Co. 2146 1859 15330 1957 1737
46 50 California Dairies Inc. 2039 1875 3600 NA NA
47 32 Molson Coors Co. 2005 3591 4774 388 497
48 49 Parmalat Canada 2000 1900 2000 NA NA
49 47 Dairy Farmers of America (D) 1989 1915 11700 NA NA
50 48 McCain Foods (6/30/08) C 1813 2246 4868 NA-Private NA-Private
51 62 Michael Foods 1807 1468 1804 47 28
52 28 George Weston Ltd. (Weston Foods) C 1798 2128 32088 645 366
53 34 Schreiber Foods Inc. 1750 1750 3500 NA-Private NA-Private
54 61 Sanderson Farms 1724 1475 1724 -43 79
55 58 Canada Bread Co. 1708 1514 1708 65 84
56 56 Associated Milk Producers 1700 1600 1700 11 4.6
57 54 Schwan Food Co. 1700 1700 3400 NA-Private NA-Private
58 57 Foremost Farms USA 1617 1590 1617 NA NA
59 68 Pinnacle Foods 1556 1138 1556 -29 -49
60 59 Darigold (3/31/09) 1500 1500 1500 NA NA
60 60 Keystone Foods 1500 1500 5900 NA-Private NA-Private
62 NA Butterball LLC 1400 1400 1400 NA NA
63 72 Seneca Foods Inc. (3/31/09) 1281 1081 1281 19 8
64 70 McCormick & Co. Inc. (11/30/08) 1276 1120 3177 256 230
65 69 Seaboard Corp. 1268 1130 4268 147 181
66 42 Leprino Foods 1250 1000 2500 NA-Private NA-Private
67 77 Riceland Foods 1236 951 1236 NA NA
68 66 American Crystal Sugar Co. 1232 1222 1232 543 601
69 71 Prairie Farms Dairy Inc.(9/30/08) 1220 1118 1220 NA NA
70 78 TreeHouse Foods Inc. 1211 919 1501 28 42
71 67 American Foods Group LLC (9/30/08) 1200 1200 2100 NA-Private NA-Private
72 65 Cott Corp. 1178 1275 1648 -123 -71
73 74 The Dannon Co. Inc. 1100 1000 21456 1851 1745
73 75 McKee Foods Corp. (6/08) 1100 1000 1100 NA-Private NA-Private
75 73 J.R. Simplot Co. 1060 1050 4500 NA-Private NA-Private
76 63 Wells’ Dairy Inc. 1017 1146 1017 NA-Private NA-Private
77 83 Hilmar Cheese 1000 800 1200 NA-Private NA-Private
77 76 OSI Group 1000 1000 4620 NA-Private NA-Private
79 82 The Hain Celestial Group Inc. 939 806 1056 39 47
80 81 Birds Eye Foods Inc. (6/24/09) 928 859 928 ? 15
81 79 Sunkist Growers (10/31/08) 920 877 1077 9 5
82 86 Goya Foods Inc. 890 850 1000 NA-Private NA-Private
83 85 Lance Inc. 852 763 852 18 24
84 87 Lancaster Colony Corp.(6/30/08) 809 729 981 38 46
85 84 Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. 750 750 750 NA-Private NA-Private
86 89 Lactalis USA Inc./Sorrento 700 755 750 NA NA
86 88 Sargento Foods Inc. 700 700 740 NA-Private NA-Private
88 90 National Grape Cooperative Association Inc. 685 654 685 72 60
89 97 J&J Snack Foods Corp. (9/27/08) 628 522 629 28 32
90 92 Coleman Natural Foods LLC 600 600 600 NA-Private NA-Private
90 91 Pierre Foods Inc. (2/28/09) 600 643 600 NA -242
90 93 Reser’s Fine Foods 600 600 600 NA-Private NA-Private
93 80 Imperial Sugar Co. 592 876 592 -21 44
94 96 ASG Consolidated LLC (dba American Seafoods Group) 550 522 550 NA NA
94 94 Gorton’s Inc. 550 550 650 NA-Private NA-Private
96 98 Golden State Foods 546 486 3700 NA-Private NA-Private
97 NA High Liner Foods 504 281 504 12 7
98 99 B & G Foods Inc. 487 471 487 10 17
99 95 John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc.(6/26/08) 449 429 542 -6 -14
100 100 Ruiz Foods Inc. 415 415 415 NA-Private NA-Private