Top Stories for Friday, October 10, 2025
Today's Target: United Natural Foods
United Natural Foods, Inc. — better known as UNFI — is one of the silent powerhouses behind many of the products stacked on supermarket shelves. The company supplies everything from organic produce to household staples to grocery giant hubs and independent retailers alike. If you’ve ever filled a cart at Whole Foods or a co-op in the Midwest, odds are, UNFI’s trucks made that possible.
In 2020, amid pandemic disruptions, UNFI reported whopping revenues of $26.55 billion. That was a year of strained supply chains, rising logistics costs, and consumer uncertainty, and it still represented a 19% increase over 2019.
Fast-forward five years later, the story looks very different — and not necessarily for the better for consumers.
By 2025, UNFI’s revenues had climbed to $31.78 billion, an increase of $5.23 billion, or about 19.7%. At first glance, that might seem modest compared to other distributors’ massive revenue jumps, but here’s the catch: the typical rise in operational costs — fuel, wages, insurance, packaging — averages 2% per year, or roughly 10% across a five-year span. UNFI’s revenue gain nearly doubles that.
Why? It’s not gas prices, as we’ve proven over and over. What’s their magic corporate-accounting formula? Is it arbitrary? Answer: you know it isn’t.
That means even with diesel costs fluctuating, the math doesn’t quite add up. UNFI appears to be pulling ahead not because it’s delivering more food, but because it’s charging more for the food it already delivers.
The company’s executives might argue that its diversified operations and “value chain optimization” justify the margin.
CEO Sidebar:
Sandy Douglas / UNFI
Who Is Sandy Douglas?
J. Alexander “Sandy” Douglas didn’t invent the playbook for corporate bloat — but he sure perfected it. After more than three decades at Procter & Gamble, he took over Staples in 2018 and presided over its slow retreat from retail relevance.
Under his watch, the once-ubiquitous office-supply chain effectively collapsed into a business-to-business shell, abandoning storefronts and shedding thousands of jobs.
When UNFI handed Douglas the keys in 2021, it wasn’t a fresh start — it was the same script in a new aisle. The company’s revenues are up roughly 20% since 2020, but the growth has little to do with innovation or efficiency. It’s been driven by the same shortcut he used at Staples: price your way to profit, then dress it up as “strategic transformation.”
Call it what you want — “optimization,” “realignment,” “market recalibration.” The results look the same: higher costs for consumers, fatter margins for executives, and another layer of insulation between decision-makers and the people footing the bill.
For Douglas, it’s a familiar pattern — one that turned paper clips into “solutions” and groceries into “supply chains.” Different industry, same game.
Only problem: you’re funding this charade.
Today's Target: Performance Food Group
Performance Food Group (PFG) isn’t a household name, but it’s one of the largest engines behind America’s food supply chain — the company that delivers the groceries, paper goods, and proteins to the very restaurants, schools, and institutions that feed you and your friends and family every single day.
Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, PFG operates more than 150 distribution facilities across the country and serves over 300,000 customer locations. On paper, it’s just another food service company. In practice, it’s one of the most powerful middlemen in the American food economy. This is a true giant in the supply chain, and they just took us all on a $37 billion dollar ride since Covid.
Here’s where it gets jaw-dropping.
In 2020, PFG reported revenues of $25.1 billion — already a significant footprint.
By 2024, that number had exploded to $62.3 billion. There’s the $37 BIL joyride.
That’s not a recovery. That’s TRIPLE – an astonishing 148% increase in just four years.
Let’s repeat that: while consumers were told the food system was “strained,” that increasing minimum wages were to blame, along with inflation, small restaurants and local or state public food entities were being crushed under higher prices, one of their biggest suppliers reported nearly tripling their revenue…from their books.
Even more stunning? Diesel prices — the favorite scapegoat of every logistics executive — peaked in 2022 and have since fallen sharply –– yet PFG’s revenues kept soaring.
So, the question is simple:
If fuel costs went down, why didn’t your grocery and restaurant bills?
It gets even stickier – PFG and US FOODS are in talks ABOUT A MERGER. In mid-September 2025, PFG announced that it agreed to share confidential financial information with US Foods under a “clean team” process — a common early step in merger talks.
Trust us – there ain’t nothin’ “clean” about any of this.
Today's SpokenFood Target: US Foods
US Foods is a massive, national food service and restaurant supplier based in Rosemont, Illinois. With 185 distribution centers around the country, US Foods commands a major space in the food industry supply chain.
US Foods revenues for 2020 was $22.8 BILLION. Interestingly, their 2019 revenues were $25.94 billion, but that didn’t stop them.
In 2025, US Foods saw revenues increase to $37.877 BILLION dollars.
THAT IS A WHOPPING 66.1% INCREASE.
US Foods main telephone number is (847) 720-8000.
Folks? The rest is up to you. We’re going to keep calling out price-gouging companies and give you the tools to do something. But YOU have to make the call. Call US Foods and ask for David Flitman – he’s the CEO at US Foods.
Like Kevin Hourman at Sysco Foods from yesterday’s report, you have a direct opportunity to call the company and ask for the CEO – obviously the switchboard isn’t just going to “put you through” to the #1, but if we overload communications to the leadership, a very pointed message will be delivered:
Ask him why their food prices continue to rise, while diesel prices have dropped since 2022. And when he balks, remember…you got this information from THEIR annual reports.
Why High Fructose Corn Syrup Is America's #1 Health and Nutrition SCOURGE
(Click on each image above.)
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a widely used sweetener in processed foods and beverages. U.S. food manufacturers started substituting HFCS for natural sugar back in the 1970’s, because it was WAY cheaper and we hadn’t yet run into the issue of executive overcompensation, but it’s clear now why they did it.
Duh!
Since then, regular consumption has now been categorically and undeniably linked to a number of chronic health concerns. Take that BigFood! We got you on another massive conspiracy aimed at the people who fund your lavish lifestyles!
The biggest danger? Our bodies undergo a massive shift just trying to metabolize this crap.
Unlike glucose, which is absorbed throughout the body and used for energy, fructose is metabolized almost entirely in the liver and when consumed regularly, it leads to fat buildup (especially in the liver), insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. (Think of a once-saggy balloon being slowly blown up and you’ll see why Americans are at 40% obesity. FORTY PERCENT!
Before you even think of waving the “fat shaming” card, this isn’t about shaming anyone. This is about Americans wising up and realizing what severe, sometimes permanent damage, HFCS does to your body (before one of your organs finally gives you the finger and breaks down…permanente).
Over time, this metabolic stress turns a normally fit body into a crenulated pile of goo. It also attacks your pancreas, literally escorting you into your doctor’s office for a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis.
SF Radio
SpokenFood Picks!
Amazon Fresh Salmon, Never Frozen
Pre-packed, Farm-raised Atlantic Salmon, Certified by Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP).
SF Rating: So Good!
Cuisinart 5.5 QT Stand Mixer
This mixer delivers power, precision and performance. Comes with big whisk, dough hook and paddle.
SF Rating: Highly recommended!
UNFI’s Revenue Jumps 20% – Fuels Gouging Concerns
United Natural Foods, Inc. — better known as UNFI — is one of the silent powerhouses behind many of the products stacked on supermarket shelves. The company supplies everything from organic produce to household staples to grocery giant hubs and independent retailers alike. If you’ve ever filled a cart at Whole Foods or a co-op in the Midwest, odds are, UNFI’s trucks made that possible.
In 2020, amid pandemic disruptions, UNFI reported whopping revenues of $26.55 billion. That was a year of strained supply chains, rising logistics costs, and consumer uncertainty, and it still represented a 19% increase over 2019.
Performance Food Group Revenues TRIPLE
In 2020, PFG reported revenues of $25.1 billion — already a significant footprint.
By 2024, that number had exploded to $62.3 billion. There’s the $37 BIL joyride.
That’s not a recovery. That’s TRIPLE – an astonishing 148% increase in just four years.
It gets even stickier – PFG and US FOODS are in merger talks. In mid-September 2025, PFG announced that it agreed to share confidential financial information with US Foods under a “clean team” process — a common early step in merger talks.
Trust us – there ain’t nothin’ “clean” about any of this.
US Foods Revenues Surge 66% — While Consumers Pay the Price
In 2020, US Foods reported revenues of $22.8 billion — down from $25.94 billion in 2019 due to pandemic disruptions. Fair enough. But what followed is what should raise every consumer’s eyebrow.
By 2025, just five years later, the company’s annual revenues skyrocketed to $37.877 billion.
That’s not a rebound — that’s a whopping 66% increase. Let that sink in.
While small restaurants shuttered, supply chains “tightened,” and consumers were told price hikes were due to “inflation” and “diesel costs,” US Foods quietly stacked over $15 billion in new annual revenue.
Their primary phone number is (847) 720-8000. Their CEO is David Flitman.
SYSCO FOODS: THE PROFITS TELL THE STORY
Sysco Foods, one of America’s largest food suppliers, reported $55.3 billion in revenue for 2024, up from $36.7 billion in 2020. That’s roughly a 50% jump in just five years.
Now look at profit: in 2020, Sysco’s gross profit was $1.9 billion. By 2025, it had soared to $10.8 billion.
That’s a 468% increase.
Revenue: $36.7B (2020) → $55.3B (2024) — 50% increase
Gross profit: $1.9B (2020) → $10.8B (2025) — 468% increase
And yet, the cost of food keeps rising. Meanwhile, diesel prices have fallen since their 2022 peak. This makes NO sense.
Yeah… they’re not price-gouging. Sure.
Spoken Food Radio
SpokenFood Picks!
Braun Coffee & Spice Grinder
I’ve had my Braun Coffee Grinder for nearly 20 years! Great for coffee and spices.
Click to Buy - #adLODGE Cast Iron Grill Pan / 10.5 inch
This grills everything! Even cooking, GREAT grill marks!
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Cuisinart Food Processor HD/ 14 Cup
THE brawniest food processor you'll ever need.
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Braun Coffee & Spice Grinder
I’ve had my Braun Coffee Grinder for nearly 20 years!
This is a GREAT grinder for coffee and spices.
SF Rating: Highly recommended!
The Softer Side of SpokenFood
Best Recipes – Pizza Dough
Pizza. One word. So many positive thoughts, memories and images. Do you have a favorite pizza spot? Some low-key joint or a shiny pizzeria that serves the best pizza in the world? You walk in and that beautiful smell “punches you right in the nose”–that’s a SpokenFood shout-out to Mark Iacono, who happens to make the best pizza in NYC at Lucali in Carol Gardens in Brooklyn.
Whether Neapolitan-style dough is your thing, or if you love the crackly bite of a thin crust or tavern style ‘za (there’s a difference), pizza is one of the greatest
The Best Smokeless Lox Salmon
When it comes to weekend mornings, nothing beats freshly smoked lox. Imagine a toasted bagel, loaded with lox salmon, freshly sliced tomato, thinly shaved red onion, capers and a healthy shmear of cream cheese, dotted with a handful of briny capers. Flavor, crunch, richness and smoky protein, all stacked up like a winning breakfast prize, and you hold the ticket.
Most lox you’ll find has been salt cured for hours, then cold-smoked (under 90 degrees) for the same time or longer. It’s the standard recipe result you’ll get in any reputable deli or fish shop: Think Russ & Daughters in New York City or Pike’s Place Market in Seattle and you’ve hit the pinnacle of the smoked fishes art in America. This recipe is so easy, you can do it overnight or in a couple hours in your kitchen, sans smoker.
Powerhouse Smoothies – A Billion $$ Start To The Day
Smoothies are evolving into health powerhouses. Consumers are mixing in superfood boosters like chia seeds, goji berries, spirulina, and maca to enhance energy, skin health, and immunity. These functional ingredients are becoming table stakes in modern smoothie-making.
Another exciting trend in the smoothie world is the rise of functional smoothies, which are tailored to meet specific health goals. Whether you’re looking for a smoothie that aids digestion, boosts immunity, or enhances post-workout recovery, there’s a recipe out there for you. SF recommends a balance of fruit, liquid and protein for maximum nutritional (and flavor!) value.
The Simplest One-Egg Omelette Ever!
Never before have we come across something so simple and fast, we had to share it here. It’s a one-egg omelette, served in a ramekin. Our source? Who else but that worldwide food influencer and chef-extraordinaire, Jose Andres.
I’ve seen omelette creations for eons, and I’m so set in my technique, it’s simply automatic to me.
But this is so disgustingly easy, the first bite was like an alien sighting. My mouth was agape–I was in pure shock. The flavors were melding, the mouthfeel was this indescribable texture…and it took less than three minutes from the time I entered my kitchen until I was forking pillows of heaven into my hungry, waiting mouth.