The Daily Meal has released its third annual list of America’s 50 most powerful people in food, and the ranking may surprise you.
According to The Daily Meal, it was clear from the beginning that CEOs could be more powerful than the best-know culinary celebrities. The people who wield the power in the food world are those who actually--or could potentially—affect where, what, why and how we eat. While you will still find Guy Fieri, Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali on the list, they don’t crack the top 24.
How do you come to the conclusion that Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke has more influence than The New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells?
“Our ultimate criterion was simply this: Is each person on our list capable, whether by dint of corporate station, media access, moral authority, or sheer personality, of substantially changing, improving, and/or degrading the quality and variety of the American diet or the way we think about it?” Colman Andrews, the editor of The Daily Meal, writes. “If so, how absolute is the power he or she can bring to bear?”
Check out the list below. Also, do not confuse the food world’s second most powerful person with the actor with the same name.
50. The Family Farmer
49. Deb Perelman, Author
48. Bill Marler, Foodborne Illness Lawyer and Attorney
47. Michael Pollan, Author
46. Ingrid Newkirk, President and Co-Founder, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
45. John T. Edge, Author and Director, Southern Foodways Alliance
44. Danny Meyer, Restaurateur
43. Guy Fieri, Chef–Restaurateur and TV Personality
42. Susan Ungaro, President, James Beard Foundation
41. Tom Colicchio, Chef-Restaurateur and TV Personality
40. Thomas Keller, Chef-Restaurateur
39. Mark Bittman, Journalist and Author
38. Catherine Cassidy, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, Taste of Home
37. Fred DeLuca, Co-Founder and President, Subway
36. Wolfgang Puck, Chef–Restaurateur
35. Bill Shore, Founder and CEO, Share Our Strength
34. Grant Achatz, Chef–Restaurateur
33. Anthony Bourdain, Author and TV Personality
32. Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief, Food & Wine
31. Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO, National Restaurant Association
30. Alice Waters, Chef-Restaurateur and Founder and Director, The Edible Schoolyard Project
29. Bob Aiken, President and CEO, Feeding America
28. Julie Packard, Executive Director and Vice-Chairman, Monterey Bay Aquarium
27. David A. DeLorenzo, President and CEO, Dole Food Company
26. Dan Bane, Chairman and CEO, Trader Joe's
25. Mario Batali, Chef–Restaurateur and TV Personality
24. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States
23. John Mackey, Founder and Co-CEO, Whole Foods Market
22. Jeremy Stoppelman, Co-Founder and CEO, Yelp
21. David Dillon, Chairman and CEO, The Kroger Co.
20. Kevin Systrom, Co-Founder and CEO, Instagram
19. James P. Hoffa, General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
18. José Andrés, Chef-Restaurateur
17. Steve Spinner, CEO, President, and Director, United Natural Foods, Inc.
16. Paul Grimwood, CEO and Chairman, Nestlé USA
15. David Kirchhoff, President, Weight Watchers International
14. Pete Wells, Restaurant Critic, The New York Times
13. Craig Jelinek, CEO, Costco
12. Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Food Network
11. Donnie Smith, President and CEO, Tyson Foods
10. Thomas Vilsack, Secretary, USDA
9. Gregory Page Chairman and CEO, Cargill
8. Ben Silbermann, Founder and CEO, Pinterest
7. Donald Thompson, Vice Chairman and CEO, McDonalds
6. Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, Pepsi
5. Mike Duke, President and CEO, Walmart
4. Patricia Woertz, Chairman, President, and CEO, Archer Daniels Midland
3. Michael R. Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Food, Federal Drug Administration
2. Hugh Grant, Chairman, President, and CEO, The Monsanto Company
1. Jack Menzel, Product Managing Director, and Bernardo Hernandez, Director of Product Management and Managing Director for Zagat, and their teams, Google
Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more.