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Every major food and beverage brand in the world is controlled by 10 corporate giants—Associated British Foods, Coca-Cola, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg's, Mars, Mondelez, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever.
These companies make billions of dollars every year and employ thousands upon thousands of people around the world, but most of us don't realize how connected the brands we buy are to the few companies that own them. Bisnow decided to zoom in on five of these gigantic firms to get a better idea of the products they sell.
1. Nestlé
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HQ: Vevey, Switzerland
H1 2016 Revenue: $43.95B
Total 2015 Revenue: $87B
Nestlé is the largest food company in the world by revenue, selling over 2,000 brands, including everything from Nespresso to Kit Kats and Gerber baby food to Perrier. Twenty-nine of its brands have annual sales totaling more than $1B, and the firm also owns a 30% stake in L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics company.
2. PespiCo
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HQ: Purchase, NY
Q2 2016 Revenue: $15.39B
Total 2015 Revenue: $63B
Owner of much more than Pepsi; Gatorade, Tropicana, bottled Starbucks Frappuccinos, Cheetos and Quaker Oats all trace back to this conglomerate. It's the second-largest food and beverage business in the world and boasts 22 brands with retail sales topping $1B apiece. As of 2015, PepsiCo's product mix consisted of 53% foods and 47% beverages, based on worldwide net revenue.
3. The Coca-Cola Co
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HQ: Atlanta
Q2 2016 Revenue: $11.54B
Total 2015 Revenue: $44.3B
Coca-Cola is the biggest selling soft drink in history, and unlike its rival PepsiCo, Coke only focuses on beverages—which is a lot more diverse than you might think.
It owns more than 500 beverage brands in the world, 20 of which pull in more than $1B a year. To name a few, the company owns Sprite, Powerade, Dasani and Honest Tea.
4. General Mills
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HQ: Minneapolis
Q1 2017 Revenue: $3.9B
Total 2015 Revenue: $17.6B
General Mills produces and markets over 100 brands in more than 100 countries, owning many household staples like Yoplait, Pillsbury and Cheerios. The firm also owns organic food producer Annie's, Haagen-Dazs, Hamburger Helper and Betty Crocker.
5. Kellogg's
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HQ: Battle Creek, MI
Q2 2016 Revenue: $3.26B
Total 2015 Revenue: $13.5B
Kellogg's is best-known for its cereal brands, which include Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes and Apple Jacks, but the company is more diverse than many consumers realize. It's also behind Cheez-It, Pringles, Nutri-Grain and the largest vegetarian food producer in the US, Morningstar Farms.
