New names continue to grace our annual compilation of the top 100 food companies, which combined to account for $679.4 billion in total sales. Making their first appearance, Constellation Brands, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., Pilgrim's Pride and Barilla managed to find a spot on the 2002 list. Many notable absences are not a reflection of poor performance. More likely, it is a result of acquisitions and mergers. IBP Inc. merged into Tyson Foods in September 2001, while Quaker Oats Co. is now in PepsiCo Inc.'s stable and Ralston Purina Co. belongs to Nestle. In addition, Earthgrains now numbers among Sara Lee Corp.'s bakery division, while Suiza Foods and Dean Foods are one and the same under the latter's masthead. Who's left? Read on…

Rank Company Headquarters
Food sales(U.S. millions)
Change
Period ending
Product type
1 Nestlé S.A. Vevey, Switzerland
$46,628
20%
12/31/2001
 Diversified
2 Kraft Foods Inc. Northfield, Ill.
$38,119
11.9%
12/31/2001
 Diversified
3 ConAgra Inc. Omaha, Neb.
$27,630
1.6%
5/31/2002
 Diversified
4 PepsiCo Inc. Purchase, N.Y.
$26,935
31.8%
12/31/2001
 Beverages & snack foods
5 Unilever plc London, England,
$26,672
2.5%
12/31/2001
 Diversified
& Rotterdam, the Netherlands
6 Archer Daniels Midland Co. Decatur, Ill.
$23,454
17%
6/30/2002
 Ingredients, grain-based products
7 Cargill Inc. Minneapolis, Minn.
$21,500
2.8%
5/31/2002
 Grain-based foods
8 The Coca-Cola Co. Atlanta, Ga.
$20,092
-1.8%
12/31/2001
 Beverages
9 Diageo plc London, England
$16,644
0.7%
6/30/2001
 Alcoholic beverages
10 Mars Inc. McLean, Va.
$15,300
7.1%
12/31/2001
 Confections
11 Anheuser-Busch Inc. St. Louis, Mo.
$12,262
5.3%
12/31/2001
 Brewery
12 Groupe Danone Paris, France
$12,184
-4.1%
12/31/2001
 Dairy, biscuits, water
13 Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd. Tokyo, Japan
$11,287
-1.2%
12/31/2001
 Beverage
14 Asahi Breweries Ltd. Tokyo, Japan
$11,050
2.4%
12/31/2001
 Brewery
15 Tyson Foods Springdale, Ark.
$10,751
45.1%
9/29/2001
 Meat & poultry
16 Dean Foods Co. Dallas, Texas
$9,700
66.3%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
17 H. J. Heinz Co. Pittsburgh, Pa.
$9,431
0%
5/1/2001
 Frozen & shelf-stable foods
18 Sara Lee Corp. Chicago, Ill.
$9,219
25.6%
6/29/2002
 Meats, bakery, beverage
19 Kellogg Co. Battle Creek, Mich.
$8,853
27.3%
12/31/2001
 Grain-based foods
20 Snow Brand Milk Tokyo, Japan
$8,511
2.1%
3/31/2002
 Dairy
Products Co. Ltd.
21 Heineken N.V. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
$8,233
11.5%
12/31/2001
 Brewery
22 Cadbury Schweppes plc London, England
$8,070
17.5%
12/31/2001
 Beverages, confections
23 General Mills Inc. Minneapolis, Minn.
$7,949
46%
5/26/2002
 Grain-based foods
24 Dairy Farmers Kansas City, Mo.
$7,902
20%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
of America Inc.
25 Nippon Meat Packers Inc. Osaka, Japan
$7,589
3.8%
3/31/2002
 Meat processor
26 Parmalat Finanziaria SpA Milan, Italy
$7,392
-0.1%
12/31/2001
 Dairy, bakery
27 Interbrew Brussels, Belgium
$6,918
-15.9%
12/31/2001
 Brewery
28 Campbell Soup Co. Camden, N.J.
$6,664
6.3%
7/29/2001
 Shelf-stable & baked goods
29 Suntory Ltd. Osaka, Japan
$6,227
-34.3%
12/31/2001
 Food and liquor
30 Maruha Corp. Tokyo, Japan
$6,078
-5.6%
3/31/2002
 Seafood processor
31 Smithfield Foods Inc. Smithfield, Va.
$5,900
14.5%
4/29/2001
 Pork processor
32 Associated British Foods London, England
$5,618
1%
9/16/2001
 Bakery, fats & oils
33 Fonterra Cooperative Group Hamilton, New Zealand
$5,540
31.9%
5/31/2002
 Dairy
34 Yamazaki Baking Co. Ltd. Tokyo, Japan
$5,417
-0.5%
12/31/2001
 Bakery
35 Ajinomoto Co. Ltd. Tokyo, Japan
$5,151
3.9%
3/31/2002
 Diversified
36 Danish Crown Randers, Denmark
$5,100
8.8%
9/30/2001
 Beef and pork processor
37 Tate & Lyle plc London, England
$5,060
-4.2%
3/31/2002
 Sweeteners and starches
38 Meiji Milk Products Co. Inc. Tokyo, Japan
$4,929
0.8%
3/31/2002
 Dairy
39 Hershey Food Corp. Hershey, Pa.
$4,557
8%
12/31/2001
 Confections
40 Groupe Lactalis Laval, France
$4,500
-0.1%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
41 Scottish & Newcastle plc Edinburgh, Scotland
$4,495
-3.5%
4/30/2002
 Brewery
42 Arla Foods Group Arhus, Denmark
$4,453
118.5%
9/30/2001
 Dairy
43 Dole Food Company Inc. Westlake Village, Calif.
$4,449
-6.6%
12/31/2001
 Canned fruits & vegetables
44 Carlsberg Breweries A/S Copenhagen, Denmark
$4,383
26.5%
12/31/2001
 Beverages
45 SABMiller plc Johannesburg, S. Africa
$4,364
4.3%
3/31/2002
 Brewery
46 CHS Cooperatives St. Paul, Minn.
$4,270
-9.5%
8/31/2001
 Grain-based foods
47 Morinaga Milk Tokyo, Japan
$4,162
-1.5%
12/31/2001
 Diversified
Industry Co. Ltd.
48 FEMSA de C.V. Monterrey, Mexico
$4,147
0%
12/31/2001
 Beverages
49 Hormel Foods Corp. Austin, Minn.
$4,124
12.2%
10/27/2001
 Meat & food
50 Royal Numico NV Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
$4,110
-3.4%
12/31/2001
 Infant formula
51 ContiGroup Companies Inc. New York, N.Y.
$4,000
N/A
12/31/2001
 Pork, poultry and seafood
52 Sapporo Breweries Ltd. Tokyo, Japan
$3,890
-1.2%
12/31/2001
 Beverage
53 Südzucker AG Mannheim, Germany
$3,825
-3.4%
2/28/2002
 Sweeteners, ice cream
54 Friesland Coberco Meppel, the Netherlands
$3,818
-0.1%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
Dairy Foods Holding N.V.
55 The Procter & Gamble Co. Cincinnati, Ohio
$3,801
2.5%
6/30/2002
 Food & beverage
56 Koninklijke Wessanen NV Amstelveen,the Netherlands
$3,764
-5.1%
12/31/2001
 Natural & specialty foods
57 McCain Foods Ltd Florenceville, N.B., Canada
$3,750
-7.5%
6/30/2001
 Frozen foods
58 Itoham Foods Inc. Hyogo, Japan
$3,737
-2.1%
3/31/2002
 Meat products
59 Farmland Industries Kansas City, Kan.
$3,720
-3.9%
12/31/2001
 Beef processor
60 Nichirei Corp. Tokyo, Japan
$3,706
-0.3%
3/31/2002
 Frozen foods
61 Campina Melkunie BV Zaltbommel, the Netherlands
$3,703
0.2%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
62 Grupo Bimbo S.A. de C.V. Mexico City, Mexico
$3,687
13.1%
12/31/2001
 Baked goods
63 Allied Domecq plc Bristol, U.K.
$3,562
9.7%
8/31/2001
 Spirits & wine
64 Interstate Bakeries Corp. Kansas City, Mo.
$3,532
1%
6/2/2002
 Baked goods
65 Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd. Tokyo, Japan
$3,527
4.1%
3/31/2002
 Seafood processor
66 Bongrain SA Viroflay, France
$3,500
-2.3%
12/31/2001
 Cheese processor
67 Grupo Modelo SA de CV Mexico City, Mexico
$3,440
15.3%
12/31/2001
 Brewery
68 CSM NV Diemen, the Netherlands
$3,142
37.4%
9/30/2001
 Ingredients
69 Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Toronto, Canada
$3,106
14.1%
12/31/2001
 Meat, bakery
70 Land O'Lakes Inc. Arden Hills, Minn.
$3,062
14.1%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
71 Schwan's Sales Marshall, Minn.
$3,000
-10.4%
12/31/2001
 Frozen foods
Enterprises Inc.
72 Pernod Ricard Co. Paris, France
$2,970
-2.2%
12/31/2001
 Wine & spirits
73 Novartis International AG Basil, Switzerland
$2,955
-11.4%
12/31/2001
 Ingredients
74 International Minnetonka, Minn.
$2,849
12.8%
3/2/2002
 Grain-based foods
Multifoods Corp.
75 Constellation Brands Inc. Fairport, N.Y.
$2,821
17.7%
3/31/2002
 Wine, beer, spirits
76 American Beverage Co. Sao Paulo, Brasil
$2,796
6.6%
12/31/2001
 Brewery
77 Perdue Farms Inc. Salisbury, Md.
$2,700
8%
3/31/2001
 Poultry
78 QP Corp. Tokyo, Japan
$2,666
3.2%
11/30/2001
 Diversified
79 Panamerican Beverages Inc. Panama City, Panama
$2,651
2%
12/31/2001
 Beverage
80 Keystone Foods LLC Philadelphia, Pa.
$2,643
1.90%
12/31/2001
 Meat and poultry
81 Kerry Group plc Kerry, Ireland
$2,605
7.7%
12/31/2001
 Ingredients
82 Fosters Group Ltd. Victoria, Australia
$2,577
12.10%
6/30/2001
 Beverage
83 Nisshin Seifun Group Inc. Tokyo, Japan
$2,575
-1.4%
3/31/2002
 Flour milling
84 George Weston Ltd Toronto, Canada
$2,490
4%
12/31/2001
 Baked goods
85 Nissin Food Products Co. Ltd. Osaka, Japan
$2,476
2.5%
3/31/2002
 Soy sauce, frozen foods
86 Wm Wrigley Jr. Co. Chicago, Ill.
$2,430
13.2%
12/31/2001
 Confections
87 Adolph Coors Co. Golden, Colo.
$2,429
-0.6%
12/30/2001
 Brewery
88 National Dairy Holdings LP Dallas, Texas
$2,400
N/A
4/30/2002
 Dairy
89 Le Groupe SODIAAL Paris, France
$2,375
15.7%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
90 Nordmilch Bremen, Germany
$2,360
8.8%
12/31/2001
 Dairy
91 Glanbia plc Kilkenny, Ireland
$2,254
2.8%
12/31/2001
 Dairy, ingredients
92 Chiquita Brands Int'l. Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio
$2,242
-0.5%
12/31/2001
 Produce
93 Pilgrim's Pride Dallas, Texas
$2,215
47.7%
12/29/2001
 Poultry
94 Prima Meat Packers Tokyo, Japan
$2,212
-2.1%
3/31/2002
 Meat
95 Saputo Inc. Montreal, Canada
$2,167
60%
3/31/2002
 Dairy
96 Barilla Parma, Italy
$2,088
4.8%
12/31/2001
 Pasta
97 Uniq plc London, England
$1,991
45.3%
3/31/2002
 Convenience foods
98 Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. Tokyo, Japan
$1,779
1.4%
3/31/2002
 Confections
99 Corn Products Bedford Park, Ill.
$1,887
1.2%
12/31/2001
 Ingredients
International Inc.
100 Gold Kist Inc. Atlanta, Ga.
$1,811
16.1%
6/30/2001
 Poultry

Source: Global Food Market Database, Leatherhead Food RA, Surrey, UK.