News Bites
How CPGS are rewriting ‘better-for-you’
Cleaning up labels is no longer enough – value-driven consumers are forcing the industry to rethink the balance of price, health and convenience
Regulation
Federal court blocks food benefits ban on soda and candy
The decision in Aragon v. Rollins vacates USDA waivers in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia and sets up a likely appeal
The state of fermentation and cultivated ingredients: Where are we now?
Fermentation finds its footing even as food-tech funding cools
Startups producing colors, proteins, sweeteners and specialty ingredients through fermentation are attracting investment, regulatory approvals and commercial partnerships as manufacturers seek alternatives to constrained conventional supply chains
The next tobacco fight? Marketing to children enters UPF debate
Campaigners warn that food companies are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to build brand loyalty from childhood
Kennedy signals new course for food labels as FDA nears definition for ultra-processed food
A forthcoming federal definition for ultra-processed foods could influence front-of-pack nutrition labeling requirements, product reformulation efforts and compliance timelines across the food industry
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
What happens when apple growers spend more on labor than their crop is worth?
That question, and concerns about nutrition programs, food safety oversight and packaging mandates, was at the center of the produce industry’s lobbying push on Capitol Hill last week
Energy drink company Celsius faces investigation over youth marketing
Texas attorney general’s office is looking into whether the energy drink giant misled customers, following death of teenager
Campbell and Walmart in court over SpaghettiOs contamination claim
A Florida family is seeking damages after claiming it discovered moving worm-like organisms in a can of SpaghettiOs that had already been partially consumed
Food assistance bans pose $830M risk to soda, candy and energy drink sales
A new report by data analytics firm Numerator reveals that new restrictions will reach 7.5 million households by 2027
FDA clears key hurdle for animal-free dairy protein
FDA’s acknowledgment of GRAS notice puts Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys one step away from a no-questions letter
Is shrinkflation illegal now?
A recent court case involving Mondelēz suggests FMCGs could be penalised for reducing pack sizes. But is this really the case?
What will it take to stem diet-related deaths?
From culinary medicine programs to Medicaid managed care, stakeholders at the 2026 Food as Medicine summit outlined a multi-pronged push to make nutrition a cornerstone of US health care
FDA issues request for information on BHT and ADA
The two embattled food chemicals are the first two under review, following the launch of FDA’s new post-market assessment review program
FDA’s leadership shakeup elevates food program insider amid questions over science, staffing and MAHA influence
With Marty Makary’s abrupt exit, acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas faces skepticism from industry and public health stakeholders over whether he can steer the agency through political pressure, staffing losses and food policy reform
FDA takes aim at BHT and ADA in new post-market food chemical safety program
With BHT and ADA already on their way out of the food supply, some experts question whether FDA’s “swift” action is too little, too late
From cereulide to botulism: Exposing the fault lines in infant nutrition safety
From recalled product remaining on shelves to weak marketing guidance, regulatory gaps across infant nutrition remain stark
The pushback against personalized grocery pricing begins
Maryland becomes the first state to restrict data-driven grocery pricing, but it likely won’t be the last as more than two dozen other states consider similar legislation
FDA’s largest infant formula test yet finds ‘low’ contaminants – but no new rules
FDA’s infant formula test found mostly trace contaminants, but without standards, enforcement or pre‑market testing, the data leaves critical questions unanswered
News Bites
GLP‑1 nutrition, Nestlé’s reset and the rising reformulation crunch
Food companies are being pushed to rethink everything from product design to portfolio strategy and ingredient standards
Food financial assistance restrictions fuel fight in 2026 budget debate
As Congress moves closer to a floor vote on the 2026 Farm Bill, a proposed amendment has ignited a high‑stakes debate over whether the federal government should restrict what SNAP benefits can buy nationwide
What a new bill could mean for small businesses shut out of SBA loans
Democrat-led legislation aims to restore Small Business Administration (SBA) loans for immigrant‑owned small businesses
SNAP restrictions are reshaping sugary food purchases
Ibotta data shows states prohibiting the use of SNAP funds to buy ‘unhealthy’ products are reshaping sugary beverage and snack demand
Post–Liberation Day tariff fight shifts to refunds, courts and Congress
The post–Liberation Day tariff fight now centers on refunds and who ultimately keeps the money
FRESH Act of 2026 explained: FDA, GRAS reform and industry pushback
Should reform expand FDA’s pre‑market authority or narrow it in exchange for uniformity and predictability?
Tariffs on trial: Pending ruling could impact supply costs and grocery prices
Burlap & Barrel’s challenge to the Trump administration’s tariffs in the US Court of International Trade could define how far presidents can stretch decades‑old trade statutes
Aldi ramps up clean-label push with 44 new ingredient bans
Move affects 90% of store assortment as private-label-focused retailer responds to consumer ingredient concerns
Sustainable sourcing: From upcycling to carbon neutral to sustainable packaging
Non-GMO Project: Ultra-processed foods are harming the planet, not just our health
GMOs and ultra-processed foods are “nested” in the same industrial food chain, warns the Non-GMO Project’s Hans Eisenbeis, who argues that monocrop agriculture and food waste make UPFs an environmental liability
As food brands tweak child marketing rules, UNICEF’s playbook still holds
As food brands rewrite child‑marketing rules, experts say voluntary action isn’t enough
FTC to rein in hidden grocery delivery fees after multimillion-dollar settlements with Walmart, Instacart, Grubhub, Amazon
Public comment period opens after investigations found misleading pricing, subscription tactics and driver pay practices
USDA creates Office of Seafood to boost US seafood competitiveness
The new office will streamline access to USDA programs for seafood producers and align efforts across federal agencies to strengthen the domestic seafood sector
Looming deadline for state packaging laws places reporting pressure on CPGs
Seven states now require producers to track and report packaging data under extended producer responsibility laws, creating a fast-moving compliance challenge for food and beverage brands, importers and distributors
How the Iran conflict could reshape our shelves
High oil prices hit prices at gas pumps straight away. But how long will it take for food and beverage prices to rise?
Future Food Tech San Francisco
MAHA push accelerates reformulation, but leaves food industry in limbo
Companies race to meet shifting policy signals without formal rulemaking, raising concerns that costly changes could be reverse by future administrations
Mould, microbes and the $10m mistake food companies keep making
As climate shifts and supply chains stretch, food safety failures are becoming faster, costlier and harder to contain
Alianza Team spends $36M to open first US plant
With a new blending and finishing facility in North Carolina, Alianza Team is helping U.S. food manufacturers reduce saturated fats and reimagine bakery and chocolate ingredients
FDA extends deadline as hidden gluten puts regulatory fine-tuning under the spotlight
A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consultation on gluten labelling – now extended – raises fresh questions about how clearly food makers communicate risk
California pushes ‘non-UPF’ seal as certifications multiply and confusion grows
A proposed state-backed label aims to simplify ultra-processed food choices, but could competing definitions and private certifications risk muddying the message for consumers and complicate reformulation efforts?
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
How corporates, startups and farmers can share risk and drive resilience
A case for rethinking how the food system invests, scales and strengthens its most essential ingredients
It’s time to use the Robinson-Patman Act to tackle high food prices
For more than 40 years, regulators have let big retailers bend the rules on pricing. Dusting off a 90-year-old law could level the playing field and bring down grocery bills
FDA delays beetroot red and spirulina color approvals amid stakeholder safety and labeling worries
Agency delays effective dates for color additives after GMO/Toxin Free USA and Obelisk Tech Systems challenge safety reviews and ‘no artificial colors’ labeling
Scaling precision fermentation: Why capital and collaboration remain the biggest hurdles
Industry experts cite massive CapEx, supply bottlenecks and regulatory complexity as key barriers
Fermentation growth collides with manufacturing shortage – iFAB aims to fix it
As Europe and Asia outpace the US in precision fermentation investment, an Illinois-based consortium backed by ADM and a $51 million federal grant aims to catch up
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
From climate shocks to GLP-1 impacts: Why the food chain must adapt now
Industry and public-sector leaders say stronger collaboration and smarter policy are essential to building a sustainable, data-informed food system
Inside Burlap & Barrel’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump
A small US-based spice importer is taking the Trump administration to court over sweeping tariffs it says threaten small businesses and global farming partners
Crackdown on immigrant truckers could threaten supply chains and drive up grocery prices
Trump administration policy will remove up to 5% of the trucking workforce – threatening freight capacity and food prices as litigation and state pushback unfolds
Farm Bill moves closer to House floor after committee vote
The 2026 Farm Bill moves out of committee amid bipartisan support, industry praise and mounting consumer and environmental pushback.
Half of US shoppers worry about artificial ingredients, want EU-style bans
A new Acosta Group study finds growing demand for transparency and cleaner labels as consumers push for stricter rules on artificial ingredients
Stricter certification aims to bring higher quality to extra virgin olive oils
For NAOOA’s brands, the message is clear: certification now represents more than authenticity; it aims to improve quality, transparency and consumer trust
SNAP’s next chapter could redefine product eligibility across states
The next era of SNAP reform targets how nutrition policy, retail compliance and product eligibility quietly reshape the CPG playbook
Farm Bill markup sparks debate over nutrition and rural policy
The House Agriculture Committee began marking up the 2026 Farm, Food and National Security Act this week, which will impact federal nutrition programs, farmers and rural communities nationwide