AI goes mainstream in food and beverage in 2025
This year’s wave of tools – from trend‑spotting engines to autonomous R&D agents – turned AI into everyday infrastructure for food and beverage
R&D
Meet the futuristic functional ingredients reshaping human health
From the mental health crisis to keeping an ageing population active, state-of-the art ingredients promise to help humanity bio-hack its way to peak performance. Here’s how
Can AI solve the cocoa crisis? Barry Callebaut is betting on it
Barry Callebaut partners with NotCo AI and Planet A Foods to tackle soaring cocoa prices and regulatory hurdles, leveraging digital formulation tools to future‑proof chocolate
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
The GLP-1 effect: How 2026 will look for food and beverage
From shifting grocery habits to new product opportunities, Circana’s insights reveal how brands and retailers can adapt to the rise of GLP-1 users
How protein turned from trend to necessity
Protein fortification continues to dominate the food and beverage space – but how is ingredient innovation evolving to meet the need for more protein?
News Bites: Policy shifts, gene editing and 2026 shopper trend
Trump’s food price probe, research on what really drives acceptance of gene-edited foods and KeHE’s latest read on authenticity, function and global flavor exploration reshape the industry as the year winds down
Spiceology built an AI chatbot – here’s what it means for foodservice education
REMI, built on ChatGPT and trained on the spice company’s recipe database, is helping home cooks and chefs better understand how to use its playfully named blends
IFT taps AI ‘co-scientist’ to advance food and beverage R&D
CoDeveloper platform mines 85 years of research to help food scientists formulate and reverse-engineer products
Why Good Food Institute’s release of SciFi Foods’ cell lines matters as cultivated meat scales
As regulatory green lights multiply and cost‑efficient production ramps up, GFI’s release of SciFi Foods’ bovine cell lines could provide the common foundation the cultivated‑meat sector needs to accelerate commercial-scale growth
Top 10 food and beverage trends for 2026
The food and beverage trends driving change in 2026
Cost-cutting in food: How tech and ingredients can keep expenses down
Precision fermentation and ingredient diversification could provide answers for struggling food companies
The top 100 hottest global F&B start-ups
Exclusive data analysis carried out by FutureBridge on behalf of Food Manufacture has identified the top 100 hottest food and drink start-ups worldwide.
Better-for-you beverages take the stage at private-label trade show
FedUp Foods and FrshBev exemplify contract manufacturing’s role in functional beverage development
Ultra-processed foods: 5 biggest implications from Lancet study
The landmark study series is the biggest blow yet to UPFs
Inside the gluten revolution: The 3 breakthroughs bakers should pay attention to
From gene-edited wheat to a three-minute gluten test, scientists are rethinking gluten-free baking and the results could change everything
Food and drink split on sustainability progress, exclusive survey reveals
Looking back at our Sustainable September initiative, where does the food and drink industry thrive and fall?
Cargill, ADM tap growth in natural, low-calorie sweeteners
As sugar reduction merges with functionality, global ingredient leaders are betting on advanced stevia solutions to hit the sweet spot
Could functional foods replace the need for GLP-1s?
As GLP-1 drugs disrupt the weight loss market, food and beverage players are racing to unlock the appetite-regulating power of functional ingredients
Sweeteners in focus
Sugar is no longer ‘benchmark’ for sweetness as consumer preferences shift to blends
Research by Ingredion suggests a paradigm shift toward plant-based and blended sweeteners over sugar, but consumer confusion about what is ‘natural’ and safe could hinder innovation and sugar reduction efforts
Mondelēz-backed Celleste Bio debuts cell-cultured chocolate-grade cocoa butter
The new ingredient is positioned as an ‘insurance policy’ against cocoa supply chain volatility and says the bio-identical ingredient could stabilize supply as climate change strains traditional crops
Groceryshop 2025
Shoppers hit a breaking point: How will price and value play out in 2026?
NielsenIQ’s latest outlook warns consumers are hitting their spending limits and are desperate for relief – opening the door for promotions, private-label and health-claims to drive sales
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Gen X steps into spending power: Why marketers cannot overlook the middle generation anymore
After decades of being overshadowed by Boomers and Millennials, Generation X is poised to become the dominant global consumer group and are projected to spend $15.2 trillion 2025 and $23 trillion worldwide in 2035, according to new research from...
Diet emerges as a key driver for healthy aging – revealing challenges and opportunities for food and beverage brands
A US News & World Report survey shows nearly half of health professionals rank diet over exercise and sleep as a contributor to aging well, signaling a chance for food and beverage brands to showcase nutrient-dense and clean-label products
Purged NIH scientist: America sees historic reduction in biomedical research support
Kevin Hall, a former senior investigator at NIH, says MAHA children’s report fails to address ultra-processed food threat
Rise of the bioactivist: Health-conscious consumers create new growth pathways for food and beverage brands
Nearly half of all US adults fall under the category, according to Brightseed survey
NIH launches landmark study testing if mothers’ diet can prevent food allergies in babies
The ESCAPE trial will examine whether eating or avoiding peanuts and eggs during pregnancy and breastfeeding can shape infants’ immune responses before their first taste
Stealth marketing, real impact: How are food endorsements on YouTube influencing children?
Three-quarters of young children see branded food content on YouTube – and most of it flies under the regulatory radar
Back-to-school lunch trends: Balancing nutrition and budgets
With grocery prices up 23% from five years ago, many caregivers are wondering what to feed their kids for lunch - and how to pay for it - as they return to school
FBIF 2025
Meiji: Protein intake trumps exercise to build muscle gains
Meiji has urged consumers to focus on protein consumption over exercise for muscle growth and maintenance, across all groups from seniors to athletes
A turning point for ultra-processed foods?
A CDC report reveals a dip in calories consumed from ultra-processed foods, but highlights five categories that are sticking points for most Americans and which could represent white space for clean-label innovation
Why Gen Z might save UPFs from their doom spiral
In an age of chips with gut health claims, AI-designed snacks and soft drinks with electrolytes, the most radical thing we could do is stop hiding the fact that food is processed and start celebrating it
Gene-edited wheat delivers a dough performance upgrade
A surprise win for bakers: by deleting the most toxic gluten peptides, researchers have made wheat safer for the gluten-sensitive – and stronger for high-performance dough
5 game-changing retail trends brands and retailers can’t ignore
Retailers must embrace omnichannel strategies to thrive in an evolving landscape
Linoleic acid unlikely seed oil ‘bad guy’: Study
Omega-6 linoleic acid is more likely to be anti-inflammatory, and efforts to limit its consumption are not warranted, says a new study published in Nutrients.
Future Food-Tech Chicago
Coffee crisis: What will it take to close the looming ‘massive’ supply-demand imbalance?
Demand for coffee is rising, but current production is threatened by climate change and geopolitical tensions in regions where the crops are concentrated – creating an opportunity for new methods for creating coffee and alternatives
Clean label plant meat innovator lands $11m to boost production
With a fresh injection of funding, a next-gen meat alternative business is preparing to take a bigger bite out of the protein market
Future Food-Tech Chicago
Whipping up innovation: How 3 companies co-created a first-of-its-kind product in 3 weeks
An unlikely trio - Savor, Alamance and Thimus - used applied neuroscience, novel fats and agile frameworks to create a sustainable whipped topping and an innovation model other companies can use to fast-track product development
US Food Waste Pact debuts new frontline employee toolkit
A new food waste reduction toolkit from the US Food Waste Pact shows frontline workers how small improvements in their daily work can have an outsized impact
‘Plastic is last century’s material!’ Could the beverage industry leave plastic bottles behind forever?
Plastic bottles remain a staple across the beverage industry. Will it ever be possible to completely transition away from this format; and what alternative formats would take its place?
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Sweet protein producer Oobli ramps up B2B strategy with partnerships
The company aims to normalize sweet proteins in sweetener and nutrition systems
Artificial sweetener can kill pathogenic bugs in a win against antibiotic resistance
A sweetener used in dairy, beverages and candies may be a game-changing solution to the global antimicrobial resistance crisis
Future Food Tech San Francisco
NotCo opens access to its game-changing AI technology to speed product innovation
Innovating packaged foods and beverages traditionally takes two to three years from concept to shelf, but companies are under pressure to launch products more quickly and with lower costs, a challenge NotCo says its AI technology can solve
Rethinking bioreactors: Ever After Foods and Bühler aim to lower cultivated meat costs
Redesigning bioreactors for food production could solve scaling and cost challenges in cultivated meat
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Into the weeds: Marine Biologics’ data unlocks seaweed’s potential
Marine Biologics transforms seaweed with AI for functional, consistent food ingredients
Natural Products Expo West
Mondelez SnackFutures’ investments reveal playbook to tackle snack industry’s biggest challenges
Snacking may be here to stay, but what consumers want - and how companies source it - are evolving quickly, prompting Mondelez to narrow the aperture of its investment strategy
The Global Food Tech Awards 2025
Global Food Tech Awards 2025: Innovation shines in Americas heat as finalists announced
A novel bubble-based precision fermentation technology has scooped the top prize in the Americas heat of the inaugural Global Food Tech Awards
From tuber to egg replacements: The rising potential of potatoes
Protein-packed potatoes drive Polopo’s expansion for natural functional foods
Alternative proteins 3.0: Balancing health and taste
UPSIDE & Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors team to serve cultivated meat
UPSIDE’s partnership with Pat LaFrieda leverages the restaurant scene for consumer adoption of cultivated meat
Consumer panels are dead: Why it’s time to rethink product development
Foodpairing’s bold approach to product innovation is challenging long-held industry practices that no longer meet the demands of today’s fast-paced market. So, how can you ensure your products resonate with consumers while avoiding costly missteps?
Keto discovery set to boost sales
Latest discovery on Ketogenic diet could fuel major growth for the diet trend, which already boasts a huge market value.