PepsiCo embraces dirty soda trend with Dirty Mountain Dew and Mug Root Beer Floats
As consumer interest in indulgent, creamy sodas surges, major beverage brands are ditching the DIY approach for convenient, ready-to-drink formats
R&D
Reformulation isn’t simply about replacing cocoa
The cocoa crisis has exposed a much bigger challenge for manufacturers – preserving flavour, texture, quality and consumer trust while navigating a volatile ingredient market
GLP‑1 use is fueling trends already in motion
GLP‑1 adoption is scaling rapidly and the brands that win are focusing on delivering nutrition for broader appeal rather than a niche segment
Mintel reveals new multisensory CPG opportunities
Texture, aroma and color are gaining equal footing with taste as brands target viral trends, neurodivergent consumers and GLP-1 users, Mintel finds
Why food scientists still can’t crack the perfect natural red
Creating a heat-stable natural red remains one of food science’s toughest colour challenges
Precision fermentation scale-up: Inside a pilot plant for next-gen food ingredients
The University of Illinois is helping food companies move from lab breakthroughs to commercial production, working with partners like ADM and Primient
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 state of fermentation and cultivated ingredients: Where are we now?
Walmart, Target rollout fuels animal-free egg white boom at Every Company
Precision fermentation player scales OvoPro production, with 550% growth in first four months of 2026
PepsiCo, Danone & Nestlé: how AI is powering F&B growth
AI is transforming how F&B giants cut costs, boost efficiency and innovate faster — turning data into a powerful competitive edge
Mars goes all in on renewables as emissions fall and growth climbs
Mars hits energy milestone, while maintaining growth and stepping up global investment
Indoor ag firm AeroFarms finds new lifeline with Palm Ventures
Investment firm bets on vertical farming, retail traction and GLP-1-driven demand as industry shifts toward profitability
How texture is elevating dairy and alt dairy
From playful crunch to decadent smoothness, brands are increasingly leaning on textural cues to give their products a premium feel
ThaiFex-Anuga Asia 2026
Betagro turns chicken into noodles to double protein per meal
Betagro has created noodles made out of chicken breast, offering consumers a new way to double up on protein and satisfy tapping demand for high-protein innovation
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Are marketers misreading women?
Women drive 85% of consumer spending, but new research from NIQ discussed in the latest episode of Soup-to-Nuts podcast suggests outdated assumptions about women shoppers are giving way to more individualized ‘micro-realities’ that are influencing the...
Ingredion acquires upcycled prebiotic fiber amid $3.7 billion Tate & Lyle bid
Upcycled carrot prebiotic aligns with the company’s push into health-focused ingredients
Behind the rise of protein-rich peanut butter snacks
Global peanut butter sales are projected to reach $8.5B as CPG brands roll out better-for-you, portion-controlled innovations
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
Confectionery trends: Balancing better-for-you trends and indulgence
Cargill joins alternative chocolate race with Barry Callebaut and Nestlé amid cocoa volatility
By upcycling grape seeds, Cargill’s new NextCoa offers CPG brands a vegan, allergen-free option as major manufacturers hedge against soaring cocoa costs
Beyond Meat backer closes $1B growth fund targeting food and energy
The growth-stage fund has already deployed $300 million to food tech and agriculture companies like Sojo Industries and Exacto
Will the next wave of alt dairy be built backwards?
Animal-free dairy startup is reversing the traditional biotech model, prioritizing scalability and cost from the outset as the category resets
US government spends hundreds of millions on biotech pilot plants as national security priority
Defense Department and state matching grants fund BioMADE’s three pilot plants as precision fermentation infrastructure gap forces US companies to manufacture overseas
Strategies to decarbonize the supply chain
Partnerships to cut methane emissions from rice offer a blueprint for reaching Scope 3 goals across the food system and underscore the importance of pre-competitive partnership across the supply chain
Universities emerge as backbone of alternative protein scale-up
From fermentation infrastructure to GRAS validation, universities are bridging gaps between research, regulation and commercialization
Resealable cans shake up California’s beverage market
L.A. Libations Water claims a first with resealable, recyclable cans
How big a problem are microplastics?
The first global study of its kind quantifies the problem in the food and drink industry
Shoppers embrace personalization – but draw the line at AI taking control
While personalized pricing and in-store tech gain approval, nearly half of consumers reject fully agentic AI shopping experiences, according to a new Dunnhumby report
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
Sustainable sourcing: From upcycling to carbon neutral to sustainable packaging
Upcycled Food Association launches Canada hub to unify, scale upcycled food sector
Backed by Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, the UFA-led hub aims to connect fragmented stakeholders and accelerate growth in the category
World’s first cell-based chocolate bar developed with Mondelēz
The first-ever milk chocolate bars made with cell-cultivated cocoa butter have been produced
Is microwave popcorn ready for disruption? Opopop thinks so
Next-generation microwavable popcorn brand Opopop got a big boost in March with nationwide distribution at Walmart, a launch that has kept the company innovating
GLP-1 ‘Halo effect’: Users positively impact household eating habits
An Acosta Group report shows that GLP-1 drugs are improving users’ relationship with food and how they feel about their personal appearance
What if coffee was the missing ingredient in plant-based meat?
A surprising ingredient could help plant-based meat tackle one of its biggest problems: taste
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
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
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
What GLP‑1 users need: Food, nutrition and CPG innovation
An evolving class of GLP-1 medications rewrites the rules of appetite – giving food companies their biggest innovation challenge in decades
Hershey courts Gen Z with premium, better-for-you snacking playbook
From holiday occasions to social-first indulgence, Hershey is using premiumization, permissible treats and a bigger salty and protein presence to future-proof its snacking portfolio
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Clean label drives protein innovation – from seaweed stabilizers to yeast‑based alternatives
Ingredient innovators are using macroalgae and microbial fermentation to reshape the future of clean‑label, high‑functionality protein products
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Fortification vs processing: Why the line is blurring in food design
How are food leaders rethinking fortification and processing to deliver nutrient‑dense, functional – and joyful – foods?
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
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Peptides move from fringe biohacks to functional food frontier
As demand surges for targeted health solutions, Nuritas’ Nora Khaldi discusses how AI is transforming peptide discovery, and why food and beverage may be the industry’s next big play
Future Food Tech San Francisco
AI assists, but active ingredients still lead in wellness innovation
Industry leaders at Future Food Tech said AI tools are helping product developers, yet rigorous ingredient science continues to set the pace for better-for-you foods and beverages
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
Can brands cut sugar without killing taste, texture or trust?
As sugar shifts from ingredient to liability, food and drink manufacturers are rebuilding sweetness from the ground up using rare sugars, fibres and fermentation-driven innovation
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Collaboration, not capital, is driving the next wave of food innovation
Industry leaders at Future Food-Tech San Francisco say lower investment levels are giving rise to an era of deeper cooperation among stakeholders focused on creating healthier products
How snack brands can stay resilient in an era of disruption
From GLP-1 drugs and AI to fast-shifting shopper preferences, founders and experts urge snack brands to double down on focus, purpose and agility
New product development
What’s hot in confectionery? Cadbury refresh, Potter Peeps and beauty cakes
From organic gummies and dessert‑inspired sweets to licensed seasonal launches and confection–beauty crossovers. Brands are leaning on format innovation
Unbottling hydration drinks: A need-to-have or nice-to-sell?
Innovation in electrolyte hydration drinks is exploding - but the trend may be attempting to fix a problem that doesn’t really exist