Natural color demand drives Capol’s deal for Blue Pacific Flavors
Capol’s acquisition of Blue Pacific underscores how quickly the natural color market is evolving - from a nice-to-have to a core differentiator
Suppliers
From research to market: How generative AI can speed product development
Practical strategies from industry voices show how generative AI can enhance ideation, protect intellectual property and create “first-time right” product launches
In struggling alt-protein scene, The Better Meat Co. raises $31 million in series A, plans to beat beef on price by 2026
Better Meat Co. raises $31 million series A to scale mycoprotein ingredient
IFT FIRST 2025
Upcycled carob offers prebiotic fiber tailored to glp-1 and gut health
Dietary fiber, like carob, is gaining traction as a star macronutrient in food and beverage formulations as consumer interest in metabolic health, gut support and clean-label products accelerates
IFT FIRST 2025
Methylcellulose’s match? ICL’s Rovitaris offers clean-label binding alternative in plant-based meat and seafood
Powered by Plantible Foods’ Rubi Protein, ICL’s binder system outperforms methylcellulose’s gelling capabilities in plant-based meat and seafood and delivers better nutritionals
IFT FIRST 2025
Fermentation x flavor: Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition’s new tomato flavor tackles cost, supply and clean label challenges
Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition is betting that fermentation – and a more transparent, science-forward narrative around natural flavor technologies – will help close the gap between consumer perception, cost feasibility and functional performance
IFT FIRST 2025
How are ingredient suppliers defining clean label?
The subjective term goes beyond health and safety to include customizable options for CPG brands
IFT FIRST
The natural color boom is here – can suppliers keep up?
As brands ditch synthetic dyes like Red 40, it is not enough to go natural – the colors need to work across formulation, supply chain and stability demands
IFT FIRST
Cocoa is out and fats, flavors and powders are in as companies rein in costs and secure supply
Volatile cocoa prices have manufacturers scrambling for ways to stretch limited supply by replacing or reducing how much cocoa powder and butter they use
Future Food Tech-Chicago
Designer fats fast: Startup Smey’s ‘neobank of yeasts’ speeds creation of cultivated fats
Smey’s AI-powered digital library of more than 1,000 yeast strains can speed innovation of sustainable cultivated alternatives to popular fats and oils, including cocoa, shea and palm butter
Sensient’s flavor mod portfolio addresses taste complexity and cost challenges
If taste is king for consumers then nuanced flavor solutions may be next in line for the throne
Joyn Foods joins blended meat category on retail shelves
The blended meat - or balanced protein - category continues to grow as players invest in ingredient technology to align with consumer preferences for healthy, clean-label protein
Tariffs reshape food & drink M&A: Key trends in 2025
Food and beverage M&A activity is being reshaped by global tariff changes and shifting buyer strategies
Future Food Tech Chicago
TMI? How much is too much when it comes to food-tech transparency
Food-tech pioneers and established brands weigh the risks and rewards of disclosing the science and processing behind new ingredients and products versus leading with consumer benefits
dsm-firmenich taps Meala to elevate texturized pea protein with clean-label functionality
The partnership leverages Meala’s patented technology to simplify formulation while meeting the technical demands of plant-based and hybrid food applications
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
From microalgae to macro impact: Arborea harnesses sunlight to create ‘food without the footprint’
Climate-tech food startup Arborea’s proprietary BioSolar Leaf system promises to produce nutrient-dense proteins and superfoods by “industrializing photosynthesis” and using a fraction of the land, water and carbon footprint of conventional agriculture
Future Food-Tech Chicago
Exclusive: New high intensity sweetener that rivals monk fruit moves closer to launch
Elo Life Sciences begins field trials to produce monk fruit molecule in watermelons with a goal to launch a new high intensity sweetener juice and powder in 2026
From online to grocery carts: Nuts.com launches Pop & Sol brand in retail
Nut brand Pop & Sol launches with a blend of savory and sweet snacks
Natural color startup shines light on upcycled solution for replacing synthetic dyes
CPG companies are rushing to remove synthetic dyes, stressing supply chains and creating opportunities for new natural colors, like Sparxell’s plant-based ingredients
Marketing to Gen Z and Alpha
Inside Instacart’s app for Gen Z: Fizz joins the party
Gen Zers’ preference for occasion-based snacking and drinking inspired Instacart to create the Fizz app
T. Hasegawa USA turns to tech to solve plant-based flavor challenges
Taste challenges remain a barrier for the plant-based meat and dairy market, requiring innovative flavor solutions
Plant-based meat manufacturer freezes prices for year in tariff response
Plant-based meat’s march to price parity hits a tariff wrinkle, as private label provides a growth opportunity for the slumping category
Future Food-Tech
3 food tech companies creating a more sustainable and healthier LATAM
Upcycling Solutions, Future Biome and Kresko RNAtech will share their stories at an upcoming Future-Food Tech and FoodNavigator event in São Paulo
‘Regenerative is a long-term commitment,’ Westrock Coffee shares strategy for a greener supply chain
Westrock Coffee’s 2024 sustainability report demonstrates the length the supplier is going to imbue regenerative agriculture and greener manufacturing practices into its supply chain
Brazzein sweetener gets FDA green light as sugar-reduction momentum grows in confectionery
Bestzyme’s next-gen sweet protein secures GRAS status, unlocking new potential for sugar-reduced chocolate and confectionery innovation as brands meet demand for healthier indulgence
Food tech company achieves natural dye breakthrough with Ginkgo Bioworks’ help
The rush to replace synthetic food dyes will require innovative ingredients and investment in product development, with food technologies offering a solution to supply chain constraints
Brand Alchemy
Walmart Unlimited’s gamified shopping brings products to consumer IRL
The partnership between Walmart and gaming platform Spatial meets gamers in the digital world while shortening the distance between concept and commerce
Salmon from spirulina? Israeli food tech company commercializes seafood alternative
SimpliiGood by AlgaeCore Technologies recreates the taste and texture of salmon using algae and innovative decolorization and texturizing processes
AI food tech company moves protein and fat into commercial production
California-based ingredient discovery company Shiru is commercializing its first ingredients, as the food tech company tees up future sweetener partnerships
Scope 3 emissions reporting: HowGood and Watershed team on solution
US tech companies HowGood and Watershed are empowering food and beverage companies’ carbon reduction strategies with Scope 3 emissions reporting
Reaching Net Zero
Cocoa complicated: Luker Chocolate addresses volatility with sustainability
Disease and climate change drove cocoa volatility in 2024, as trade tensions and tariffs complicate the commodity’s price in 2025
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
NutraCast: Axiom Foods tackles heavy metal contamination in plant proteins
Los Angeles-based Axiom Foods recently debuted Oryzatein 2.0, the first patented plant protein with no detectable levels of lead, according to independent lab tests.
Natural Products Expo West
Kerry’s new strategic direction focuses on sustainable nutrition and functional benefits
Consumers are demanding lower sugar and sodium products with functional benefits, inspiring CPG and ingredient innovation
Ingredient shortages drive demand for citrus replacers
Flavor suppliers expand citrus alternatives as costs rise and shortages persist
Food-tech startup CellX uproots to US, self-affirms GRAS status and launches mushroom jerky brand Mourish
CellX is using an asset-light model to cost-efficiently scale production and launch a CPG brand, demonstrating the potential of its morel mushroom mycelium
Natural Products Expo West
‘Revolutionary’ high-protein oats ‘supercharge’ Bob’s Red Mill breakfast options
‘Hull-less’ oats from Bay State Milling also meet rising demand for more fiber and clean label, nutrient-dense options to complement GLP-1 medications
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
Natural Products Expo West
How one snack brand eliminated refined sugar with this novel sweetener
Consumer demand for natural, clean and low-sugar snacks is inspiring innovation, as brands like Tosi turn to novel sweeteners
Natural Products Expo West
ADM connects gut and brain health at Expo West
Consumer awareness of the gut-brain axis continues to grow, as ingredient supplier ADM doubles down on digestive health with postbiotics from Asahi Group
Startup Spotlight
Startup taps into guar protein for food fortification
Ingredient startup CoryPro Ingredients bets on guar protein to shake up food innovation
From tuber to egg replacements: The rising potential of potatoes
Protein-packed potatoes drive Polopo’s expansion for natural functional foods
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Are four casein proteins better than one? Better Dairy mimics ripened cheese
The company is targeting animal-free cheese and enhancing infant nutrition
Future Food Tech San Francisco
‘Revolutionary sustainable fats’ from carbon promise to cut emissions but not flavor or function
Celebrity Chef Julia Child famously said, ‘with enough butter, anything is good,’ and while the ingredient can add much needed flavor, mouthfeel and satiety to dishes, producing it, and other fats and oils, can take a hefty toll on the environment –...
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Do bioactives hold the key to improving nutrient density in food?
Ayana Bio sets its sights on the food industry with its sage and holy basil bioactives
Flavors and colors in focus: From emerging consumer demand to new manufacturing strategies
Playing offense: How CPG companies can get ahead of food additive bans
CPG companies are deploying supply chain management and insight software, like that from Blue Yonder, to navigate ever-changing food regulations and plan for future scenarios before they happen
Kerry confronts ‘perfect storm’ of regulations & supply chain challenges
Ingredient shortages and regulations will require CPG companies to think fast and differently about product development
Sweet protein co. joins forces with Ingredion & raises $18m to develop sugar reduction techniques
Food-tech company Oobli is making progress on further commercializing its sweet protein with a partnership with Ingredion and $18 million in Series B1 funding
MeliBio buzzes to first place at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition’s NGT3 pitch slam
Biotech company MeliBio wowed a panel of industry experts with its precision fermentation-derived honey to win first place at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition’s first NGT3 pitch slam this week
Is the key to the cocoa crisis a blend of cocoa powder and fat?
Ingredients from Butter Buds and Yali Bio reflect the growing need for cost-effective cocoa alternatives without sacrificing taste