What’s popular this Thanksgiving? Brining, baking and brand buzz
From budget-friendly feasts to playful twists, brands are blending affordability, nostalgia and creativity to win over holiday hosts
Healthy foods
Top 5 F&B ingredients trends driving market growth towards $560bn
The global food and beverage ingredients market is booming. But what are the trends powering industry growth?
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
What will the M&A landscape look like in 2026 for CPGs?
Seasoned deal advisors share the emerging trends shaping valuations, investor expectations, and what founders must do now to stay competitive
Born Simple launches premium boxed meals designed to build consumer trust
By combining short ingredient lists with long shelf life, Born Simple’s Better Bowls show how packaging, processing and protein can align to meet modern expectations for clean convenience
Non-UPF Verified debuts standard for CPG brands
The standard includes ingredient criteria and processing intensity that align with nutrition research and food system realities
Private sector steps in as USDA funds partial SNAP benefits
With federal resources stretched thin, private and retail sector efforts grow critical to sustaining access and demand across SNAP shoppers
Nestlé bets on start-ups for GLP-1 innovation
The multinational hopes external innovation can help support consumers through weight loss and maintenance phases
SNAP funding shortfall puts pressure on food system as Instacart, retailers step in
With Congress gridlocked over SNAP funding, the food industry – from Instacart to grocery chains – is stepping in to keep families fed and stabilize supply chains
Inside discount retailer Lidl US’ recipe for success: Fresh, value and focus
From SKU rationalization to supplier partnerships and front-line empowerment, CEO Joel Rampoldt is reshaping Lidl US’ playbook for sustainable growth and earning consumer loyalty along the way
Government shutdown threatens CPG brands tied to SNAP and WIC
As the shutdown nears its fourth week, the SNAP and WIC funding crisis is rippling through retail supply chains, jeopardizing access to food and CPG category stability
Gen Z and Millennials redefine wellness: Protein, fiber and flavor drive food choices
Spins data reveals how younger consumers are reimagining nutrition around functional benefits, global flavors and ingredient transparency
News Bites
From vegan collagen to smart sweeteners: FDA and CPG shifts shape food innovation
FDA accelerates precision fermentation, General Mills refocuses on overlooked consumers and innovators redefine the role of sugar
Filippo Berio unveils premium packaging redesign to connect with modern consumers
The Italian olive oil brand updates its packaging with bold design and clear flavor cues as it embraces a strategy to attract multicultural and multigenerational shoppers
General Mills bets big on overlooked consumers to drive next wave of growth
The CPG giant is adapting products, pack sizes and marketing to place aging consumers, GLP-1 users and Hispanic shoppers at the center of its fiscal 2026 plans
How Sprouts scouts out the next big thing in beverage innovation
Sprouts Farmers Market’s approach to NPD keeps it on a constant search for the hottest beverage innovations
News Bites
Lay’s glow-up, food science myths and fermented frontiers
Lay’s gets a new look, nutrition science is getting a reality check and precision fermented ingredients are getting FDA’s nod
Sweeteners in focus
Letter from the editor: Sweeteners in focus - navigating the taste, tech and trade-offs
Consumers’ evolving preferences, clean-label demands and political debates are reshaping sugar and alternative sweeteners - and challenging brands to innovate without compromise
Startup Spotlight
Startup Elavi doubles down on high protein brownies – and retail notices
While a national buy from Whole Foods is the dream for many startups, often a ‘no for now’ will bide time and resources to land on more shelves in the future
What happens when nutrition science collides with politics? Kevin Hall found out
New book explores what the science really says about metabolism myths, UPFs and misinformation
McCormick sticks to volume-growth recipe despite unexpected uptick in tariff costs
The spice giant plans to absorb as much of tremendous tariff hit as possible to maintain sales volume growth but warns surgical price increases may be necessary as many ongoing mitigation efforts are unsustainable into the new year
Boomers vs Gen Z: Both want functional foods, but results vary by generation
Younger consumers seek energy; older counterparts prioritize preventative care
‘Stronger by the Dozen:’ How the American Egg Board is reframing eggs for wellness
The American Egg Board’s new ‘Stronger by the Dozen’ campaign positions eggs as more than just protein, highlighting their role in supporting muscle, the brain and overall well-being
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...
Sustainability September
Farming for function: Edacious and ROA put nutrition under the microscope
Edacious and the Regenerative Organic Alliance are teaming up to prove that how food is grown can directly boost nutrition, safety and consumer trust
Healthy snacking trends
Better-for-you, built in: How Whole Foods stays ahead of healthy eating trends
The retailer’s chief merchandising and marketing officer Sonya Gafsi Oblisk explains how evolving quality standards, trendspotting and value-conscious innovation are shaping healthier snacking and shopping
Healthy Snacking
Wild Fox Foods brings bold flavor and clean labels to nuts, trail mix and protein bars
The team behind Kevin’s Natural Foods aims for the snack aisle with a line up of protein bars, roasted nuts and trail mixes
Up the food chain
Danone’s dairy category head on powering up nutriton
Danone’s SVP Dairy Arancha Cordero talks strategy, the role of protein, biotics and GLP-1 in dairy, and what it’s like being a female leader in food and beverage
USDA’s SNAP stocking overhaul is a ‘mixed bag’ for retailers and shoppers
While USDA says the update would double food choices and close loopholes, advocates warn it won’t meaningfully expand healthy options and could strain small, independent retailers
How Gen Z made Free From the flavor of modern wellness
Forget bland gluten-free loaves and chalky sugar-free chocolate. For Gen Z, Free From is culture, not compromise and it’s rewriting what health and indulgence look like
Organic sector weighs tariff fallout: higher prices now, stronger infrastructure later
Industry executives at the Organic Trade Association’s annual meeting last week warn tariffs will lift prices but may also spark much-needed investments in local processing and supply chain capacity
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Organic industry rallies on Capitol Hill to protect $71B market and fuel growth
Organic Trade Association members championed policies that would expand domestic production, protect against fraud and strengthen the workforce powering the organic industry
Trump administration lifts hurdles for immigrant farmworkers as harvest season peaks
Streamlined H-2A renewals promise to ease labor bottlenecks, though agriculture leaders say broader workforce reforms remain critical
Huel raises the bar for functional beverages with Daily Greens RTD
Product launch taps surging demand for convenient, benefit-focused drinks with proven results
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
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
MAHA child health report calls for reforms, lacks specifics
RFK unveils sweeping plan targeting ultra-processed foods and pesticides, while critics call the proposal toothless
Stakeholders agree that nutrition belongs in medicine - the debate is how
While the link between diet and health outcomes is indisputable, the question of how nutrition knowledge should be integrated into medical training remains contested
News Bites
Energy drinks, snack trends and a big split
Energy drinks, snacking behaviors and corporate restructuring made headlines this week, underscoring how rapidly the food and beverage landscape is shifting under competitive and consumer pressures
Why the refrigerated aisle is ripe for cpg innovation
Data from NFRA and case studies from brands like GoodBelly and Egglife highlight how chilled formats meet consumer demand for freshness and wellness
Organic marketing campaign cuts through greenwashing and taps into MAHA priorities
OTA’s ‘Seal Makes it Simple’ campaign debuting in six regions clarifies USDA Organic’s multi-benefit value amid rising sustainability claims and the Trump administration’s non-regulatory approach to Make America Healthy Again
News Bites: Beef tallow surge, fall flavors beyond pumpkin spice and SNAP impact
This week’s top stories explore beef tallow’s viral rise, new fall flavor trends and how SNAP policy changes are reshaping value-driven innovation
Health, convenience and family meals are shaping US grocery shopping in 2025
Health, digital discovery and family meals are rewriting the grocery playbook for 2025
Levelle Nutrition pioneers Cycle-Syncing Protein Powder for women: ‘Being first-to-market comes with responsibility’
Co-founder and CEO Linda Alvarez discusses the timely launch of Cycle Syncing Protein and its broader cultural and scientific significance for women’s nutrition
News Bites
From deregulation to reformulation: MAHA draft, consumer trends and California’s UPF ban in schools
From Washington’s deregulatory MAHA draft to consumers reshaping shopping habits and California move to curb ultra-processed foods in schools, this week brought pivotal shifts for food and beverage stakeholders
Startup Spotlight
Niche vs mainstream: Startup ReadyBar sees big potential in focused market
ReadyBar’s founder warns CPG startups against trying to be everything to everyone. His lesson: focus on a niche, like first responders, to build real traction
California bill targets ultra-processed foods in schools — what’s next for food companies
For CPG manufacturers and foodservice operators, California’s sweeping reforms signal an era of tighter scrutiny on ingredients, marketing and supply chains
Leaked MAHA draft promotes deregulation and voluntary compliance
Critics warn the Trump administration’s deregulatory approach and preference for voluntary change, reflected in the second draft of t Make America Healthy Again report, could make America ‘sicker, hungrier and more at risk from unsafe food
News Bites
Shifting plates: Ultra-processed food declines as protein innovation and labeling transparency rise
Consumer demand is pushing the food industry toward cleaner labels, greater transparency and innovation that balances nutrition, sustainability and taste
Good Food Collective rallies brands for stronger labeling standards, transparent packaging
The coalition aims to unite brands around more responsible labeling and ingredient standards with proactive participation in regulatory outcomes
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