Tractor Beverage cultivates new business model with Haymaker
The farmer-focused vinegar-based sparkling tonic launches in 2026 at Sprouts Farmers Market
Clean label
Up the food chain
Oatly’s strategy: Driving plant-based milk’s growth through taste, creativity and sustainability
How Oatly’s North American president Helge Weitz uses his CPG and real-world restaurant experience to map the firm’s US reset
Danone becomes the largest B Corp
The achievement gives Danone a competitive advantage over the likes of Nestlé and Unilever and is a boon for investor confidence
Kidfresh finds sweet spot between what kids want and parents approve
CEO Michael Allen says innovation a top priority to meet families’ needs
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?
Target leans on functional beverages to steady slipping sales
Prebiotic sodas, better-for-you energy drinks and Halloween candy give embattled retailer Q3 lift
Middle East Focus: Food sector AI, coconut nectar, trout and more
Food sector AI, coconut nectar, trout and more feature in this edition of Middle East Focus
Pucker mania is spicing up snack shelves … and powering pickle sales
Pickles are big business and experiencing rapid growth through savvy startups and private-label expansion
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
Startup Spotlight
Yough! scales gut-friendly frozen pizza with clean ingredients and specialty retail strategy
From Greek yogurt crust to store shelves, Yough! is navigating the hurdles of scaling a healthier frozen pizza
Bubbl’r and Amez Infusions ride the functional energy drink wave
From antioxidant sparkling waters to unsweetened tea blends, drink makers meet surging demand for focused energy without the crash
Healthy beverages
Lipton leans into function and flavor with new herbal teas and concentrates
Lipton is expanding into concentrates and herbal teas to meet growing demand for flavorful, functional and convenient tea formats, while keeping pace with trends like GLP-1 wellness and stress management
Healthy beverages
Kids’ beverages are becoming simpler, cleaner and more flavor-focused
Brands like Oodles of Doodles and Stonyfield Organic show how the kids’ beverage category is evolving toward simpler ingredients, functional benefits and age-appropriate formats
Saffron Road’s seed oil-free certification aims to ‘level up’ frozen aisle
Frozen entrée manufacturer Saffron Road expands its clean label positioning with its Seed Oil Free certification, a move that reflects both evolving consumer awareness and the brand’s long-term strategy around ingredient transparency
Hain Celestial shows signs of stabilization amid brand shake-up
The maker of Celestial Seasonings and Garden Veggie Snacks narrowed losses as restructuring gains traction
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
Justin Gold’s second act: Back at Justin’s after Hormel sell-off
Nut butter pioneer hopes to recapture the entrepreneurial spark that made his snack company a category trailblazer
5 meat snack innovations at NACS 2025
The tradeshow featured hundreds of innovative new products at the Cool New Snacks preview room
Protein, please: NPD with real muscle
Protein’s still flexing hard, but it’s left the gym and hit the grocery aisle
Danone’s east-meets-west strategy for gut health and longevity
Modern science drives Danone’s innovations, yet the company is also looking to ancient traditions around the world to understand how different cultures nurture gut health
The evolution of the energy drink category: Odyssey Functional Energy heralds drive towards added functionality
Clean energy has already swept across the energy drink category. Now, Odyssey Functional Energy heralds the next era of added functionality: becoming a favorite in offices of SpaceX, Uber, Google, Meta, Amazon and more
News Bites
Gen Z trends, UPF debate & Coca-Cola’s beverage pivot
Younger consumers redefine “healthy,” experts warn UPF rules may backfire and Coca-Cola bets big on protein and zero sugar
Mondelēz rethinks new product development and distribution strategy as US consumers cut back on snacks
The snack giant will expand value offerings, boost innovation in better-for-you products and indulgent items, and refine promotions to reignite growth
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
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
Healthy, hot and functional foods driving c-store growth
Prepared-food sales are climbing, and younger shoppers are leading the push for fresher, clean-label offerings
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
Yuka brings aspartame fight to the US
Report calls for ban on ingredient found in thousands of common food and beverage products
Sweeteners in focus
Sugar isn’t the only sweet solution: How modern sweeteners are changing the game
Kerry Group and NotCo show how advanced sweetening systems can overcome many of the technical, sustainability and cost barriers with sugar reduction
Sweet shift: Low- and no-sugar candy sales surge as Halloween revelers seek mindful balance
84.51° data shows households – especially those with children – are driving double- and triple-digit gains in candy made with less sugar and alternative sweeteners
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
Bettani Farms bets on its star ingredient to scale allergen- and animal-free cheese
The company’s proprietary ingredient Caseed mimics dairy casein without the allergenic effects of dairy, nuts and soy for B2B partners
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
Kerry turns consumer insights into sustainable food solutions
Kerry’s sustainable nutrition spectrum guides CPG brands in reformulating foods that meet evolving consumer expectations for health, sustainability and taste.
Boomers vs Gen Z: Both want functional foods, but results vary by generation
Younger consumers seek energy; older counterparts prioritize preventative care
Powdered beverage brand TRUWILD’s growing pains and path forward
Rapid growth and supply chain hurdles prompt the outdoor-focused brand to consider new strategies and possibly investors
Oobli builds out sweet protein platform with third FDA ‘no questions’ letter
FDA acknowledges brazzein-54, advancing Oobli’s nature-identical sweet protein toolkit to reduce sugar
Activia’s ‘glow up’: How Danone is modernizing a legacy brand for the next generation
The brand is betting on a “gut health glow-up,” refreshing its brand and product lineup to win over the next generation of wellness-minded consumers
Healthy snacking trends
Släcka aims to redefine healthy snacking with ‘snack in a can’
Within the saturated functional beverage market, Släcka is betting on cravings instead of energy to stand out
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
The big UPF myth: Why consumers say one thing and eat another
Do manufacturers really need to navigate out of the ‘dirty’ UPF world? Perhaps not, as exclusive research shows consumers’ perception of UPF is very different to their reality
Whole Foods Market shoppers are changing – here is what it means for brands
A senior leader at Whole Foods Market shares how the retailer’s shopper demographics and psychographics are evolving – from lapsed holiday buyers to aspirational Gen Z – and what that means for product placement and marketing opportunities
Organic Week 2025
Organic’s next frontier: Marketing that matches motivation
From eco-minded Boomers to health-conscious Millennials to price-sensitive Gen Zers, organic consumers are everywhere but they are far from monolithic – complicating market strategies for brands and retailers
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
Meat stick brand Singing Pastures leans into clean nutrition and joy
The company’s storytelling piques the interest of consumers who crave ethical protein and expands appeal to women consumers
Top 5 functional confectionery ingredients
Functional confectionery is booming. Find out which ingredients are driving the trend
RFK Jr. and social media drive beef tallow market surge
Beef tallow’s resurgence signals broader shock in the edible oils market with many CPG brands rethinking marketing messaging around fats and replacing seed oils
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