Summer Fancy Food Show 2026
Bone broth breaks out of the soup bowl
Bone broth’s versatility across beverage formats reveals there’s more to it than a functional, savory drink
Clean label
Summer Fancy Food Show 2026
What’s driving the protein surge?
Consumers are cutting sugar with confidence and chasing protein with confusion, while generational divides over where protein belongs are reshaping the trend
Consumers stock up on GLP-1-coded protein shakes on Amazon Prime Day
Shopper satisfaction dips nine percentage points, as consumers reduce spending year over year
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
News Bites
How CPGS are rewriting ‘better-for-you’
Cleaning up labels is no longer enough – value-driven consumers are forcing the industry to rethink the balance of price, health and convenience
Kellanova’s latest launches reveal a new innovation strategy
As consumers become more selective about calories and spending, Kellanova is building snacks around specific occasions and need states—using protein-packed RXBAR launches and sensory-driven Cheez-It Crunch as examples of a broader innovation strategy
Clean protein shakes up RTD beverages
Elmhurst 1925 extends clean-label portfolio with RTD plant protein shakes
How a better-for-you chip brand is raising the stakes in the category
Former better-for-you candy disruptor moves to the savory aisle with a healthier take on the classic potato chip
The state of fermentation and cultivated ingredients: Where are we now?
Precision fermentation reshapes how sweetness is made
The future of sweetness may not be about replacing sugar with a single ingredient, but about redesigning how sweetness itself is built
How are Nestlé, Danone and Muscle Milk rethinking reformulation?
Additives and artificial colors and flavors continue to be axed from formulas as the industry balances a meeting consumers’ health goals with nutrition policy
Functional snacks on social media aren’t replacing indulgence, they’re justifying it
If functional snacks are booming, the ingredients powering them show a category in transition
Is ‘healthy enough’ the new ‘better for you?’
Winning brands balance health, indulgence and convenience
Clear whey drives functional drinks boom amid tightening WPI supply
Active consumers want high-protein drinks that are both nutritious and refreshing. Clear whey has become a key ingredient for such formulations
Are reformulation demands moving faster than brands can respond? Hear from PepsiCo and industry leaders
As the reformulation goalposts continue to move, experts from PepsiCo, the European Snacks Association, the American Bakers Association, 210 Analytics and FDF Scotland’s Reformulation for Health Programme ask whether manufacturers can keep pace
Nestlé USA eliminates artificial colors as part of broader reformulation overhaul
While Nestlé has reached this particular milestone ahead of schedule, it positions the achievement as one step in a longer-term strategy focused on cleaner labels, product innovation and greater consumer trust
Beech-Nut bets on the overlooked preschool snacking market
US rollout aims to fill gap between toddler food and traditional snacks for kids 4 years-plus
Snack bar startups draw capital around protein, function and format
Stars + Honey’s recent funding to scale its collagen protein snack bars reflects broader capital investment towards nutrition, functionality, clean label and format innovation in the snack bar category
Nestlé’s global footprint extends reach of startup Helaina’s protein
The partnership is a crucial milestone toward meeting infants’ nutritional needs in larger populations given Nestlé’s global footprint that would be difficult for the startup to achieve independently
Kids’ juice looks to protein as next frontier
With sugar reduction now table stakes, brands in the kids’ juice aisle are pushing into functional nutrition to differentiate and drive the next phase of growth
Muscle Milk undergoes it’s ‘biggest transformation’ with Pro lineup
For Muscle Milk, the challenge – and opportunity – is to meet consumers’ varied needs with simplicity and nutrient density
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
Can better-for-you deliver candy cravings?
Better-for-you candy is entering a new phase where bold flavor and real ingredients - not just reduced sugar - are driving consumer interest across the snacking landscape
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
IFF sells bulk of food ingredients business to refocus on health and wellness
The global ingredient supplier’s deal reflects a broader trend of how companies are streamlining their businesses to meet shifting health and wellness preferences
Confectionery trends: Balancing better-for-you trends and indulgence
Can candy revive RTD tea?
Candy-inspired nostalgia could give RTD tea a much-needed spark, as brands like Ryl Tea use confectionery flavors to attract younger, health-conscious consumers into the category
Confectionery trends: Balancing better-for-you trends and indulgence
Mondelēz’s Hu Chocolate takes premium, paleo-friendly bites to Target
Co-founder Jordan Brown says the brand’s retail expansion proves clean-label ingredients and premium indulgence are no longer niche consumer demands
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
Sweets & Snacks Expo 2026
4 forces forging the future of sweets and snacks
The latest innovations in candy and snacks reveal how consumers are redefining fun, flavor and function
Inside the science of making healthier food consumers will actually buy with ADM
ADM argues food makers can no longer tackle sugar, sodium or clean label goals one at a time without risking taste, texture and cost
Alfalfa-based egg white alternative inches closer to market
With a WeFunder campaign and institutional raise underway, Fudi Protein is positioning its alfalfa-derived Rubisco as a cost-competitive egg white replacement
Added fibre: Why fortification is harder than it looks
Adding fibre to foods and beverages could help close the ‘fibre gap’, but reformulation challenges threaten taste and texture
What if chocolate’s flavour was never really about cocoa?
As cocoa markets spiral through another year of chaos, cocoa-free alternatives are shifting from novelty to necessity
When an ingredient goes viral, can the supply chain keep up?
As ingredient hype cycles accelerate, so do the risks of shortages, consistency and cost
Sweet proteins gain global momentum with latest regulatory win
Amai Proteins’ sweet protein secures regulatory approval in Singapore after recent US nod
PepsiCo, Jack Link’s, Chomps racing to own better-for-you meat snack boom
Clean labels, grass-fed beef and chicken sticks are reshaping a market expected to reach $21.67 billion by 2035
Luna Bar returns to reclaim women’s snack bar set
What does it take for a legacy brand to win over Gen Z and Millennial women?
FDA issues request for information on BHT and ADA
The two embattled food chemicals are the first two under review, following the launch of FDA’s new post-market assessment review program
FDA takes aim at BHT and ADA in new post-market food chemical safety program
With BHT and ADA already on their way out of the food supply, some experts question whether FDA’s “swift” action is too little, too late
Premium standards power seafood brand’s push into frozen foods
Safe Catch’s ethos of rigorous mercury testing expands into its new frozen portfolio aimed to deliver on nutrition, quality and convenience
The next gen in produce moves beyond fresh to ‘alive’
Wild About Sprouts’ campaign aims to rethink fresh produce and reconnect consumers with the origins and functionality of their food
Grocers scale private label portfolios with protein, fiber claims
New launches from Kroger, Meijer, AWG and Natural Grocers highlight health benefits as Walmart overhauls Great Value
News Bites
GLP‑1 nutrition, Nestlé’s reset and the rising reformulation crunch
Food companies are being pushed to rethink everything from product design to portfolio strategy and ingredient standards
Universities emerge as backbone of alternative protein scale-up
From fermentation infrastructure to GRAS validation, universities are bridging gaps between research, regulation and commercialization
FRESH Act of 2026 explained: FDA, GRAS reform and industry pushback
Should reform expand FDA’s pre‑market authority or narrow it in exchange for uniformity and predictability?
Aldi ramps up clean-label push with 44 new ingredient bans
Move affects 90% of store assortment as private-label-focused retailer responds to consumer ingredient concerns
Why overwhelmed shoppers may drive a reset in natural food marketing
Go Raw’s first brand campaign starts with a simple premise: snacks have become too complicated
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
Sustainability marketed products defy headwinds to gain market share, drive sales
NYU Stern and Circana data show eco-positioned CPGs are category and sales growth drivers
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
Private-label consolidation continues with CK Snacks’ purchase of Keystone Food Products
From Axium to Keystone, CK Snacks is stitching together a manufacturing network as private‑equity dollars pour into store‑brand suppliers