From casein to colors: Mars’ vision for precision fermentation
From proteins to dyes and sweeteners, the CPG major is betting big on the technology: here’s why
Food tech & digital transformation
Mars Snacking’s methane playbook: Lessons from Bovaer and a focus on next-gen tech
Paying premiums alone isn’t enough to get producers to embrace sustainability, Mars Snacking’s VP of R&D says as he reflects on emerging methane mitigation solutions and the Bovaer fallout
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
The top 100 hottest global F&B start-ups
Exclusive data analysis carried out by FutureBridge on behalf of Food Manufacture has identified the top 100 hottest food and drink start-ups worldwide.
Target leans on functional beverages to steady slipping sales
Prebiotic sodas, better-for-you energy drinks and Halloween candy give embattled retailer Q3 lift
Nestlé builds cocoa ‘Noah’s Ark’ to futureproof chocolate
Nestlé is exploring cutting-edge genomics and sustainable sourcing to safeguard cocoa supplies
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
Walmart jumps to Nasdaq as e-commerce soars
The retail giant leverages AI, online sales and warehouse automation in challenge to Amazon
AI platform Keychain raises $10M to help retailers speed private-label product launches
The funding backs Keychain360, a new operating system designed to cut product launch time by up to 30% and streamline sourcing, compliance and vendor management for retailers
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
40% of grocery shoppers will use AI by 2030 – How will this transform CPG marketing?
As more shoppers hand off purchasing decisions to AI, PwC’s Carla DeSantis shares how brands can win in an era where algorithms – not aisles – drive discovery and purchase
Prepare for turbulence: AI, retail media networks and M&A shifts require a new growth playbook
After years of price-driven gains, Acosta’s John Carroll warns the industry must pivot to tech-enabled collaboration to reignite meaningful unit growth
Startup Spotlight
Grocers are leaving money on the table: Startup BetterBasket can help
The startup says its AI-enhanced platform boosted revenue 8% for one independent grocer, and it aims to help more retailers reclaim margins lost to pricing inefficiencies
Groceryshop 2025
Ahold Delhaize USA’s retail media arm tears down ad silos with Edge platform
Launching in January, the new ‘one stop shop’ platform brings together fragmented marketing tools under one agentic layer in a self-serve system built for grocery that promises smarter targeting, easier campaign management and better ROI
Can wheat be safer without sacrificing taste?
Reduced-allergen wheat could transform baking, letting brands deliver better-for-you products without sacrificing quality or consumer experience
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
Can AI finally stop bakeries from getting burnt by price spikes?
An AI-powered insurance tool is giving bakeries a way to cap chaos in wheat, butter and packaging prices – finally turning forecasts into action
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
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
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
Online grocery sales hit record $12.5B
The 31% year-over-year increase was driven by a spike in users older than 60 years
Mondelēz-backed Celleste Bio debuts cell-cultured chocolate-grade cocoa butter
The new ingredient is positioned as an ‘insurance policy’ against cocoa supply chain volatility and says the bio-identical ingredient could stabilize supply as climate change strains traditional crops
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.
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Inside Kellanova’s clean room: How a new AI data strategy drove 36% gains for Special K
Kellanova’s pilot offers a blueprint for using data clean rooms to bridge gaps between brands and retailers, unlock deeper shopper insights and rebuild brand value amid inflationary pressure
FDA ‘no questions’ letter for Verley’s whey proteins unlocks new functionality for high-protein foods
The French startup’s FermWhey Native and FermWhey MicroStab expands formulation options for RTD beverages, shots and plant-based hybrids to better meet demands for consumers using GLP-1s and seeking support for active lifestyles and healthy aging
Tech startup raises $3.8m to modernize the food supply chain with agentic AI
By layering an “AI watchtower” over existing enterprise resource planning systems, startup Burnt claims to automate tedious order management in seconds without forcing distributors to change how they work
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
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
How AI will drive innovation at The Magnum Ice Cream Company
Unilever’s ice cream spin-out is supercharging its ice cream formulations in the US with the help of AI. NotCo founder Matias Muchnick tells us what it’s all about
AI-powered humane fishing startup expands with $22M in venture capital
Shinkei Systems, launched in 2021, is growing rapidly with a new headquarters in metro Los Angeles
What a waste – can big food really close the loop?
A major food and drink player has ambitions to close its waste loop, but can it be done?
Scientists crack cocoa’s consistency conundrum
A breakthrough in cocoa fermentation could finally deliver consistent, high-quality flavour every time
Closing the visibility gap: How CPG brands can prevent lost sales in-store
Rising costs and stiff shelf competition mean every blind spot can turn into wasted product, lost sales or empty shelves when customers show up.
How AI can help CPGs turn MAHA compliance into a strategic advantage
As companies brace for stricter guidelines under the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign, AI is emerging as an essential ally in reformulation, risk management and consumer trust
Sustainable September
Compostable packaging gains ground: What CPGs should know about PHA
Innovations in compostable packaging are moving towards a commercial reality, and CPG brands that engage early with PHA solutions will be better positioned to meet sustainability and compliance demands
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
From stockouts to shelf strength: How retail data can boost CPG sales
AI-driven retail insights firm Crisp Data helps seafood brand Safe Catch recover lost sales and fuel double-digit growth
Cell-based dairy moves closer to market with Opalia-Hoogwegt tie-up
Start-up Opalia is on a mission to prove its cell-cultured milk can be used to make an entire range of dairy products: from cheese to ice cream
IFT FIRST 2025
Letter from the editor: IFT FIRST highlights
IFT FIRST revealed how industry and academia are racing to deliver safe, sustainable and consumer-friendly solutions in a rapidly shifting food landscape
Nestlé invents novel cocoa technique amid chocolate crisis
The KitKat and Aero maker hopes to yield more chocolate from fewer cocoa fruits
Can AI and automation change the game in beverage manufacturing?
While AI technology may grab the headlines, automation still propels most of the efficiency gains in manufacturing. But both technologies can certainly alleviate workforce worries
Personalized marketing just got easier: AI-powered identity resolution blends deterministic and probabilistic matching
Hightouch’s new AI-powered identity resolution service lets marketers ‘toggle’ confidence levels for more precise or broader reach – all within their own data warehouse
Could plant-based chicken brand Daring’s sale to v2food revive US alt-protein?
Acquisition pairs Daring’s retail reach and clean-label appeal with v2food’s tech stack to tackle taste, texture and nutrition challenges holding back sales of plant-based protein in the US
From static to dynamic: Why CPG brands are rethinking QR code strategy
Dynamic QR codes are emerging as a key tool for brands to own the post-purchase experience and capture first-party data
Top proteins trends in 2025: From cell cultivated to plant-based
A deep dive into the consumer shifts, ingredient innovations and market opportunities redefining the global protein landscape
Kroger pilots with food waste reduction app to tackle shrink and affordability
Flashfood’s partnership with Kroger tests how the model performs in a real-world mix of store formats and shopper needs
How data and AI are becoming CPG’s competitive moat
The new competitive edge in CPG? Digital supply chain modeling
Bridging the innovation gap: Turing Labs’ domain-trained AI streamlines innovation execution
Turing Labs’ upgraded Luna AI promises to modernize product development and market execution by replacing legacy tools with proactive, domain-trained agents that take tasks from start to finish seamlessly
Future Food Tech Chicago
Mission Barns charts next steps after winning USDA & FDA nods for cultivated pork fat
Following the greenlight from USDA last week, Mission Barns is not wasting time bringing its animal-free cultured pork to market – it is targeting a Sprouts Farmers Market launch this summer, while simultaneously pursing B2B partnerships
How AI integration is boosting dairy farms and value chains across Africa
Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping dairy processors in Sub Saharan Africa to optimize supply chain logistics, enhance traceability of products and to monitor the health of animals in real time
