Will cocoa alts ever be sexy? Hershey backlash opens the debate
As cocoa markets fluctuate, Hershey’s controversy shows that while alt-chocolate is advancing fast, taste and transparency remain make-or-break for consumers
Food tech & digital transformation
Sweet proteins gain global momentum with latest regulatory win
Amai Proteins’ sweet protein secures regulatory approval in Singapore after recent US nod
AgNavigator: same agtech backbone, bigger industry picture
William Reed, publisher of FoodNavigator, has unveiled a new title for its market-leading agtech and agrifood title
Beyond protein: Why wellness platforms are the real deal
Protein remains big business, but with functional trends evolving at pace, it’s time to think bigger
Why thinking like an AI agent matters to marketing
Generative engine optimization is reshaping how brands get discovered
Can coffee weather the storm?
Extreme climate events are now a huge challenge for the coffee industry.
Will the next wave of alt dairy be built backwards?
Animal-free dairy startup is reversing the traditional biotech model, prioritizing scalability and cost from the outset as the category resets
US government spends hundreds of millions on biotech pilot plants as national security priority
Defense Department and state matching grants fund BioMADE’s three pilot plants as precision fermentation infrastructure gap forces US companies to manufacture overseas
Mars takes first step into cocoa-free category
The world’s biggest confectionery company is making its cocoa-free debut
Shoppers embrace personalization – but draw the line at AI taking control
While personalized pricing and in-store tech gain approval, nearly half of consumers reject fully agentic AI shopping experiences, according to a new Dunnhumby report
FTC to rein in hidden grocery delivery fees after multimillion-dollar settlements with Walmart, Instacart, Grubhub, Amazon
Public comment period opens after investigations found misleading pricing, subscription tactics and driver pay practices
World’s first cell-based chocolate bar developed with Mondelēz
The first-ever milk chocolate bars made with cell-cultivated cocoa butter have been produced
How AI is reshaping product discovery in F&B
Algorithms are increasingly deciding if a product flies or flops. Here’s how food and beverage companies can wow a new customer: agentic AI
US patent for Solar Foods’ air-based protein production opens door for scaling
The approval gives the Finnish company exclusive rights to produce its air-derived Solein protein in the US and reinforces its intellectual property position as it prepares for major factory expansion
Future Food Tech San Francisco
Food tech faces funding reset as investors demand profits over promises
Deal flow and exits decline sharply from peak levels, pushing companies to prove real demand, solid margins and a clear path to profitability in a more disciplined investment climate
Alianza Team spends $36M to open first US plant
With a new blending and finishing facility in North Carolina, Alianza Team is helping U.S. food manufacturers reduce saturated fats and reimagine bakery and chocolate ingredients
How the Swedish candy craze helped save a San Francisco sweets shop
A year after flames gutted his Haight Street candy shop, founder Max Kolegue rebuilt the business through Amazon sales – and a viral boom in Swedish gummies
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Clean label vs shelf life: A new food-tech solution removes the tradeoff
Startup BioBlends – a runner up in the Americas heat of the Global Food Tech Awards – leverages gas-based technology to extend freshness without additives to address clean label and food waste concerns
Can biopeptides reclaim weight loss from GLP‑1 drugs?
As GLP‑1 drugs reshape how people eat, food‑based bioactive peptides are emerging as a potential way to support satiety before, during and after drug use
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Danone bets on nutrient quality, not quantity, as consumers look to food for health
Danone’s R&D chief lays out why the future of food hinges on bioavailability, behavior change and nutrient quality – not just bigger numbers on the label
Stagflation is food manufacturing’s worst-of-both-worlds scenario
Costs are rising again just as consumers start to hesitate and that’s a far more difficult mix than inflation alone.
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
CPGs can’t wait for biotech to scale up – they need to help build it
Scale-up infrastructure is broken and it won’t fix itself
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Beyond disruption: What Big Food actually needs from startups
What separates startups that move forward from the ones that stall?
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
How corporates, startups and farmers can share risk and drive resilience
A case for rethinking how the food system invests, scales and strengthens its most essential ingredients
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
What GLP‑1 users need: Food, nutrition and CPG innovation
An evolving class of GLP-1 medications rewrites the rules of appetite – giving food companies their biggest innovation challenge in decades
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Clean label drives protein innovation – from seaweed stabilizers to yeast‑based alternatives
Ingredient innovators are using macroalgae and microbial fermentation to reshape the future of clean‑label, high‑functionality protein products
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Fortification vs processing: Why the line is blurring in food design
How are food leaders rethinking fortification and processing to deliver nutrient‑dense, functional – and joyful – foods?
Natural Products Expo West
Letter from the editor: Can packaged food rediscover its innovative edge?
Natural Products Expo West reveals an industry playing it safe, while searching for its next big breakthrough as economic pressures, shifting consumer expectations and regulatory uncertainty converge
Future Food Tech San Francisco
AI assists, but active ingredients still lead in wellness innovation
Industry leaders at Future Food Tech said AI tools are helping product developers, yet rigorous ingredient science continues to set the pace for better-for-you foods and beverages
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
From climate shocks to GLP-1 impacts: Why the food chain must adapt now
Industry and public-sector leaders say stronger collaboration and smarter policy are essential to building a sustainable, data-informed food system
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
6 tips to raise capital in 2026 for food-tech
The expectations, red flags and structural hurdles shaping food‑tech fundraising in 2026
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Collaboration, not capital, is driving the next wave of food innovation
Industry leaders at Future Food-Tech San Francisco say lower investment levels are giving rise to an era of deeper cooperation among stakeholders focused on creating healthier products
Up the food chain
Cargill’s CTO on AI, innovation and where R&D is going
From AI to reformulation, the agribusiness giant’s CTO Florian Schattenmann talks future tech, passing fads and where Cargill is stepping up focus
From humans to hounds: The protein boom hits pet food
Orijen’s Freshprey aims to deliver fresh animal-forward ingredients that’s driving premiumization across the category
Bel Group’s AI strategy: From cheese virtual twins to protein innovation
Bel’s research head opens on how the technology is enhancing product R&D and operational efficiency
Wisecode gives brands a new way to claim they’re non-UPF
Built on an ingredient-level ultra processed food standard and a database of more than 840,000 products, the app’s new Non‑UPF Shield lets food and beverage manufacturers quickly verify products
Natural Products Expo West 2026
New beverage launches to watch at Expo West 2026
Pura Soda, Beyond Meat, Nixie, Malk, Tractor Beverage and more unveil their latest innovations in natural and organic drinks
What do CPG brands need to know about the updated FSMA 204?
FDA’s latest FSMA 204 updates give CPG brands clearer guidance on digital traceability, compliance timelines and new exemptions impacting dairy processing.
FDA greenlights plant-based egg protein as industry rebuilds after bird flu
The FDA’s GRAS notification clears Plantible Foods to scale production of its RuBisCO-based egg alternative as demand for sustainable, functional proteins grows
Mondelēz charts next growth wave across North America, Europe and emerging markets
The company is tailoring its strategy by region, courting value‑seeking US shoppers, fixing European chocolate margins and using Oreo‑led biscuits and cakes to unlock runway across China, India, Brazil and Mexico
Food-tech solutions for a more sustainable and secure food system
Letter from the editor: Food-tech tackles today’s threats, but creates new challenges
From AI-powered grocery pricing and agentic commerce to predictive supply chains, cultivated meat regulation and alternative protein funding, technology is helping CPGs manage disruption while reshaping the industry’s risk landscape
Food-Tech Solutions For A More Sustainable And Secure Food System
Where countries stand on cultivated meat regulation in 2026
A global regulatory snapshot of cultivated meat, explaining who is moving first, why approvals vary by country and what comes next for the category
Food-Tech Solutions For A More Sustainable And Secure Food System
Retailers and brands turn to AI for help as grocery shoppers feel financially squeezed
With 73% of US shoppers stressed about grocery costs, retailers are turning to tools like Algolia’s Intelligent Grocery Solution to balance affordability, margins and evolving consumer behavior
Food-Tech Solutions For A More Sustainable And Secure Food System
Alternative protein funding diverges as investors prioritize scale and bankability
Investors favor scalable operations and bankable contracts as funding tightens across fermentation, cultivated and plant-based proteins
Plant-based meat isn’t dead, but it is in a reset
Plant-based meat faces a slowdown as price, foodservice strategy and manufacturing innovation shape the next phase for the sector
Food-Tech Solutions For A More Sustainable And Secure Food System
Hershey deploys AI decision-making to solve supply chain disruptions before they happen
The chocolate giant’s AI partner, Aera Technology, has also implemented its decision intelligence tools at food and beverage manufacturers like Mars, Kraft Heinz and Unilever
Food-Tech Solutions For A More Sustainable And Secure Food System
Why CPGs need to design for AI discovery now
CPG brands must restructure product data and APIs to stay visible as AI pushes deeper into agentic commerce
Fiber is entering its protein moment – and it’s more multi-faceted than we think
How advances in fiber chemistry and sourcing may influence the next generation of food products and health
Global Food Tech Awards 2026
Global Food Tech Awards 2026: Americas shortlist reveals industry giants
The Americas are making noise on the global food tech stage in this powerful top 10 line-up of finalists
New FDA tool for navigating food contaminants gets its first test
The FDA’s new Total Diet Study Interface is already being used to challenge state-level contamination claims, offering a clearer view of nutrient and contaminant data in the US food supply