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
Food tech & digital transformation
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
Soup-to-Nuts Podcast
What will it take to rebuild plant-based and cultivated meat?
As protein demand rises and consumers grow choosier, Good Food Institute Founder Bruce Friedrich outlines how plant-based and cultivated meat can move beyond hype and become investable, scalable industries
News Bites
Top 5 stories reshaping grocery value in 2026
The grocery value equation is evolving beyond simple price tags
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
3 steps to future-proof the food system and CPG industry in a ‘critical decade’
As population growth, soil degradation and climate pressures converge, BSI’s Todd Redwood explains why the next 10 years will determine whether the global food system can deliver enough high-quality nutrition, strategic opportunities and next steps for...
Diet Trends
Millennials and Gen Z scrap formal diets for functional and high-protein foods
Spins analysts say younger consumers are turning to wearable technology and AI tools to customize nutrition and choose foods that deliver health benefits and flavor
Winter Fancy Faire
Dry oat milk ‘slices’ promise a step-change in plant-based beverage sustainability
Using a proprietary dry-printing process, Milkadamia’s new oat milk format reduces packaging by 85%, lowers logistics costs and gives retailers a less expensive, more sustainable entry point for plant-based milks
Cocoa crunch: How shortages are rewriting chocolate’s future
As climate, disease and regulation strain global cocoa supply, manufacturers are turning to low‑cocoa and cocoa‑free innovations to protect margins and future-proof their portfolios
How Mars is developing new ingredients with AI
AI can do a lot more than offer guidance and write emails. It can help food companies find brand-new ingredients for product formulation
From media to scaffolding: How plant-based materials are reshaping cultivated meat
Within a narrow funding landscape, plant-based inputs are emerging as one of the most pragmatic ways cultivated meat companies can reduce costs and move toward commercialization
$500m for cottage cheese? What Good Culture’s deal means for F&B investors
Good Culture’s multi-million dollar backing highlights why cottage cheese may be investors’ next big bet
Cellular agriculture funding hits reset and investors want proof, not promises
Capital hasn’t disappeared from cellular agriculture - but investors now want proof the market is ready
Cellular ag moves beyond the startup phase
Government support rises even as startups reset
The AI revolution sweeping food and drink
From autonomous R&D to real‑time supply chain resilience, AI is redefining the rules of food and beverage. Is industry ready for the next era?
As cocoa chaos continues, Kokomodo finds its moment
Why ‘climate-proof’ cacao start-up Kokomodo is hedging its bets on an increasingly stronger future for cell cultured cocoa
Exclusive: Can biotech break monk fruit’s supply constraints? Manus thinks so
As demand for natural sweeteners grows, Manus moves monk fruit production in the US
American Egg Board launches sustainability tool to streamline disclosures for producers and buyers
Egg Board’s new sustainability tool aims to bring clarity, consistency and credibility to egg industry disclosures
AI goes mainstream in food and beverage in 2025
This year’s wave of tools – from trend‑spotting engines to autonomous R&D agents – turned AI into everyday infrastructure for food and beverage
Trendspotting 2026
Whole ingredients, big impact: Plant-based milk trends for 2026
Plant-based milk is predicted to rebound in 2026 with whole ingredients, high-protein innovation and premium café culture
Can AI solve the cocoa crisis? Barry Callebaut is betting on it
Barry Callebaut partners with NotCo AI and Planet A Foods to tackle soaring cocoa prices and regulatory hurdles, leveraging digital formulation tools to future‑proof chocolate
World’s top 30 food-tech companies revealed
From AI-powered ingredient discovery to zero-waste packaging and next-gen proteins, the top 30 global food-tech list showcases the game-changing technologies shaping the future of food
News Bites: Policy shifts, gene editing and 2026 shopper trend
Trump’s food price probe, research on what really drives acceptance of gene-edited foods and KeHE’s latest read on authenticity, function and global flavor exploration reshape the industry as the year winds down
Why Good Food Institute’s release of SciFi Foods’ cell lines matters as cultivated meat scales
As regulatory green lights multiply and cost‑efficient production ramps up, GFI’s release of SciFi Foods’ bovine cell lines could provide the common foundation the cultivated‑meat sector needs to accelerate commercial-scale growth
Online grocery sales surge to $12.3B after government shutdown ends
Amazon’s same-day grocery delivery rollout helps drive November rebound
Startup Spotlight
AI that speaks the language of CPG
What the food and beverage market needs isn’t just another AI model — it needs artificial intelligence that understands CPG-specific business
Consumers embrace gene-edited foods when brands focus on value, not science
Consumers are more open to gene-edited foods when benefits are clear, transparent, and aligned with their values – offering CPG brands a roadmap to communicate innovation effectively
The packaging advantage: How recyclability drives consumer loyalty
Why recyclable packaging drives consumer loyalty
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
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