Bimbo has the capacity but where are the bakery buyers?
Grupo Bimbo’s improving margins haven’t stopped North American volumes falling, leaving the bakery giant chasing different purchases while preparing for higher costs
Manufacturers
How McCormick’s Flavor University teaches the science of taste
The company’s $2.89 billion Flavor Solutions business shares its expertise through free seminars, podcasts and a new website aimed at food and beverage developers
Less heat, more appeal: Samyang bets on swicy noodles and protein pasta
Samyang is diversifying beyond the Buldak brand’s extreme spice to capture new consumer trends and expand its global growth opportunities
Pringles, Hostess and Goldfish get their Halloween on
Brands are mixing familiar snacks with seasonal surprises as shoppers seek affordable ways to celebrate
Troubled David Wood Baking bought out by US finance firm
US-based finance firm Barings has completed its buyout of British food manufacturer David Wood Baking UK Limited.
Are snack suppliers stuck between meals?
Gen Z’s shifting meal routines, Millennials’ appetite for solo dining and competition from retail are challenging what snacks sold through cafés and takeaway outlets should deliver
Pip & Nut founder credits snacking expansion for profitable year
The nut butter challenger brand has reported its first operating profit as revenue grew by 50% year-on-year. Food Manufacture hears from founder Pip Murray on the factors behind the company’s successful year.
Big Food’s C-suite shake-up signals new era
From Nestlé to Ferrero, Big Food’s leadership structure is changing, as boards search for executives who can do more than just manage a business
Cheetos, Hostess and Chips Ahoy! take Halloween beyond sweets
Bakery and snack brands are putting their own stamp on Halloween celebrations beyond the confectionery aisle
McCormick-Unilever deal clears US antitrust hurdle as UK review deadline looms
The FTC granted early termination of its US antitrust waiting period, while the UK’s CMA continues its Phase 1 review and Sen. Elizabeth Warren calls for closer scrutiny of major food-industry mergers
What makes a snack worth the price?
Savory snacks win on health, while sweet snacks win on fun
Lost confidence in nutrition information offers CPG makers opening to rebuild trust
The latest IFIC Food & Health Survey finds consumers increasingly unsure what, or whom, to believe as self-assessed health declines, but also points to a path for food companies to rebuild trust with credible facts, practical guidance and scientific evidence
Mars’ vision for 2036: The trends set to transform food and nutrition
Food and beverage giant bets on fibre, AI and personalised nutrition as solo eating reshapes food’s future
Mars predicts a future of automated and immersive retail
Agentic technology is increasingly shaping what consumers expect from their shopping experience as household staples are relegated to automated replenishment while immersive spaces are designed to drive discovery and spotlight viral trends
Can better bread build a better sandwich?
Demand for sourdough, better nutrition and distinctive formats is pushing sandwich makers to rethink what goes around the filling
Is pumpkin spice making autumn bakery lazy?
Bakery launches and flavour forecasts reveal how fruit, roasted notes and dessert mashups can give seasonal ranges more bite.
What nutrition education in medical schools could mean for CPG
The initiative creates new implications for how consumers evaluate nutrition guidance, dietary recommendations and health-focused foods
Lindt cuts sales forecast as consumer spending slows
Confectionery giant cuts 2026 sales growth forecast after weaker-than-expected demand, but confidence in long-term strategy remains
Pladis sales pass £3.3bn but profits take a hit
Pladis doubles down on growth, investing in brands, manufacturing networks and sustainable ambitions
Mondelēz sustainability scheme goes solo: Is this the new industry standard?
Harmony project enters a new era as it becomes an independent certification. But, could it become the new industry standard?
The big sustainability shift: ‘Regulation is forcing storytelling to grow up’
Why food brands are quietly changing the way they sell sustainability and how they can prioritise substance over superficiality
Are consumers really asking AI what snacks to eat?
From protein targets to dietary restrictions, shoppers can now describe what they need and get a shortlist of snacks in return but the effect on sales is still unclear
Up The Food Chain
Smöoy India head: Balancing health and personalisation in frozen desserts
Spanish frozen yoghurt brand Smöoy is targeting health-conscious consumers with a dessert that combines indulgence, personalisation and nutritional attributes
COA expands high-protein chocolate range with matcha and coconut
COA has added matcha and coconut flavours to its high-protein chocolate range as it expands in Australia and New Zealand and eyes the US market
The power generation: What Gen Z really wants from F&B
From daycaps and zebrastriping to global flavours and gut health, here’s what’s driving food and drink’s most influential generation
Can brands beat private label with feelings?
Food can give more to consumers than just taste and texture
General Mills, Kellanova, Mars and McKee Foods sue sugar producers over alleged price-fixing
The food companies’ lawsuit alleges sugar producers used nonpublic competitor data to fix, raise and maintain granulated-sugar prices for years
Food’s fight for the evening snack gets serious
From game nights to movie marathons, evening snacking has become one of food and drink’s most valuable occasions
Why ABF’s Hovis deal matters far beyond bread
The creation of Hovis Bakeries could signal a broader shift in how the food industry defines health, argues Modern Baker co-founder Leo Campbell.
McVitie’s latest global brand to bet on localisation for China growth
McVitie’s is expanding beyond biscuits in China with local-specific snacks, customised flavours and tailored formats
Unilever veteran joins Kraft Heinz as CFO
Kraft Heinz has appointed a new chief financial officer following the exit of Darren De Vires.
General Mills pairs cost cuts with cautious capital strategy
The food giant plans $3 billion in cost cuts over four years, favoring debt reduction over stock buybacks and acquisitions
From breadbasket to growth market: How Grupo Bimbo, Nestlé and General Mills are redrawing LATAM’s food map
Turning LATAM’s abundant resources into growth will demand resilient farms, local production and sharper market choices
McVitie’s, Snickers, Cadbury and Cheez-It turn snacks into something bigger
Nine brands are using launches to enter new markets, create experiences, revive rituals and even give people a second chance
Barilla’s Goodles acquisition reflects growing health food M&A trend
Barilla’s acquisition of Goodles signals the strategic players’ interest in emerging wellness food brands
US bakery giant opens UK centre of excellence
C.H. Guenther & Son has opened an innovation hub in Coventry, UK to support future manufacturing growth across Europe.
Can food brands survive the rise of agentic commerce?
As AI agents begin to take over food shopping, food brands face a new challenge: winning over algorithms as well as consumers. Bramble Intelligence’s Chris Mitchell explains what will define the next era of commerce
Is the snack market slowing? How changing habits are reshaping the industry
Despite strong growth forecasts, questions are emerging over the future of the snacking sector
Big Food’s colour promises are colliding with supply chain reality
The dye deadlines are closing in, but the alternatives aren’t ready
News Bites
Food’s new rules: Regulation, reformulation and the reinvention of legacy brands
Transparency, health and regulation emerged as the defining forces shaping the food industry this month
Hormel’s retail segment hit by Q3 commodity turkey and snack nut declines
Mixed fiscal Q3 results show a 2% decline in organic net sales as Hormel Foods navigates planned business exits and price elasticity
Global Top 100 Most Valuable Food Brands 2026 announced
Which food brands are leading the way in 2026? Brand Finance’s latest ranking reveals the biggest names, fastest risers and strongest brands across the global food sector
Why the former McVitie’s boss is betting on private label
Cem Karakaş once ran one of the world’s biggest branded snack groups; now he’s buying into the manufacturers helping retailers challenge them
The sticky business of scaling pinsa
Pizza’s Italian cousin is gaining global retail and foodservice traction, but its highly hydrated dough creates major challenges for industrial bakery production
Pork rinds boldly go where no fried pork snack has gone before
Houston, we have a crunch
Confectionery fraud surges as manufacturers struggle to stay ahead
Fraudsters target high-value ingredients and premium claims, leaving confectionery manufacturers battling risks from farm to finished product
Ferrero Group to buy better-for-you US breakfast company Purely Elizabeth
The food manufacturing giant is growing its breakfast portfolio, following last year’s purchase of WK Kellogg Co.
Grupo Bimbo bets on China’s shift to ‘eating right’
As Chinese shoppers trade bulk buying for clean label, better-for-you bakery, the Mexican giant is investing to keep pace with a market forecast to top ¥900bn ($130bn) by 2030
Unilever, Thai Union urge collaborative yet transferable sustainability
Food giants Unilever and Thai Union highlight the importance of keeping CSR solutions collaborative yet global to make real impact in the global food sector
Is speculoos the new Dubai chocolate? Inside Biscoff’s €500m boom
Lotus Bakeries is making its biggest-ever investment to turn soaring demand for speculoos into lasting global growth