News & Analysis on the Bakery and Snacks Industries
Consumers aren’t simply looking for something tasty. Mondelēz International’s latest report suggests they increasingly want food that entertains, comforts and gives them something worth talking about
With FIFA forecasting a record $13bn in revenue from World Cup 2026, snack manufacturers are betting that football’s biggest tournament can deliver equally outsized returns
Lay’s, Doritos, Lindt and Oreo are worth billions despite growing pressure from health trends, private label and changing consumer habits. Here’s what they’re getting right
Barry Callebaut shifts strategy with new Focus for Growth plan
From Dubai chocolate and pistachio ice cream to peanut butter chilli crisp, nuts are powering some of 2026’s biggest food trends
From snack cafés to immersive retail and branded restaurants, food and drink companies are turning physical experiences into a new form of marketing.
Calbee’s decision to strip colour from its packaging amid naphtha shortages is an early warning that the Iran conflict is beginning to fracture the petrochemical supply chains underpinning the global food industry
While sales rise and cocoa stabilizes, the company keeps guidance steady amid fears of inflation and weakening confidence
Costs are rising again just as consumers start to hesitate and that’s a far more difficult mix than inflation alone.
Premium bakery is booming as indulgent formats, viral brands and shifting consumer habits push prices and expectations higher
From halted breakups to billion-dollar buyouts, the world’s biggest food groups aren’t just tweaking products, they’re rethinking how growth works
From Mondelēz and Barry Callebaut to Lindt, the future of chocolate is being defined by bold flavour innovation, smarter formulations and a refusal to compromise on indulgence
From Nutella pastries and Marvel cookies to Barbie smoothies and Irish oats, brands are rolling out limited-time products designed to turn everyday eating occasions into something special
PepsiCo’s Lay’s restaurant in Madrid highlights a growing strategy among snack giants to extend blockbuster brands beyond the supermarket shelf and into cafés, retail attractions and immersive consumer experiences
From cacao cells grown in bioreactors to fermentation-built chocolate flavours, scientists and startups are experimenting with ways to produce cocoa ingredients without growing cacao trees
From tropical frozen desserts to stadium-style pretzel bites, brands are leaning into brighter flavours, playful formats and seasonal moments.
From Oreo’s $4bn global machine to Uncrustables’ rapid ascent, the snack aisle’s biggest names are banking billions and still investing like challengers
Strategic deals, powerhouse brands, and disciplined growth – inside Mondelēz’s journey to global leadership, and its vision for the future
The market has swung from historic shortage to surplus projections for 2025/26 in under two years
Financially stretched but digitally fluent, the world’s youngest adult consumers are forcing food and drink brands to explain themselves
The world’s biggest chocolate makers are working together to futureproof cocoa and support growers
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
Cocoa prices plunge to two‑year low as surpluses reshape the market
The cocoa crisis is winding down, but the biggest producers of chocolate still want to protect themselves in a volatile sector
Barry Callebaut plans to modernise Wieze and Halle sites, bolstering reliability and efficiency across its European supply network
Chocolate still anchors Valentine’s Day, but 2026’s launches show how brands are pushing the holiday further through format, experience and gifts that feel less predictable
From celebrity cameos to cashback promos, food and beverage brands are pulling out all the stops ahead of kickoff
As the company reopens applications for its R&D-led accelerator, the focus areas highlight mounting pressure around climate resilience, packaging constraints and shifting consumer expectations
Mondelēz International reshapes top team, elevating CFO Luca Zaramella to powerful dual role
In a near-$700bn global market, a handful of companies now decide what scales, what sticks and what survives, and in 2026, the power gap is only widening
From cereal brands breaking decades-long silence to snack giants doubling down on celebrity and spectacle, Super Bowl 2026 is becoming a referendum on where brand marketing goes next
Big brands are rethinking formats, flavors and channels as snacks are redesigned for specific moments, tighter rules and more intentional eating
Fiber, protein and whole grains aren’t new ideas but in 2026 they’re doing more than any superfood to reshape snack portfolios
Bakery looks like a steady, staple business, until you follow the money. In 2026, a small group of companies controls an outsized share of the world’s bread, buns and baked goods, and the distance between the leaders and the rest is still growing
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
Sentimentality and health are increasingly influencing consumer snack choices, as they seek comfort, tradition and emotional connection in their purchases
From Oreo’s first zero sugar sandwich cookie and General Mills’ breakfast reset to £2 pie pop-ups, protein-packed cereals and Burns Night limited editions, January’s launches show how brands are using comfort, culture and clever marketing
Could Barry Callebaut’s next move reshape the future of chocolate and snacks?
The market reaction to Donald Trump’s dietary overhaul isn’t about kale versus cookies – it’s about whether Washington has finally decided the packaged food sector needs firmer rules, not friendlier guidance
From billion-dollar brinkmanship to red-dye revolts and zero-gravity corn chips, 2025 proved nothing in bakery and snacks is too big, too weird or too controversial to make headlines
City officials say some of America’s biggest brands helped shape eating habits that are now coming back to haunt public health budgets
Premium treats, grab-and-go minis and a burst of festive innovation are giving the aisle more energy than it’s had in years
Trendspotting 2026
Flavor still rules bakery and snacks, but in 2026, the way they feel is fast becoming the new measure of delight
The largest players in food are making bold decisions in an effort to boost growth
The snack giant will expand value offerings, boost innovation in better-for-you products and indulgent items, and refine promotions to reignite growth
The snacking multinational is dealing with high cocoa prices
Mondelēz’s latest State of Snacking report explores how memory and emotion have become the new currency of snacking
Halloween is no longer just for kids, it’s a confectionery goldmine
Opinion
ESG’s under political fire in Washington, but the snack giants keep flexing. From Oreos to Doritos, their reports show that in today’s food industry, trust’s as valuable as profit.
Opinion
Brussels has kicked the can down the road on its flagship deforestation law again – blaming IT problems while forests fall and compliant companies foot the bill.