FBIF 2026
Not Just a Flavour Strategy: How KitKat Embedded Itself in Japanese Culture
From ‘Japanisation’ to deep cultural alignment, Nestlé KitKat is one of the few foreign brands to have thoroughly cracked Japan’s competitive chocolate market
Nestlé
Iran conflict drains the colour from snack packs
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
Cult favourites, remixed: 13 snack launches turning hype into shelf power
From sell-out chocolates to viral condiments and nostalgic collabs, cult favourites are scaling up and forcing the industry to rethink how loyalty is built
Nestlé weathers formula crisis to deliver strong Q1 growth
Nestlé overcomes infant formula recall to deliver solid Q1 growth, powered by Coffee and Confectionery
Nestlé’s 5-point turnaround plan targets leaner growth under new CEO
Coffee, petcare, nutrition and snacks take center stage as CEO rolls out five-part turnaround plan and trims workforce.
10 iconic food and drink brands that flopped worldwide
From New Coke to Crystal Pepsi, even the biggest brands can fail fast
CEO churn exposes growing cracks in Big Food’s growth model
Leadership changes across Big Food are starting to look less like succession and more like a response to cracks in the growth model.
PepsiCo, Nestlé and Coca-Cola double down on Mexico as food players chase growth and stability
Mexico is drawing billions from the world’s biggest F&B companies, but behind the investment wave sits a more complex mix of cost pressure, regulation and an increasingly competitive domestic landscape.
Walker’s, Coca-Cola, Drumstick and Cadbury turn April into an activation playground
From tartan parades and WWE rings to cookie boards and cricket stadiums, April’s launches show how partnerships are doing the heavy lifting for NPD
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.
The ‘cookie economy’ in 7 bites
Premium bakery is booming as indulgent formats, viral brands and shifting consumer habits push prices and expectations higher
KitKat heist sends urgent warning to CPG sector
Over 400,000 KitKats have vanished in transit, highlighting the increasing threat of cargo crime
Ingredients Compendium No 3: Resistant Starch
The ingredient blurring the line between starch and fibre
As manufacturers push fibre levels higher while cutting sugar and protecting texture, resistant starch is emerging as one of the most practical tools in modern food reformulation
Mars, Mondelēz, Nestlé, Hershey, and Lindt team up to transform future of cocoa
The world’s biggest chocolate makers are working together to futureproof cocoa and support growers
Inside the $330bn functional food frenzy fuelled by PepsiCo, Coke & Nestlé
From PepsiCo to Nestlé, global giants are racing to cash in on the booming functional food craze, but with trends shifting fast, the stakes have never been higher
Why Nestlé is selling ice cream to Froneri
The move echoes a broad industry shift and would strengthen an already high-performing JV
Nestlé bets on four key categories as it separates ice cream
Nestlé celebrates strong results and a sharper strategy, but crisis casts shadow over the food and beverage giant’s future
Nestlé, Mondelēz, Mars, Barry Callebaut: Which chocolate giants are diversifying?
The cocoa crisis is winding down, but the biggest producers of chocolate still want to protect themselves in a volatile sector
Barry Callebaut ploughs €250m into world’s biggest chocolate factory
Barry Callebaut plans to modernise Wieze and Halle sites, bolstering reliability and efficiency across its European supply network
Schumacher’s strategy: Five moves to revive Barry Callebaut
New CEO Hein Schumacher enters a company in decline. Here are the five decisive moves that could put the world’s biggest chocolate maker back on track
World’s biggest snack companies: who’s really got the crunch in 2026
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
New product development
What’s hot in confectionery? Nestlé duo and Baileys eggs
From flavour‑rich snacking formats to revived retro favourites and seasonal gifting, manufacturers are responding with NPD that blends familiarity with modern twists
Nestlé and Danone shares fall amid infant formula crisis
Infant formula contamination recall is damaging company reputations and hitting shares
First Nestlé, now Danone: The infant formula contamination is spreading
The detection of cereulide in a batch of Aptamil infant formula pushes Danone deeper into the crisis
The 3 nutrients quietly shaping mainstream snacks
Fiber, protein and whole grains aren’t new ideas but in 2026 they’re doing more than any superfood to reshape snack portfolios
World’s biggest bakery companies: who’s really got the proof in 2026
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
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
Nestlé infant formula recall escalates
Nestlé faces global scrutiny as infant formula recall widens over contamination fears
From Shredded Wheat to second chances: Why the UK cereal aisle isn’t done yet
After declaring breakfast cereal a category in decline, Cereal Partners UK is quietly placing a £67m bet on its future and exposing how Britain’s morning habits are evolving faster than the flakes
From mithai to mochi: The rise of the fusion-forward bakery trend
Heritage meets hustle as bakers turn cultural mashups into mainstream must-haves
Scandals, shockwaves & shakeups: 12 of 2025’s most standout moments
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
San Francisco sues Kellogg, General Mills, PepsiCo, Mondelez and more over ‘engineered’ foods
City officials say some of America’s biggest brands helped shape eating habits that are now coming back to haunt public health budgets
Biscuits, cookies & crackers: What’s trending now and into 2026
Premium treats, grab-and-go minis and a burst of festive innovation are giving the aisle more energy than it’s had in years
General Mills, WK Kellogg & Ferrero spark a fresh fight for the breakfast bowl
Once the poster child for easy mornings, breakfast cereal has been losing shelf swagger. Now a new wave of innovation, investment and protein-packed reinvention is pushing the category back into the spotlight
Trendspotting 2026
Beyond taste: The rise of the experiential treat in 2026
Flavor still rules bakery and snacks, but in 2026, the way they feel is fast becoming the new measure of delight
Trendspotting 2026
Crunch, cream, contrast: Texture takes the spotlight in 2026
Forget flavor fatigue – next year will be all about how snacks feel. From crisp layers to creamy centers, texture is fast becoming the biggest lever of indulgence and loyalty
Nestlé, Mondelēz, Hershey - How chocolate giants are coping with price hikes
The largest players in food are making bold decisions in an effort to boost growth
‘Advertising is a weak force’: Busting CPG marketing myths
Does spending more improve sales? Why do brands fail? Do consumers ever go back to weak brands?
What Unilever can learn from Froneri’s success in ice cream
The Magnum Ice Cream Company’s biggest global rival has gone from strength to strength in the face of market challenges – here’s how the Nestlé co-owned company drives growth
PepsiCo to invest in functional health and appoint new CFO following Q3 earnings
In its third quarter results, the multinational has beaten expectations in several key areas, but problems remain
Opinion
The snackdown: Trump calls ESG a scam – why snack giants call it survival
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
The snackdown: Europe dithers while chocolate-linked deforestation grows
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.
Banks, bakers and brands bet on Africa’s supply chain
Erratic weather and rising costs are forcing Africa’s food sector to rethink how it sources grain and dairy – and how to keep bakeries and cereal lines running
Nestlé chairman Paul Bulcke resigns amid CEO scandal
Nestlé fast-tracks leadership change following investor pressure
From cake pops to circular economy: Upcycling gains ground in Africa
Africa’s food sector is turning to upcycling to cut waste, lower costs and build resilience amid climate and supply chain pressures
Sustainable September
130 seconds to destroy a forest unless the EUDR holds the line
Snack giant Mondelez wants more time before the EU’s landmark deforestation law kicks in – but campaigners say the clock has already run out
Nestlé’s CEO scandal: What now?
Laurent Freixe has been dismissed over conduct violation - here’s everything you need to know
Opinion
Chocolate at a crossroads: does Nestlé face peak price?
Big food has consistently increased chocolate bar prices as input costs rise, but what do Nestlé’s revenues say about consumers’ appetite to pay more?
Synthetic dyes are out. Here’s who’s in and how they’re achieving it
Major food companies like General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Conagra and Smucker are leading a sweeping shift away from synthetic colours. Here’s where the US food industry stands right now
Mondelēz wants to delay EUDR, Nestlé doesn’t
The debate is heating up over whether Europe’s deforestation law should be delayed, again