Startup engines: Inside the accelerator race shaping snacks in 2026
From chili-dusted fruit to AI-engineered energy bars, startup accelerators are fueling the boldest ideas
PepsiCo Frito-Lay
Snackquake: PepsiCo’s 20% SKU chop signals a value reset in American snacking
PepsiCo’s deal with Elliott Investment Management has triggered sweeping cuts to its snack portfolio and a shift toward sharper pricing
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
Why water might be the biggest threat to the snack sector’s future
PepsiCo’s latest pep+ update centers on water and the message should make the whole snacks sector pay attention
The big December drop: Snack season starts now
From gingerbread nostalgia to chocolate trolleys and limited edition winter snacks, here’s what’s new this festive season
NPD: Feel-good snacking gets serious as brands go big on nostalgia, kindness & chaos
From colorless chips to collectible crisps and gooey skillet cookies, this season’s launches show how playful storytelling is reshaping what shoppers expect from a simple snack
Quaker is fighting global hunger with food science
PepsiCo’s Quaker brand is using science, local know-how and a bit of stubborn optimism to tackle one of the toughest global challenges
AI helps Hovis, Mars and PepsiCo cut factory downtime
From bread lines to snack plants, manufacturers are turning to artificial intelligence to predict breakdowns and keep production running at full speed
Opinion
The snackdown: Apparently, we forgot what potato chips are made from
Turns out, more than half of us didn’t know chips are made from potatoes – and now food brands are scrambling to remind us what we’re actually eating
Press start to snack: Inside the $200 billion gaming boom brands can’t ignore
Ahead of FoodNavigator-USA’s free webinar ‘Fueling Fun: Connecting with Esports Enthusiasts and Everyday Gamers FTW’ (October 15), we look at how brands from Doritos to Heinz are stepping inside the $200bn gaming economy
PepsiCo and Frito-Lay sued for ‘mold-made’ molecule in Poppables
A new lawsuit claims the citric acid in Frito-Lay’s Poppables isn’t natural but brewed from black mold and that PepsiCo misled consumers with its ‘no artificial flavors’ promise
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.
From Oreos to Ozempic: Inside the $100bn Free From race
Gluten-free cookies, sugar-free chocolate and GLP-1 diets are colliding. The world’s biggest food makers are scrambling to stay relevant
Buffalo Wings, Stranger Things and greener packs: Chips NPD heats up
A wave of global flavors is storming the snack aisle. Yet research shows that for many consumers, the crunch on the outside matters just as much as the crunch inside the bag
PepsiCo and Unilever step up with new regen ag push
PepsiCo and Unilever have decided it’s time to get serious about soil: their new STEP up for Agriculture program throws money and muscle behind regenerative farming
From field to aisle: Regenerative won’t work without supply chain buy-in
Heartland Craft Grains’ pact with Grown Climate Smart proves regenerative certification is becoming a supply-chain movement
Sustainable September
What shoppers really think of climate-smart chips and planet-saving pastries
Shoppers swear they care about sustainability, but in the snack aisle it’s still price, taste and convenience that decide what goes in the basket. So are ‘climate-smart’ breads and biscuits set to stay niche or can they crack the mainstream?
The UPF lawsuit that fizzled – and why the next one might not
A US judge tossed the first big UPF lawsuit, but with mounting science and regulators circling, bakery, snack and cereal brands shouldn’t breathe easy just yet
From Pringles cookies to bread in a suitcase: 15 snacks redefining fun
Beckham-backed honey snacks, Pringles-topped cookies and even a suitcase built for sliced bread — the latest wave of NPD pushes boundaries of fun, flavor and fandom
Opinion
The snackdown: We need to talk about chips
Climate change isn’t just disrupting harvests - it’s coming for snack time
GROWTH ASIA SUMMIT 2025
PepsiCo: Oats could reduce age-related inflammation
Research shows that oats can lower age-related inflammation (iAge) in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease
PepsiCo’s ‘permissible portfolio’ plays prominently in plans for future growth
PepsiCo leans into zero sugar, functional hydration and clean-label snacks as it refreshes marketing, innovation and execution to drive growth amid economic headwinds
PepsiCo pumps protein into slipping snack sales
The Lay’s and Sabra brand owner is leaning into functional innovation to revive slowing US snack sales
‘Braticoqueta’ bites: Snacks that channel the sassy energy of summer
Here’s a cornucopia of ‘braticoqueta’-worthy snacks and sips that flirt, slay and satisfy
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
PopCorners in hot air: PepsiCo sued over slack-fill
One California shopper says it’s not what’s inside a PopCorners bag that’s the problem - but what isn’t
Inside PepsiCo’s chef-led snacks strategy
Strawberry jam Lay’s? Bratwurst Doritos? Behind the brands, PepsiCo chefs are taking experimental flavours to the streets
PepsiCo sparks a regenerative farming revolution in LATAM
The snacking giant aims to build a more resilient food system from the ground up
From Oreos to eggrolls, snack giants fire legal shots over labels, logos and loyalty
Kellogg’s, PepsiCo, Mondelēz and Conagra are taking aggressive steps to defend their turf and redefine the rules of the snack aisle
Is regenerative agriculture driven by consumer demand?
Majors such as Danone, PepsiCo and Nestlé explain why they’re transitioning to regenerative farming
Smart brands are cleaning up their clean labels
Clean label used to be the goal. Now it’s just the baseline and the smartest brands are going further, stripping out the fluff, tightening the science and telling a clearer story
Hue got it: The colour psychology behind top snacks
Before we even take a bite, colour tells our brain what to crave. And it’s not just the frosting that’s doing the talking – it’s psychology, marketing and a bit of regulatory drama
PepsiCo digs deep into regenerative potato farming in LATAM
PepsiCo is digging into regenerative agriculture with fresh purpose, rolling out a pilot programme that puts low-carbon potato farming at the centre of its climate strategy in Latin America
When the chips are down: How GLP-1s and inflation are rewriting the snack script
The snack aisle is facing a reckoning as appetite-suppressing drugs, rising costs and shifting consumer values take a bite out of growth. Is the global love affair with snacking finally starting to crumble?
PepsiCo’s sunflower oil pivot could upend snack sourcing
PepsiCo is now sourcing sunflower oil from regenerative farms in Argentina through a landmark partnership with Syngenta. Could this signal a broader shift in how snack makers think about sustainable procurement?
Innovation watch
Self-heating burritos, lemonade-flavoured crisps and frozen PB&J: Redefining what a snack can be
Snacking is getting smarter, bolder and more unexpected by the day, with innovators pushing the boundaries of flavour, function and form. Which of these boundary-breaking bites will lead the next big snack innovation wave?
The dye is cast: Industry reacts to FDA’s food colour ban
The Trump Administration’s crackdown on artificial colours has manufacturers split: some gearing up for reformulation; others pushing back hard. Will industry cooperation or confrontation shape the future of food colour?
Why investors are hungry for mission-driven snack startups
Investors are increasingly finding the sweet spot in startups that blend snacking with social and environmental purpose
Why is Smucker’s hitching Hostess’ comeback to cannabis culture?
To celebrate 4/20 - the unofficial cannabis holiday - JM Smucker is giving Hostess a puff of cultural relevance by cozying up to cannabis fans
RFK Jr tightens dye ban deadline: ‘The writing’s on the wall’
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has accelerated the timeline for food manufacturers to eliminate synthetic dyes such as Red 40, setting a firm two-year deadline during a recent interview
Why Americans are boycotting Big Food brands like Walmart, PepsiCo and General Mills
Major US brands like Walmart and PepsiCo are facing a wave of consumer boycotts over rollbacks to their DEI commitments, while General Mills is under fire for allegedly selling overpriced, chemical-laden foods and contributing to worsening food insecurity
From mochi to muffins: Vanilla takes the lead in 2025 NPD
World Vanilla Day is back on 10 April and brands are celebrating with a wave of bold, creamy, vanilla-forward innovations
Trump’s trade policies: A ticking time bomb for the snacks industry?
Snack prices are soaring and Americans are cutting back - leaving chips, crackers and cookies on the shelves. Is Trump’s chaotic trade policy to blame for crushing the snack market?
Crunch time for the UK snacks industry: Are the HFSS regulations working?
The UK is cracking down on advertising and promotions of products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) like never before. But are these tough new rules actually making Brits healthier or just making shopping more frustrating?
PepsiCo buys modern soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion in continued better-for-you push
PepsiCo tries to shake off recent market challenges with a revamped better-for-you portfolio, acquiring Poppi, Siete Foods and Sabra
The meeting that shook the industry: RFK Jr vs Big Food sends shares plummeting
PepsiCo, Kellogg, General Mills, Smucker’s and Kraft Heinz saw their stock prices tumble as Robert F Kennedy Jr delivered his anticipated ultimatum. Now, these food giants face a stark choice: remove artificial dyes or risk financial and regulatory fallout
Why ethics matter now more than ever: Bimbo, PepsiCo & Kellanova lead 2025’s Most Ethical Companies
Grupo Bimbo, PepsiCo, Kellanova, JM Smucker, Hershey, Ingredion and ADM are standing out in the food industry by proving that ethics and profitability go hand in hand
Women, power & progress: Shaping the next generation of business
Women are driving change, breaking barriers and redefining leadership in ways that create lasting impact. But what does it take to ensure the next generation of female leaders has the support, opportunities and resources to thrive?
Trump’s crackdown leaves DEI in crumbs
Donald Trump’s second-term DEI purge is sending shockwaves through corporate America, with companies scrambling to decide whether to gut their diversity commitments or risk backlash. With even Black History Month on the chopping block, what does that say...
Hot snacks: Turning up the heat in 2025
From swicy crackers to chili-spiked honey, the snacking industry is proving that heat is here to stay. Whether you crave a subtle warmth or a fiery kick, these products deliver bold flavours.