Top tips to avoid trade mark infringement at the 2026 World Cup
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Business
Who’s winning the World Cup before kick-off?
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
The great snack paradox: 7 lessons from snack’s biggest brands
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
ThaiFex-Anuga Asia 2026
3 make or break factors for Asian brands in the West
The western world is home to many of the world’s most established food brands, so what strategies can Asian brands use to crack desirable markets like Europe or the US?
Barry Callebaut sharpens strategy amid cocoa volatility
Barry Callebaut shifts strategy with new Focus for Growth plan
How audio ads are behind food and drinks’ next sales boost
Audio’s reach and ROI are pushing food and beverage marketers to rethink its role in the media mix
How dairy can seize its World Cup moment
With global audiences shifting to digital and wellness on the rise, is dairy ready to compete with Big Soda for World Cup visibility?
Arla and DMK merge: What now for Europe’s new mega dairy?
Europe’s largest dairy co-op is taking shape, but integration risks will test the strategy
The world’s top alcohol brands
Kantar BrandZ reveals which brands dominate the global beverage alcohol market
Confectionery trends: Balancing better-for-you trends and indulgence
Cracks in chocolate’s ‘affordable luxury’ status could signal broader shopper shifts
Chocolate is still growing in dollars, but the real story is what unit declines and demographic shifts may reveal about changing confection preferences
Danone’s €1bn Huel bid sparks competition scrutiny
Danone’s €1bn bid for Huel faces CMA scrutiny, highlighting rising regulatory pressures on Big Food
What artisan bakers can learn from the fashion, fragrance and scarcity culture
Today’s smartest bakeries aren’t just selling desserts – they’re selling aspiration, atmosphere and the emotional pull of exclusivity wrapped in laminated dough
The big brands chasing the experience economy
From snack cafés to immersive retail and branded restaurants, food and drink companies are turning physical experiences into a new form of marketing.
AgNavigator: same agtech backbone, bigger industry picture
William Reed, publisher of FoodNavigator, has unveiled a new title for its market-leading agtech and agrifood title
Cinnabon swaps the UK high street for a licensing deal
Just months after disappearing from UK shopping centres, Cinnabon is returning to instore bakery instead – highlighting how licensing has become one of food and drink’s most valuable commercial tools
Beyond protein: Why wellness platforms are the real deal
Protein remains big business, but with functional trends evolving at pace, it’s time to think bigger
Food retail trends 2026: Why Gen Z no longer shops by aisle
Younger consumers aren’t just swapping meals for snacks – they’re tearing apart the traditional rules that have shaped food retail, product development and brand strategy for decades
Why thinking like an AI agent matters to marketing
Generative engine optimization is reshaping how brands get discovered
Ingredion’s Tate & Lyle buy would create a $10B global ingredient powerhouse
The proposed deal would unite two of the food and beverage industry’s largest ingredients makers
Mars powers production growth with $253.6m smart factory investment
Mars bets on smart manufacturing, using £190m UK factory upgrade to boost output and strengthen grip on global confectionery and snacking market
Big Food’s leadership crisis: Why CEOs are falling faster than ever
C-suite exits are mounting across Big Food, but behind the scandals lies a deeper performance and innovation problem
Less sugar, more pressure: Scotland’s HFSS rules force a food industry rethink
With Scotland’s HFSS restrictions arriving in October, food manufacturers are under mounting pressure to reformulate products without sacrificing taste, texture or brand identity
Bel’s Brainiac buy signals next wave in kids’ snacks
The Bel Group acquisition of Brainiac highlights a fast-growing category where nutrition science, parental anxiety and marketing ambition are converging
Unilever shaken by investor exit as McCormick deal unsettles shareholders
Unilever’s $40bn Foods merger with McCormick is facing mounting backlash, as shares slide and investors divest
Up the food chain
Europe’s copy-paste problem in US bakery
Why European bakery brands keep getting the US wrong and what it really takes to compete
Grupo Bimbo commits $1bn to US despite growing unease over Trump-era business climate
At a time when many manufacturers are slowing investment plans or waiting out economic uncertainty, Grupo Bimbo is doing the opposite in the US.
Up The Food Chain
Embracing ‘genba’: Glico on balancing global trends with localisation
Yukio Kimura, COO of Glico Asia Pacific, says understanding ‘genba’ – the field where operations and consumer interactions take place – is key to keeping brands relevant in diverse markets
Monster Beverage Corp may raise prices as aluminum costs surge amid global tensions
Monster executives warned aluminum and freight costs are expected to climb sequentially through year-end, but said category demands remain healthy even after price hikes last fall
The snack barometer: The Iran conflict and the limits of consumer resilience
Food companies are becoming some of the clearest observers of the economic fallout from the Iran conflict as fuel volatility, inflation fears and changing spending habits begin reshaping behaviour across the supermarket aisle
Calm in the chaos: How US bakers are fighting back on regulation, reformulation and a restless consumer
At the recent American Bakers Association Convention (ABA), industry leaders made one thing clear – in a volatile market, credibility, collaboration and consumer connection will decide who thrives
Kraft Heinz defies CPG cost-cutting playbook and bets on investment for turnaround
As other food and beverage companies cut costs and slash staff, Kraft Heinz is investing $600 million in people, pricing, promotion and innovation – offering an alternative blueprint for growth in a turbulent period
From clicks to cart: Online grocery drives the next wave of growth
As omnichannel shopping becomes the norm, ecommerce, retail media and retailer apps are reshaping how and where grocery growth happens
The death of the free airline snack
Delta’s decision to scrap complimentary snacks and drinks on hundreds of flights is exposing a bigger shift across global aviation.
The simple sandwich is pushing boundaries like never before
What was once the easiest thing to grab is now one of the hardest formats to execute well and one of the most commercially important to get right
GLP-1s: Is the industry asking the wrong question?
New data and clinical insight suggest the real impact of GLP-1 drugs isn’t less eating – it’s a rethink of how, when and why people eat
PepsiCo’s second restaurant gamble is bigger, bolder and riskier
Following its first foray into hospitality in Madrid, PepsiCo is doubling down in Shanghai to test just how far a snack brand can stretch
Is the retail media network gold rush over?
In this next phase, marketers aren’t abandoning retail media – they’re simply demanding that it grow up
FBIF 2026
Kraft Heinz insights: Is the concept of consumer brand loyalty dead?
In an era where consumers are bombarded with new products at every turn and purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by technology, is brand loyalty no longer a thing? There is hope yet, says Kraft Heinz
Time’s ‘10 Most Influential Food Companies’ list misses some of the real disruptors
The 103-year-old magazine’s latest picks highlight companies on the move, but some of the forces genuinely reshaping food in 2026 sit beyond that shortlist
Flexibility under pressure: A practical guide to navigating new labour laws in food
From sick pay and shift scheduling to enforcement and dismissal risk, sweeping reforms are forcing food businesses to rethink how they manage people
Savencia’s profits sink in shaky 2025
Volatile prices squeezed Savencia in FY25, but resilient cheese brands helped cushion the blow
Mondelēz warns of anxious consumers as Middle East conflict threatens spending
While sales rise and cocoa stabilizes, the company keeps guidance steady amid fears of inflation and weakening confidence
How Coca-Cola is winning in a K-shaped economy
Coca-Cola enjoyed a strong start to the year with net revenues up 12% in Q1. What is the beverage giant doing right?
Italy’s antitrust watchdog slaps €23.3m fines on snack makers over alleged private label cartel
The country’s regulator says leading suppliers coordinated private label deals instead of competing for them
Up the food chain
If industrial bread looks artisanal, what happens next? Lesaffre baking director weighs in
As industrial processes close the quality gap, Edouard Gestat warns baking is entering a new phase – one where price and perception may matter as much as provenance
Shoppers embrace personalization – but draw the line at AI taking control
While personalized pricing and in-store tech gain approval, nearly half of consumers reject fully agentic AI shopping experiences, according to a new Dunnhumby report
Tariffs on trial: Pending ruling could impact supply costs and grocery prices
Burlap & Barrel’s challenge to the Trump administration’s tariffs in the US Court of International Trade could define how far presidents can stretch decades‑old trade statutes
Anzac or Tim Tam: Who runs Australia’s $3.8bn biscuit aisle?
They’re protected, traditional and have barely changed in a century, but Anzac biscuits still hold their ground in a highly competitive market that’s shifting fast around them
Why Unilever’s $40bn food merger is raising red flags
Unilever’s $40bn food deal is supposed to sharpen focus. Instead it’s unsettled stakeholders, raising questions over the success of Big Food consolidation
QR codes on-pack: Smart engagement or the next labelling fight?
They promise transparency and storytelling, but new research suggests QR codes are currently doing far more selling than informing