Best of Anuga 2025: From functional dairy to next-gen alternatives
Protein innovation remains at the fore for most brands, but diversification into spoonables and beverage formats was notable this year
Manufacturers
Opinion
The snackdown: What happens when activists come to buy a baguette
Activist investors have developed an appetite for food-to-go and SSP Group, the company behind Upper Crust, is suddenly on the menu
Warburtons circles Roberts: Is Britain’s bread market about to get even smaller?
As Roberts Bakery teeters on the brink of administration, Warburtons has reportedly been circling its specialty breads factory. With ABF also eyeing Hovis in a £75m rescue play, Britain’s bread market faces a new era of consolidation
IBIE 2025: Robots, resilience and the reinvention of baking
Las Vegas became a proving ground for AI, automation and sustainability. ABA and BEMA argue the industry’s future depends on marrying technology with tradition
Why Kerry exited hybrid dairy and pivoted Smug to snacking
Once heralded as a category disruptor, Kerry’s hybrid dairy brand Smug is being reinvented into a 100% dairy affair. Here’s why
Done deal: WK Kellogg now a subsidiary of Ferrero
Less than three months after the acquisition announcement, WK Kellogg is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrero
Quaker Oats leverages TikTok dietitians for fresh brand appeal
The company is still recovering from a devastating recall in 2023 and focusing on the future
Sustainable September
From net zero to no hunger: Bakery&Snacks powers up Sustainable September
Climate roadmaps, community kitchens and cleaner labels – Sustainable September showcases how bakery and snacks are delivering for consumers, the planet and communities, proving collaboration is the real gamechanger
IBIE 2025: 7 reasons Vegas will be the hottest oven in baking
IBIE 2025 lands in Las Vegas this October with fresh pavilions, global talent, big competitions and the innovations set to shape baking’s future
The snackdown: Are GLP-1s really killing snacks or is it just all hype?
Weight-loss drugs are billed as a $150bn threat to bakery and snacks, but so far the impact looks more hype than reality.
Bar fight: RXBar founder Peter Rahal’s $85m snack startup dragged into US court over control of key fat
The $85m New York protein bar startup from RXBar’s Peter Rahal is battling a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York over its control of a key fat substitute
Beyond taste: How sonic branding can shape brand identity
In the food and beverage aisle where taste and packaging helps brands stand out, sonic branding may help cut through the noise and forge emotional connections with consumers
Mars scales up for snack domination with $2bn power play
With a new $240m Nature’s Bakery plant opening in Utah and a $36bn Kellanova deal underway, Mars is laying the groundwork for a US snack empire
Is Smucker’s $5.5bn Hostess deal headed for a legal meltdown?
The deal that closed on November 7, 2023 is now under fire as sales slump, losses mount and legal investigations heat up - raising serious questions for food‑industry M&A
Top of the class: Back-to-school snacks that make the grade
Lunchbox legends are back and this year’s lineup is smarter, cleaner and more fun than ever. From pizza-flavored crunch to fruit-packed favorites, these snacks earn full marks from kids and parents alike
Snack lab confidential: The breakthrough innovations every brand should be watching
Startups are rewriting the snack rulebook with science, sustainability and serious shelf appeal. From fiber-hacking enzymes to protein-rich ice creams, these are the bold ideas catching the industry’s attention
How the TikTokification of taste is exposing the Great Bakery Paradox
Bakers face the ultimate juggling act, pressurized into doing more with less – while consumers want it all, and want it now
Coke sweetened with cane sugar to launch in the US this fall
Coca-Cola confirms a cane sugar sweetened Coke will launch in the US in a matter of weeks: but as an additional option in its existing portfolio rather than a reformulation of the flagship drink. From Diet Coke to Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, we take a look at...
Cakes, tarts and treats that truly impress
From plant-based celebration cakes to citrusy gluten-free bakes and playful candy mashups, this roundup is anything but ordinary
ADM reveals what drives functional food & beverage innovation
Consumers are prioritizing wellness through everyday foods and drinks – ADM’s latest insights show how sensory cues like flavor and color are shaping the next wave of functional innovation
Is pladis about to give the UK biscuit market much-needed crunch?
The McVitie’s maker is investing £68 million in its UK sites. This is more than just a factory upgrade
Food prices continue to climb
The Labour Government have come under fire following an unexpected rise in inflation, with several food and drink commodities hitting double digits.
GROWTH ASIA SUMMIT 2025
Mars Wrigley taps consumer obsession to fuel brand growth in APAC
New tactics emerge as a global giant rethinks how to win hearts, minds – and wallets – across a complex region
The snackdown
Kellogg, Kraft and the great snackland shuffle
Just days apart, two titanic moves hit the global food sector like a double espresso: Ferrero snapped up WK Kellogg Co for $3.1 billion; and Kraft Heinz revealed plans to spin off its grocery arm in a $20 billion restructuring
2025’s biggest food & drink M&A deals so far
From billion-dollar beverage buyouts to bold wellness bets, 2025’s food and drink M&A deals reveal what’s shaping the future of the industry
It’s official: Ferrero buys Kellogg in $3bn deal
The rumours are true. Ferrero Group in Europe is acquiring cereals major WK Kellogg in North America
Summer Fancy Food Show
Bold flavors, heritage roots & supply chain flexibility shape spice trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show
Spice brands tap into global curiosity, heritage storytelling and small-batch strategy to stand out in the booming category
The rise and fall of England’s HFSS crackdown
In a sweeping reversal of Conservative-era health policy, Labour has scrapped the planned ban on multibuy deals for HFSS products, marking a shift from state intervention to voluntary industry-led reform
Kettle Chips owner acquires Italian bakery firm
The owner of Kettle Chips has announced the acquisition of Italian bakery firm Melegatti 1894.
Healthy snacking
Kallø’s oat-of-this-world answer to functional snacking
Powered by beta glucan, Kallø’s latest innovation tap into consumer demand for heart health, fibre and feel-good simplicity
David Beckham, Andy Murray & the Fantastic Four walk into the snack aisle…
Celebrity-fuelled snacking is the summer’s hottest trend. From tennis courts to comic book universes, these 15 collabs are where fame, flavour and fandom collide
Rethink, reformulate or risk irrelevance in the GLP-1 era
The snack aisle is shrinking - literally. GLP-1 users are eating less and unless you’re innovating smarter, your brand could be next off the shelf
Why ‘minimally processed’ is the next big thing in snacks
As the snacks market soars, an up-and-coming trend stands out from the crowd
The future of bread reimagined: Lesaffre’s bold vision for a better loaf
Baking with Lesaffre has redefined how the baking industry should think about the very essence of bread
Predictive modelling is changing how bakeries tackle waste
Shelf life is a major driver of bakery waste. New digital tools are helping bakers extend freshness and cut losses without sacrificing taste or clean label goals
Future Food-Tech Chicago
Mix and match for market success: Why collaborations are the new power move in CPG and where they can fall short
Unexpected partnerships can turbo-charge innovation and expand companies’ visibility, market penetration and sales – but only if stakeholders establish shared goals, values and expectations
Why solving panic beats promoting protein: A smarter playbook for snack marketers
In a marketplace overflowing with clean label claims and nutritional callouts, it’s not always the brand with the best macros that wins. Increasingly, it’s the one that shows up when it matters most
Loblaw and Mondelez settle for millions in bread and cracker scandals
The food industry is feeling the heat as consumers cash in on price-fixing and label deception settlements
Industry trade group answers RFK’s call for ‘radical transparency’ for food ingredients and enhancing GRAS notification process
The Consumer Brands Association argues the CPG industry has been ‘putting the transparency into ‘radical transparency’ for decades,’ but acknowledges it and industry can do more to educate consumers and regulators about ingredient and food safety
News snacks: Baking gold, greener plates & snack tech shifts
Gold’s been baked, vanilla’s booming and snack tech is getting a long-overdue upgrade. From bold packaging pivots to flour with a lighter footprint, here’s what’s rising across the bakery and snack world
Hot for honey: How the flavour is creating a buzz for World Bee Day
It’s World Bee Day on 20 May and there’s never been a sweeter time to celebrate honey’s starring role in snacks and bakery treats. From mellow and floral to spicy and bold, honey (especially the trending hot honey) is buzzing in everything from chocolate...
Greencore’s £1.2bn Bakkavor deal sparks jobs, price fears
Greencore is snapping up chilled food rival Bakkavor in a £1.2bn deal that will reshape the UK’s convenience food scene. But unions and analysts are warning the merger could come at a cost - including jobs, competition, and rising prices
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
What does the future of food and beverage hold?
Mounting challenges and changing tastes are reshaping the food and beverage industry for the future. Let’s take a look at tomorrow’s world
HHS’ RFK Jr: Upcoming dietary guidelines ‘will reflect the public interest’ not ‘special interests’
FDA and HHS could soon publish the much anticipated 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines, after Trump administration appointees have examined the recommendations ‘line-by-line’ and potentially recast them to be more consumer-focused rather than aimed at policy...
Spin, slump, SPOONS: Inside WK Kellogg’s make-or-break cereal play
Post-spin, WK Kellogg is making a bold play to redefine cereal as a health food. But can a marketing framework overcome falling sales, tariff pressures and consumer scepticism?
McCormick shakes up innovation strategy and expands crushed pepper portfolio
The flavor and spice giant follows up the success of its crushed jalapeno pepper with Hatch Chile Pepper and Thai Style Chili Pepper
UPF and NOVA should be ‘banned’ from use in food science
Finally, someone is taking the industry’s side in the fightback against UPF misuse
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?
Nestlé to sell €5bn water division
Food and beverage giant Nestlé plans to focus on flagship brands including KitKat and Nespresso