From aspartame to allulose: The future of sweeteners takes shape
The sweetener landscape is becoming increasingly diverse, but what does the future hold?
Reformulation
The race to perfect gluten-free
Gluten-free is booming, but the sector’s next test is balancing clean labels, better nutrition and great taste without compromising safety or affordability
EFSA approves sweetener aspartame-acesulfame salt
The sweetener’s re-evaluation has been completed
Baby food still has a sugar problem
Sugar is still a burning issue in baby food. New research suggests many popular products are high in free sugars, while campaigners and nutrition experts say voluntary guidelines are falling short
Carob cracks gluten-free pasta’s biggest challenges
New research suggests carob flour can make gluten-free pasta firmer, less sticky and nutritionally stronger
The egg crisis failed to crack manufacturers’ reliance on eggs
After four years of disease, flock losses and punishing prices, manufacturers had every reason to replace eggs – but the crisis instead exposed just how difficult that is
Big Food’s colour promises are colliding with supply chain reality
The dye deadlines are closing in, but the alternatives aren’t ready
Would you eat a cookie made from a plastic bottle?
US scientists are using engineered yeast to turn plastic waste into protein-rich cookies – but safety, scale and consumer disgust stand between µBites and the snack aisle
Why food products live or die on shelf: A retailer’s perspective
Winning supermarket shelf space is difficult but keeping it can be considerably harder
Overturning 7 industry assumptions about the GLP-1 consumer
The newest evidence challenges some of the food industry’s most comfortable conclusions about GLP-1 consumers
Gen Alpha’s early eating habits offer a roadmap for the future of snacking
NIQ research finds that children are already thinking about ingredients, nutrition and the benefits they want from snacks, which could shape the category as they gain purchasing power
Flavour flipping: Why tomorrow’s snacks won’t taste the same from first bite to last
Food scientists are learning to control not just what consumers taste, but exactly when they taste it – opening up a new frontier in flavour design that could reshape snack innovation
The GLP-1 effect reaches ANZ
New research suggests Australia and New Zealand are following the same GLP-1-driven consumer shifts seen elsewhere, offering an early indication of where the wider APAC food market could head next
A new protein contender emerges as whey prices surge
ADM and The Every Company are scaling up US production of a fermented egg white protein pitched at formulators tired of whey’s price swings
News Bites
Legacy brands are evolving from products into platforms
For the majors like The Hershey Co., General Mills and Kellanova, growth comes from strategically stretching trusted brands across occasions, benefits and formats – broadening the snacking landscape itself
‘Plus and minus’: Why clean-label success goes beyond removing ingredients
Markets across Asia Pacific are increasingly shaping clean-label innovation – what can European and US markets learn from the region?
UPF legislation raises stakes for food labeling and child-directed marketing
The debate around the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act signals rising political interest in warning labels, marketing restrictions and a federal definition of ultra processed foods
Why traditional flour specifications may no longer predict performance
Traditional flour specifications remain essential but changing wheat quality and modern production demands are exposing the limits of long-established tests
IFT First
Upcycling enters new phase as startups unlock premium ingredients from food sidestreams
Advances in extraction, refining and on-site processing showcased at IFT FIRST are shifting upcycling from a sustainability strategy to a platform for premium proteins, bioactives and functional fibers
Health halos mask sugar content: Children’s cereal claims face scrutiny
A new Canadian study finds that sugar levels in children’s breakfast cereals remain high, despite a proliferation of health claims
5 functional snack trends for an ageing world
Older consumers are becoming one of the food industry’s fastest-growing demographics, prompting snack manufacturers to rethink everything from ingredients and nutrition to texture, packaging and portion sizes
Cortisol: The viral trend that’s rewriting shopping lists
The internet’s favourite stress hormone is fuelling a fibre boom, and shoppers are being told to slow down and think again
5 lessons from the start-up that’s seen an 85% spend uptick from GLP-1 users
Jackson’s CEO delves into why GLP-1 users are spending more with it, not less
The climate shock that could reshape food costs until 2027
A strengthening El Niño is expected to drive the next wave of food inflation, leaving manufacturers with a narrowing window to protect margins before higher costs work their way through global supply chains
Artificial colours: How Europe regulates differently from the US
The use of food colours in the EU is stringently defined but it contrasts with the US approach
Is beef tallow becoming food’s next billion-dollar ingredient?
The resurgence of beef tallow is forcing manufacturers to ask whether the MAHA movement has created a lasting reformulation trend or just food’s latest political fad
FDF warns new regs could see fibre-rich foods disappear from shelves
Food and drink manufacturers have provided two billion servings of fibre to the nation in five years since 2021, but new restrictions could undo progress.
Ozempic maker backs game-changing GLP-1 implant to end drop-out
A rice-grain-sized device being evaluated by Novo Nordisk is designed to solve the one problem that’s kept the GLP-1 boom from hitting food and drink sales even harder – patients giving up
Obesity in retreat as GLP-1 use nearly quadruples: New data paints a different picture for manufacturers
America’s obesity rate is falling as GLP-1 use reaches record highs, with similar trends emerging elsewhere and raising fresh questions about the future of food demand
Grupo Bimbo claims category first with US clean label overhaul
The world’s biggest bakery company says it will become the first in its category to remove artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and emulsifiers across such a broad portfolio of everyday baked goods by the end of 2028
The coming UPF regulation revolution
The regulatory landscape surrounding ultra-processed foods is changing rapidly. Here’s what has already happened, what’s coming next and why manufacturers should be paying attention
Nestlé to axe artificial colours worldwide in industry first
Nestlé to remove artificial food colourings from all products globally by the end of the year
Mars invests €1.5m in the future of science
Confectionery giant invests €1.5m in young scientists through Mars Impact Fund
Why food scientists still can’t crack the perfect natural red
Creating a heat-stable natural red remains one of food science’s toughest colour challenges
Has processing become the industry’s most misunderstood tool?
The UPF debate has given ‘processing’ a bad rap, yet new technologies are helping manufacturers reduce oil, cut waste and improve product quality – without adding a single ingredient
Fermentation turns up the heat in snacks
As consumers demand hotter, more complex flavours alongside cleaner labels and lower sodium, fermentation is emerging as an increasingly valuable tool for snack formulators
Mars’ artificial-dye-free push hits major reformulation hurdles
Mars to introduce artificial-colour-free M&M’s but reformulation challenges leave two colours out in the cold
Protein Sodas are the new “whitespace” for innovation in US market
Protein sodas are set to drive the next wave of innovation in the US market, according to a new report from Mintel
How are Nestlé, Danone and Muscle Milk rethinking reformulation?
Additives and artificial colors and flavors continue to be axed from formulas as the industry balances a meeting consumers’ health goals with nutrition policy
Do GLP-1 users like artificial sweeteners?
Users perceive sweeteners differently to sugar
The next tobacco fight? Marketing to children enters UPF debate
Campaigners warn that food companies are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to build brand loyalty from childhood
Are reformulation demands moving faster than brands can respond? Hear from PepsiCo and industry leaders
As the reformulation goalposts continue to move, experts from PepsiCo, the European Snacks Association, the American Bakers Association, 210 Analytics and FDF Scotland’s Reformulation for Health Programme ask whether manufacturers can keep pace
Fed Up! campaign takes aim at UPFs, but the science debate persists
A new campaign on ultra processed food education highlights systemic nutrition barriers, while food science experts stress the need to define the polarizing term before linking it to health outcomes
How AI is transforming reformulation
The food industry is in a state of semi-permanent reformulation - does artificial intelligence offer the solution to all our re-development woes?
Global Food Tech Awards
Global Food Tech Awards EMEA heat opens: Why startups should apply and how to stand out
Calling all EMEA food and beverage startups - applications are now open and entry is free
How texture is elevating dairy and alt dairy
From playful crunch to decadent smoothness, brands are increasingly leaning on textural cues to give their products a premium feel
What foods do GLP-1 users actually like?
Despite reduced appetites, those using GLP-1s still care about taste
ThaiFex-Anuga Asia 2026
Betagro turns chicken into noodles to double protein per meal
Betagro has created noodles made out of chicken breast, offering consumers a new way to double up on protein and satisfy tapping demand for high-protein innovation
Snack trends: Nutrient-dense grazing hitting its stride
Snack brands are targeting fluid eating occasions with products that deliver nutrition in smaller portable formats, aligning with healthier snacking trends to suit busier lifestyles
What if chocolate’s flavour was never really about cocoa?
As cocoa markets spiral through another year of chaos, cocoa-free alternatives are shifting from novelty to necessity