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
Regulation, policy & food safety
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
The global evolution of smart food labelling
The landscape of smart food labelling has seen rapid evolution globally, but some markets are moving faster than others
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
First-ever global standard promises more consistent yeast for bakers worldwide
A first-of-its-kind Codex Alimentarius standard, adopted in Geneva this month, gives baker’s yeast a single global definition for the first time in its long history
From Ozempic to oat bars: Can peptide science cross into food?
Consumers already associate peptides with dramatic weight loss thanks to drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, and that’s sparking curiosity about whether a food-grade cousin could follow
64% of consumers eating food past use-by dates amid cost concerns
Consumers are taking risks with food safety as concerns over rising food prices continue to impact on behaviour.
Florida subpoenas General Mills over bromate flour
General Mills is the first company to face a subpoena as Florida opens a consumer-protection probe into a century-old dough conditioner most of the world abandoned long ago
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
ASA bans ads by Mars and Morley’s under new HFSS rules
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has revealed the outcomes of six rulings under the government’s new HFSS ad restrictions.
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
Is MSG still controversial?
The scientific consensus around the additive does not reflect common attitudes
International guidance on ‘may contain’ allergen labelling introduced
The guidance aims for more scientific standards
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
12 brands that have nailed the ‘fricy’ trend
Beverages, snack, sauces and even ice cream are turning up the heat with ‘fricy’ offerings
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
Nutri-Score in the dock: Why Lactalis is taking it to court
The front-of-pack labelling scheme is facing a legal challenge over its algorithm changes
British EUDR? UK government to introduce anti-deforestation rules
The proposal will affect imports from around the world, including coffee, cocoa, soy and palm oil
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
The ‘Uh-Oh SpaghettiOs’ lawsuit vs the court of public opinion
As online commentators dissect everything from sterilisation processes to consumer behaviour, the dispute offers a glimpse into how food safety claims are increasingly judged in the digital age
Kennedy signals new course for food labels as FDA nears definition for ultra-processed food
A forthcoming federal definition for ultra-processed foods could influence front-of-pack nutrition labeling requirements, product reformulation efforts and compliance timelines across the food industry
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
Deepfake food fraud threatens global brands
Fake contamination claims, AI-generated complaint letters and manipulated food images are creating a new fraud risk that regulators, delivery platforms and food businesses are struggling to contain
Doritos without drivers? PepsiCo’s autonomous truck rollout sparks logistics debate
PepsiCo’s driverless truck experiment promises faster, cheaper deliveries, but it’s also exposing a growing battle over jobs, safety and the future shape of food supply chains
Campbell and Walmart in court over SpaghettiOs contamination claim
A Florida family is seeking damages after claiming it discovered moving worm-like organisms in a can of SpaghettiOs that had already been partially consumed
Is your food safety at risk from information overload?
New research suggests food manufacturers may be collecting more info than workers can realistically process – with implications for productivity, quality and food safety
Brewing loyalty: How coffee is powering bakery footfall
Coffee’s not just a pick-me-up anymore. It’s helping bakeries pull ahead in a slowing market
Where brands should focus their AI strategy now
AI’s real value may lie in helping consumers choose – not discover
Nestlé and Danone: Baby food pouches under fire as microplastics found
Microplastics detected in Nestlé and Danone baby food pouches spark safety concerns
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
What will it take to stem diet-related deaths?
From culinary medicine programs to Medicaid managed care, stakeholders at the 2026 Food as Medicine summit outlined a multi-pronged push to make nutrition a cornerstone of US health care
Tariff refunds are available - here’s how to get them right
High rejection rates and a tight 80-day filing window are turning what should be straightforward IEEPA tariff refunds into a high-stakes, error-prone process for small and mid-sized CPG brands
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
FDA’s leadership shakeup elevates food program insider amid questions over science, staffing and MAHA influence
With Marty Makary’s abrupt exit, acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas faces skepticism from industry and public health stakeholders over whether he can steer the agency through political pressure, staffing losses and food policy reform
FDA takes aim at BHT and ADA in new post-market food chemical safety program
With BHT and ADA already on their way out of the food supply, some experts question whether FDA’s “swift” action is too little, too late
From cereulide to botulism: Exposing the fault lines in infant nutrition safety
From recalled product remaining on shelves to weak marketing guidance, regulatory gaps across infant nutrition remain stark
US government spends hundreds of millions on biotech pilot plants as national security priority
Defense Department and state matching grants fund BioMADE’s three pilot plants as precision fermentation infrastructure gap forces US companies to manufacture overseas
Do UPFs pose greater risk of plastic packaging harms?
Chemicals from single-use plastics may increase health risk to consumers
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
When paper packaging fails the sustainability test
While brands like Babybel are showing the shift to paper packaging can work, moving away from plastic is not universally viable. Here’s why
‘Healthy’ has moved on – have snacks?
From fibre and protein to texture and sensation, the new rules of healthy snacking go far beyond cutting sugar, salt and fat
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
Opinion
The toy is back in the box but should it ever have left?
Kellogg’s is reviving cereal box toys and with it, the debate about whether selling breakfast to children should ever feel like a prize draw
SNAP restrictions are reshaping sugary food purchases
Ibotta data shows states prohibiting the use of SNAP funds to buy ‘unhealthy’ products are reshaping sugary beverage and snack demand
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
As food brands tweak child marketing rules, UNICEF’s playbook still holds
As food brands rewrite child‑marketing rules, experts say voluntary action isn’t enough
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