Africa’s new appetite: Inside the rapid rise of convenience snacking
Africa’s booming youth population is transforming the bakery and snacks landscape, creating opportunities for brands rooted in local culture and convenience
Retailer & shopper insights
Consumers embrace gene-edited foods when brands focus on value, not science
Consumers are more open to gene-edited foods when benefits are clear, transparent, and aligned with their values – offering CPG brands a roadmap to communicate innovation effectively
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
A new era of premium chocolate emerges
As consumers redefine premium chocolate through taste, ethics and wellness, everyday indulgence is replacing special-occasion luxury – opening the door for brands and retailers to grow margins, build loyalty and differentiate in a tightening,...
The ‘radically simple’ sweet snack revolution that’s getting juicy
Sweet snack trends are tilting toward simpler, fruit-forward formulations – and Solely’s approach is drawing fresh attention from retailers
Smucker’s Sweet Baked Snacks take a hit as Hostess reset bites into Q2
The J.M. Smucker Co.’s latest results show a business broadly on track, but its Sweet Baked Snacks segment is clearly in the painful middle of a reset
Domino’s switches up the toppings as UK boss exits
A leadership shift lands as the UK pizza chain tries to find momentum in a delivery market that’s proving tougher than expected
Biscuits, cookies & crackers: What’s trending now and into 2026
Premium treats, grab-and-go minis and a burst of festive innovation are giving the aisle more energy than it’s had in years
Postcard from Sydney: Lamingtons, loaves & legends
Sydney’s bakeries aren’t just baking – they’re performing. From sky-high lamingtons to cult sourdough, this city’s pastry scene blends precision, play and viral energy in every bite
Top 5 F&B retail trends for 2026
Discover the five trends that will define 2026, and why agility, authenticity, and technology will determine who succeeds and who fails
General Mills, WK Kellogg & Ferrero spark a fresh fight for the breakfast bowl
Once the poster child for easy mornings, breakfast cereal has been losing shelf swagger. Now a new wave of innovation, investment and protein-packed reinvention is pushing the category back into the spotlight
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
Top food colour trends of 2026
Consumer desire for calm, wellness and vitality will affect colour trends in the coming year
Why Brits are ditching Christmas cake for panettone and stollen
The Great British fruitcake is losing its crown. Lighter, glossier European bakes are stealing the show – and the nation’s tastebuds – this Christmas
Trendspotting 2026
Beyond taste: The rise of the experiential treat in 2026
Flavor still rules bakery and snacks, but in 2026, the way they feel is fast becoming the new measure of delight
Christmas 2025: Sugar, spice & all things iced
From boozy puddings to glitter-dusted brownies, bakers are dialing up nostalgia, sparkle and flavor innovation to make this festive season the sweetest yet
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
Flavor forecast 2026: What will consumers want in the new year?
Flavor houses are predicting what will drive success for F&B brand in 2026, including authenticity, artistry and immersion
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
Snack to the future: How startups go from local crave to global shelf
Building a snack brand people love is one thing. Scaling it globally without losing your grip – or your supply chain – is another
Healthier Choices: GABA rice, mood candies, gut supergrain and more
GABA rice, mood candies, gut supergrain and more feature in this edition of Healthier Choices
Sustainability gets real: It’s crunch time for Europe’s snack makers
New ESA president Christopher Gosau says the region’s snack makers must turn bold sustainability promises into measurable progress or risk losing credibility
Trendspotting 2026
Crunch, cream, contrast: Texture takes the spotlight in 2026
Forget flavor fatigue – next year will be all about how snacks feel. From crisp layers to creamy centers, texture is fast becoming the biggest lever of indulgence and loyalty
Protein, please: NPD with real muscle
Protein’s still flexing hard, but it’s left the gym and hit the grocery aisle
‘Advertising is a weak force’: Busting CPG marketing myths
Does spending more improve sales? Why do brands fail? Do consumers ever go back to weak brands?
How to turn ingredient chaos into market advantage
Cocoa’s up, eggs are unpredictable and consumers still want it all. Ardent Mills’ Matt Schueller reveals how data – not luck – is driving the next wave of bakery innovation
Halloween: The White House gets spooky, Pringles begins to glow and McVitie’s brings back Jaffaween
From the White House lawn to your local supermarket, brands are pulling out all the tricks this Halloween with glowing crisps, monster bakes and desserts to die for
The UPF contradiction: What consumers really do
The anti-UPF noise is getting louder, but behind it lies a quieter truth about what people actually buy, eat, and believe
UPF awareness rises but confusion reigns over what’s healthy, Non-GMO Project finds
Consumer concern about UPFs has surged, but understanding still lags far behind, according to new research from the Non-GMO Project
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
What if memories had a flavor…
Mondelēz’s latest State of Snacking report explores how memory and emotion have become the new currency of snacking
Pink pastries, prison bakes & purpose: October’s most meaningful bakery & snack launches
Producers are proving that good food can do good, too – turning patisserie counters pink, tackling loneliness and funding second chances through every bite
Postcard from Las Vegas: Bakeries are playing to win
In the city of jackpots and neon, the newest high rollers are made of butter, sugar and vanilla not poker chips
Bread isn’t the enemy: How bakers can reclaim bread’s healthy image
Bread’s reputation has had a rough ride, but enzymes, fiber and a clearer story about nutrition could help bring it back into favor
When cocoa and eggs get costly, bakers get creative
Commodity shocks, shifting diets and a hunger for nostalgia are forcing bakers to rethink their recipes and proving that innovation thrives under pressure
Opinion
The snackdown: Mars may win EU approval but retailers will decide Pringles’ fate
The European Commission may be ready to wave through Mars’ $36 billion takeover of Kellanova, but in Europe’s snack aisles, the regulator isn’t the kingmaker. The retailers are
Halloween candy sales soar: Trends & treats driving growth
Halloween is no longer just for kids, it’s a confectionery goldmine
NPD report: Bread innovation goes big on protein, purpose and planet
A new study is changing what bakers know about sourdough, while a wave of launches from Thomas’ to Sara Lee is proving bread can be nutritious, inventive and purposeful all at once
Diwali’s billion-dollar mithai boom goes global
Once an Indian household tradition, mithai (traditional confections) is now a global indulgence and brands like Haldiram’s are cashing in on Diwali’s sweet glow-up
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
Boomers vs Gen Z: Both want functional foods, but results vary by generation
Younger consumers seek energy; older counterparts prioritize preventative care
Top 5 foods fuelling the brain health boom
Brain food is booming. As consumers seek sharper focus and long-term cognitive health, the food industry is responding with powerful ingredients and smarter nutrition
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
Fright club: Halloween 2025 NPD gets bold, boozy and baked
Halloween spending is set to smash records this year, and brands are responding with limited edition launches designed to thrill. From eerie éclairs to glow-in-the-dark Goldfish, 2025’s NPD lineup is frightfully inventive
GLP-1-friendly snacks: protein-packed NPD
Weightloss drugs are changing the way people snack and brands are answering with protein-packed launches designed to keep cravings at bay while delivering serious flavor.
Trump’s gluten labeling gambit puts industry on edge
The White House’s plan to make America healthy takes a swipe at gluten. And what looks like a win for consumers could leave food companies tangled in costly compliance and spark a new political fight over what belongs on a label
The ‘proteinification’ of everything
Once just a bottle shaker staple, protein is taking on new forms and finding its way into everything from soda to chips to macaroni and cheese.
Politics, lawsuits pose a new dynamic – ‘Greenhushing’
Fair Trade leaders discuss challenges and wins in ethical, organic, sustainable sourcing
Multibuy meltdown: Brits ready to walk away from HFSS snacks
England’s October 1 ban on multibuy deals for HFSS foods has shoppers set to cut back
EU biscuits face acrylamide reckoning
A new study shows more than a quarter of biscuits on sale blow past EU safety benchmarks for acrylamide – a probable carcinogen that’s testing regulators’ patience and shaking consumer trust