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
Science
PepsiCo, Danone & Nestlé: how AI is powering F&B growth
AI is transforming how F&B giants cut costs, boost efficiency and innovate faster — turning data into a powerful competitive edge
Wegovy oral GLP-1 approved for use in the UK
The Wegovy semaglutide pill will be available for private prescription in the coming weeks
GLP‑1 is no longer just a weight‑loss story – it’s a full‑scale reset for food & beverage
Emerging research suggests GLP-1 drugs could move beyond diabetes and metabolic health to treat multiple diseases, meaning millions more consumers will rethink how – and what – they eat
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
What foods do GLP-1 users actually like?
Despite reduced appetites, those using GLP-1s still care about taste
Fibremaxxing is trending, so why are bowel cancer rates still rising?
As social media turns fibre into the latest nutrition obsession, experts warn that bowel cancer remains one of the UK’s biggest health challenges and younger adults are increasingly in the firing line
Do GLP-1s dull taste or enhance it?
How GLP-1s influence taste is a complex picture. Here’s what food and beverage manufacturers need to know
GLP-1s and anhedonia: the death of dopamine snacking
The emergence of ‘Ozempic personality’ is intensifying questions about how GLP-1s are changing cravings, impulse eating and reward-seeking behaviour
Mood enhancers and munchies: The science behind cannabis cravings
Cannabis snacking has gone from counterculture cliché to booming business, fuelled by clinical appetite studies, THC treats and changing consumer habits
Oral GLP-1 breakthrough: What it means for impulse-driven food categories
Food and beverage brands face consumers staying on appetite-suppressing drugs for longer
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
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
Next-gen potatoes: Why crisp makers are getting serious about what’s in the ground
New potato varieties are being designed to meet the snacks industry’s exacting demands on yield, storage and fry performance
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
The 7 nutrition trends redefining food and drink
From emerging ingredients to protein power, discover the nutrition trends shaping the future of food and beverage
Toast-time trade-off eases as gene-edited wheat cuts acrylamide risk by 93%
Rothamsted field trials show gene-edited wheat can sharply reduce acrylamide risk in baked and fried foods without denting yield
Artificial sweeteners: Why the science war is raging on
New health studies are reigniting a global battle over artificial sweeteners, leaving brands, regulators and consumers divided
Opinion
Fermentation waste could be food industry goldmine
What if fermentation waste became the most valuable fibre source yet
Can AI really sort the UPF mess the food industry is facing?
New tools promise sharper answers on ultra-processed foods as regulation struggles to keep up
California’s tortilla rule underscores the shift in market power
The Golden State’s folic acid mandate for corn masa shows how one state is once again reshaping national manufacturing
Can enzymes really reduce bitterness in industrial bread?
With reformulation exposing bitterness and flattening flavour in industrial bread, enzymes are now being tested as a targeted way to rebalance taste at source – but how far they can go remains unclear
Scaling precision fermentation: Why capital and collaboration remain the biggest hurdles
Industry experts cite massive CapEx, supply bottlenecks and regulatory complexity as key barriers
Gut instinct: The 10 functional ingredients gaining ground in 2026
Dietitians’ latest data points to a more grounded approach to functionality, where gut health, cost and credibility matter as much as claims
Sourdough is rewriting fibre functionality
New research suggests sourdough fermentation does far more than build flavour. It’s actively reshaping wheat fibre in ways that could influence texture, digestibility and product development
Why the food industry can’t innovate alone anymore
As cocoa volatility, fat replacement and GLP-1 trends reshape demand, startups are becoming critical partners in ingredient innovation
Food cravings on GLP-1s? What formulators need to know
It’s a common misconception that GLP-1 drugs erase food cravings. Actually, they alter them
From trash to toast: How sunflower oil waste could become bread’s next health upgrade
Research into sunflower oil byproducts suggests an overlooked ingredient could help bakers lift protein and fiber levels while supporting sustainability goals and easing pressure on wheat-based formulations
Ingredients Compendium No 2: Trehalose
The little-known functional sugar gaining ground across food categories
As manufacturers grapple with sugar reduction, texture loss and longer shelf-life demands, trehalose is emerging as a functional ingredient to watch in 2026
Global Food Tech Awards 2026
Global Food Tech Awards 2026: Americas shortlist reveals industry giants
The Americas are making noise on the global food tech stage in this powerful top 10 line-up of finalists
The GLP-1 wake-up call for food makers: Appetite loss is exposing ‘weak’ products
As GLP-1s suppress appetite at scale, manufacturers are running into an awkward reality: when people eat less, nutritionally weak products are exposed fast
Florida’s glyphosate bread test has bakers on edge
The US state’s decision to publish glyphosate residue results for supermarket bread has reopened questions around food safety, scientific context and how regulatory data is interpreted by consumers
Opinion
The GLP-1 tsunami isn’t a diet trend – it’s a stress test for the food system
GLP-1 drugs are shrinking appetites at scale, but they’re also exposing how thin modern nutrition really is and the food industry can’t dodge the consequences
Are bread bags holding back recyclable packaging?
A new ultra-thin mono-material bread bag suggests the biggest barrier to recyclable packaging may no longer be technology but habit
Why GLP-1s have turned fiber-maxxing into a snacking strategy
As GLP-1 drugs suppress hunger and compress eating occasions, fiber is emerging as a way to make smaller snacks feel functional, tolerable and worth the calories
Are GLP-1 ranges healthy? What food brands must know
Top food brands are embracing GLP-1-friendly ranges. But are these products nutritionally-sound?
Why salt reduction is getting harder for food makers
Governments may be returning to salt reduction targets, but manufacturers say the era of easy reformulation wins is long over
After GLP-1: Weight regain, food fear and the industry’s next reckoning
With a growing number of people ditching GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, producers are being drawn into a far more complex conversation about nutrition, psychology and long-term eating behavior
Can AI finally tame sourdough’s wild side?
As sourdough scales up worldwide, new research suggests artificial intelligence could help bakers manage fermentation without sanding off what makes it distinctive.
McDonald’s India’s millet bun is a smart, subtle fix for the fiber gap
A quiet change to a burger bun in India says more about where fiber is heading than any claim ever could
The snackdown: Peanuts are the humble ingredient we’re too trend-obsessed to notice
A lifesaving therapeutic food made of peanuts should be a wake-up call to every snack developer still chasing novelty over impact
The gluten glitch hiding in compostable packaging
Some compostable packaging made from cereals has been shown to shed gluten into gluten-free food, a problem the sustainability push never thought to look for
Why AI might fix the slowest part of R&D
Cocoa volatility and fast-changing label demands are squeezing R&D timelines. Barry Callebaut’s partnership with NotCo points to a new, AI-assisted path forward
Could Brussels really crumble the humble UK oatcake?
As the UK-EU reset deal inches forward, new mycotoxin limits threaten to turn the much-loved British oatcake into unexpected Brexit collateral.
AI fast-tracks chocolate reformulation amid cocoa crisis
Innovation cycles take time. But artificial intelligence promises to change that - at lightening speed
The snackdown: The great UPF witch hunt
When the food industry finds itself smeared as guilty by association – it’s not just the definition of ‘processing’ that’s under fire – it’s the entire business model
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
Protein, please: NPD with real muscle
Protein’s still flexing hard, but it’s left the gym and hit the grocery aisle
Inside the gluten revolution: The 3 breakthroughs bakers should pay attention to
From gene-edited wheat to a three-minute gluten test, scientists are rethinking gluten-free baking and the results could change everything
The silent revolution bubbling in your dough
Microbes are moving from background biology to bakery’s next big advantage - driving cleaner labels, longer shelf life and smarter sustainability