Big Food warns growing scrutiny of ultra-processed foods could hit sales and costs
Campbell’s, PepsiCo, Conagra, Kraft Heinz and JM Smucker flag regulatory, consumer and litigation risks as debate over UPFs intensifies
Science
Are consumers really asking AI what snacks to eat?
From protein targets to dietary restrictions, shoppers can now describe what they need and get a shortlist of snacks in return but the effect on sales is still unclear
Cutting UPFs linked to lower depression
A study looked at depression before and after cutting back on ultra-processed foods
Are GLP-1s creating Big Food’s next valuation trap?
GLP-1s are entering food industry due diligence, but buyers risk discounting resilient snack assets while overpaying for anything carrying a health halo
When food marketing slips into misinformation
New EU-funded research reveals how vague claims, hidden sponsorships and emotive content can mislead consumers – and where producers risk crossing the line
Obesity drug could have fewer side effects than GLP-1s
A new drug trial has shown consistent weight loss. Could it offer a viable alternative to GLP-1s?
EFSA approves sweetener aspartame-acesulfame salt
The sweetener’s re-evaluation has been completed
GLP-1 prescriptions for young children up 310-fold
GLP-1 use among US children has risen rapidly, signalling a shift that Europe should watch closely
Can AI unlock your factory’s hidden capacity?
Pringles claims artificial intelligence has lifted capacity by 10% without new machinery – but can other food producers replicate it?
From cocoa microbes to bloom, the battle for consistent chocolate
New research is revealing how fermentation, fat crystallisation and sugar structure determine chocolate’s flavour, performance and shelf life
Carob cracks gluten-free pasta’s biggest challenges
New research suggests carob flour can make gluten-free pasta firmer, less sticky and nutritionally stronger
Opinion
Climate change is an existential threat to food
The threat that heat poses to crops is a global problem
Does sponsoring one team turn its rivals against your brand?
Sports sponsorship can turn fan loyalty into sales but brands may also inherit the rivalries, anger and controversies surrounding the teams they support
How Pringles has engineered the physics of the perfect dip
Pringles has strengthened its famous crisp to show why dips, toppings and fillings can’t be treated as finishing touches
Meet Connie, Freddie and Eddie – bakery’s new decorating crew
Digital printing, robotic icing and 3D-formed pastry are changing how bakeries produce the toppers and decorative finishes that make familiar products look new
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
Physicians group sues USDA and HHS over Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The lawsuit claims the guidelines were written by a secret panel of industry insiders
Could GLP-1 safety concerns affect uptake?
Reports of side-effects and deaths may complicate the success of the weight-loss drugs
Rizz, 6-7 and brainrot: Can food and drink speak internet without sounding cringe?
A viral buzzword can capture attention, but research suggests brands risk losing credibility when borrowed slang jars with the personality consumers already know
Avo oil under pressure: Science and lawsuits challenge the premium halo
A major authenticity study and proposed class actions against Utz and Campbell’s are exposing the risks behind snacks’ costly avocado oil makeover
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
The rebel cacao the cocoa industry never saw coming
Ceremonial cacao – minimally processed, traceable to a single farm and allergic to marketing spin – is barging into the mainstream on its own terms, but one UK founder says manufacturers still don’t get it
The hunger switch Ozempic doesn’t actually turn off
Yale scientists have found that some weight-loss jabs don’t switch off hunger at all – they hijack it, and that changes what the food industry should expect next
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
Letter from the editor
Science, trust and the next era of food innovation
From combating food misinformation to redefining healthy eating and scaling AI-enabled innovation, IFT FIRST 2026 underscored how evidence-based science is reshaping the future of food
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
Cultivated beef steak set for global expansion after historic approval
Aleph Farms has secured a historic regulatory approval for its cultivated beef in Singapore.
From food noise to alcohol cravings: The expanding promise of oral GLP-1s
As oral GLP-1s sweep across Europe and the US, research suggests they may do far more than curb appetite
5 hard truths every functional food startup needs to learn
The functional food market is booming, but turning a promising concept into a commercially successful product is rarely straightforward
IFT FIRST
‘Facts aren’t enough’: IFT warns of growing food misinformation crisis
Nearly half of food science professionals are extremely concerned as viral content and distrust of institutions reshape the information landscape
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
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
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
Four new cacao types just handed chocolate a lifeline
A Peruvian gene-hunt has rewritten the cacao family tree, handing breeders fresh raw material just as disease and extreme weather squeeze the world’s cocoa supply
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
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
Mars invests €1.5m in the future of science
Confectionery giant invests €1.5m in young scientists through Mars Impact Fund
Tate & Lyle, Ingredion and the new ingredients land grab
The Ingredion-Tate & Lyle deal signals a shift in the ingredients industry, where technical expertise is becoming as valuable as the ingredients themselves
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
Global Food Tech Awards
Why next gen alt protein startups will be built on access, not just science
In protein, the real challenge isn’t invention – it’s getting to market and staying there
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
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
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