Has the ‘better-for-you’ boom gone too far in kids’ snacks?
As wellness claims flood the kids’ snacks aisle, some brands warn parents are becoming more sceptical of ‘better-for-you’ marketing and more focused on what products actually contain
Clean label
Nutella, Lindt, Häagen-Dazs and McVitie’s: The brands going nuts in 2026
From Dubai chocolate and pistachio ice cream to peanut butter chilli crisp, nuts are powering some of 2026’s biggest food trends
7 ways GLP-1s are driving the freeze-dried snack frenzy
Smaller appetites, clean label cravings and the internet obsession with crunch are turning freeze-dried snacks into one of the hottest categories in global food
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 protein to prebiotics: 11 launches tapping into longevity nutrition
Brands are reformulating everyday foods with more protein, fibre and functional ingredients as consumers look to support strength, digestion and long-term wellbeing through daily eating habits
The next gen in produce moves beyond fresh to ‘alive’
Wild About Sprouts’ campaign aims to rethink fresh produce and reconnect consumers with the origins and functionality of their food
The new wave of health-first bites and sips
From fibre-packed grains to protein-loaded snacks and low-sugar treats, ‘better-for-you’ is getting more targeted and far less boring
Up the food chain
If industrial bread looks artisanal, what happens next? Lesaffre baking director weighs in
As industrial processes close the quality gap, Edouard Gestat warns baking is entering a new phase – one where price and perception may matter as much as provenance
Aldi ramps up clean-label push with 44 new ingredient bans
Move affects 90% of store assortment as private-label-focused retailer responds to consumer ingredient concerns
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
Fermented grape is crushing reformulation’s toughest trade-offs
As pressure mounts to cut sugar and sodium, fermentation-derived ingredients are helping manufacturers cut trade-offs across flavour, texture and cost.
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
Cacao pods and ‘ugly’ potatoes powering the upcycled foods movement
Brands like Roots Farm Fresh, Blue Stripes and Salt and Straw are finding new value in food waste through upcycled snacks and frozen foods
FDA delays beetroot red and spirulina color approvals amid stakeholder safety and labeling worries
Agency delays effective dates for color additives after GMO/Toxin Free USA and Obelisk Tech Systems challenge safety reviews and ‘no artificial colors’ labeling
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
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
Sweet proteins promise a sugar reset but new questions are emerging
Oobli’s CEO is betting on protein-based sweetness to cut sugar at scale, but the shift raises uncomfortable questions for regulators, manufacturers and the supply chain
How snack brands can stay resilient in an era of disruption
From GLP-1 drugs and AI to fast-shifting shopper preferences, founders and experts urge snack brands to double down on focus, purpose and agility
Glyphosate in baby cereal sparks safety alarm in South Africa
A watchdog report detecting herbicide residues in bread, flour and infant cereal is reigniting the safety debate and putting pressure on regulators to act
The raisin squeeze: Iran tensions expose a fragile ingredient supply chain
Raisins sit quietly inside thousands of everyday foods, but the global trade behind them is far more concentrated than most manufacturers realise
Ingredients Compendium No 3: Resistant Starch
The ingredient blurring the line between starch and fibre
As manufacturers push fibre levels higher while cutting sugar and protecting texture, resistant starch is emerging as one of the most practical tools in modern food reformulation
At what point does ‘transparency’ become operational chaos?
In the US, the drive for ingredient transparency is beginning to feel less like steady progress and more like a stress test for the modern food system
Protein is the price of entry at Expo West 2026
Expo West lands in Anaheim this March, and protein isn’t just a trend – it’s the baseline. The real fight is over taste, texture and who can make functionality feel effortless
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
5 big food trends in France
What do French consumers want?
FDA eases ‘no artificial colors’ labeling rules, paves way for natural color adoption
FDA eases ‘no artificial colors’ claims, but ambiguity over ‘petroleum-based dyes’ leaves manufacturers cautious
Clean label vs. functional foods: Can the two trends coexist?
Functional foods are often ultra-processed – but can they be clean label?
What does clean label mean for bakery in 2026?
From synthetic color bans to rising scrutiny of processing, clean label is becoming less about claims and more about hard formulation and policy choices
Candy in the crosshairs
‘Elevated’ arsenic in candy reveals industry-wide food safety and regulatory risks
Even without enforcement action, publicly released contaminant data could fuel lawsuits, consumer confusion and regulatory scrutiny, while also undermining federal oversight
Rye January reveals how little Brits know about what’s in their bread
New consumer research shows that most UK consumers eat bread every day without really knowing what’s in it
‘Highly-processed’ or ‘ultra-processed’? New dietary guidelines reignite a definitional food fight
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans avoid the term “ultra-processed foods,” prompting both praise and criticism
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
Opinion: The snackdown
UPFs enter a new phase of scrutiny in 2026
Ultra-processed foods have been debated endlessly. In 2026, they’re being regulated anyway and food makers are discovering that definitions matter far less once policy gets involved
Better-for-you claims in the crosshairs: Advertising watchdog scrutinizes health claims
National Advertising Division cases shine light on marketing missteps, making the case for food and beverage brands to rethink health-focused advertising
From kings’ cake to crunchy corn: Comfort snacks get a smarter glow-up for 2026
Indulgent treats aren’t being replaced – they’re being refined. This latest wave of NPD upgrades familiar formats with cleaner labels, global flavor cues and subtle functional gains
A bakery & snacks survival guide for 2026
10 top trends resetting consumer appetite in 2026
From GLP-1-driven taste shifts to protein pressure and portion realism, 2026 won’t kill indulgence – it’ll demand that bakery and snacks work harder for every bite.
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
Conagra absorbs $968M impairment as outlook holds
A nearly $1 billion write-down and soft Q2 weigh on the stock, yet management reaffirms its focus on frozen, snacks and value-led innovation
Scandals, shockwaves & shakeups: 12 of 2025’s most standout moments
From billion-dollar brinkmanship to red-dye revolts and zero-gravity corn chips, 2025 proved nothing in bakery and snacks is too big, too weird or too controversial to make headlines
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
Hershey’s salty strategy
The confectionery giant’s latest move – snapping up LesserEvil – pulls it deeper into the everyday snacking landscape it’s been circling for years
Natural or not? Cape Cod Chips called into court over citric acid
Cape Cod Chips now faces two lawsuits alleging the brand’s ‘no artificial’ claims don’t square with its use of synthetic citric acid
Cocoa’s gone wild: Could malted barley flour be the calm in the chaos?
With cocoa costs spiraling, Briess is pitching malted barley flour as a reliable, clean label lifeline for bakers and snack makers
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
Why brands are dropping synthetic dyes ahead of regulation
Synthetic dyes may still be legal but shifting consumer trends and rising US state-level pressures mean bakery and snack brands aren’t waiting for mandates to start cleaning up their color palettes
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
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
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
5 meat snack innovations at NACS 2025
The tradeshow featured hundreds of innovative new products at the Cool New Snacks preview room