Arsenic for breakfast? Cereal’s contaminant problem exposed
New testing raises awkward questions about what ‘better-for-you’ breakfast really means
Clean label
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
Can culturally rooted snacks survive industrial scale?
As regional flavours go global, manufacturers risk engineering away the very character that made them valuable
Is speculoos the new Dubai chocolate? Inside Biscoff’s €500m boom
Lotus Bakeries is making its biggest-ever investment to turn soaring demand for speculoos into lasting global growth
The GLP-1 effect reaches ANZ
New research suggests Australia and New Zealand are following the same GLP-1-driven consumer shifts seen elsewhere, offering an early indication of where the wider APAC food market could head next
‘Plus and minus’: Why clean-label success goes beyond removing ingredients
Markets across Asia Pacific are increasingly shaping clean-label innovation – what can European and US markets learn from the region?
Why traditional flour specifications may no longer predict performance
Traditional flour specifications remain essential but changing wheat quality and modern production demands are exposing the limits of long-established tests
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
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
Mondelez State of Snacking: The impossible innovation brief
Manufacturers have spent years responding to one consumer trend after another, but today’s snack has to satisfy every expectation at once
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
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
Opinion
Colour is dairy’s most overlooked asset – and brands risk missing out
Spotlighting dairy’s natural colour could drive premiumisation, but brands have been reluctant to exploit the opportunity
The great snack paradox: 7 lessons from snack’s biggest brands
Lay’s, Doritos, Lindt and Oreo are worth billions despite growing pressure from health trends, private label and changing consumer habits. Here’s what they’re getting right
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
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