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
Health
Kaya Rebel: Singapore brand bucks tradition with healthier fusion coconut jams
Kaya Rebel, a Singapore start-up, makes lower-sugar, higher-protein coconut jams infused with global flavours as it eyes growth in tourism retail
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
Ingredients in flux: Beneo’s CEO on what’s changing and what’s next
The ingredients sector is weathering some of its toughest headwinds yet - but beneath the turbulence lie clear, compelling opportunities for growth
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
Industry takes aim at Lancet’s deadly UPF report
The Lancet’s latest series linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to harm across multiple organs has reignited debate over their role in public health
Opinion
The snackdown: The Lancet just declared war on UPFs
The Lancet’s new UPF Series doesn’t politely enter the UPF debate – it kicks the door open and bakery and snacks are suddenly standing in the blast zone
UK health watchdog slams hidden sugar in ‘healthy’ snack bars
A nationwide survey shows huge sugar and calorie spikes in UK snack bars marketed as healthy, prompting Action on Salt & Sugar to call for tougher rules.
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
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
Popstar Robbie Williams warns of GLP-1 vision loss - here’s why it matters for F&B
Vision fears are the next shockwave to hit GLP-1 drugs
Breaking the Christmas bog standard
Once the star of the Christmas table, the cranberry is stepping out of the bog and into bakery innovation – from upcycled seeds to tangy syrups – proving it’s anything but standard
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
New lipid gets EFSA novel food approval, and it cuts cholesterol
Food and drink manufacturers now have a new lipid to add to their formulation toolbox – one that boasts health and sustainability credentials
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
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
Fruitist continues expanding packaged fresh fruit business with $150 million capital raise
The fresh fruit producer plans to invest in fruit genetics and AI to boost its positioning in the healthy snacking segment
Functional food craze: What are the next breakout ingredients?
After a year of protein and fibre dominance, what’s the next big thing?
Non-UPF Verified debuts standard for CPG brands
The standard includes ingredient criteria and processing intensity that align with nutrition research and food system realities
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
Canada’s bakers are done playing defense
The Baking Association of Canada’s new Executive Council isn’t just another talking shop – it’s a wake-up call for the nation’s $21.5bn bakery sector to stop firefighting and start leading
5 meat snack innovations at NACS 2025
The tradeshow featured hundreds of innovative new products at the Cool New Snacks preview room
Protein, please: NPD with real muscle
Protein’s still flexing hard, but it’s left the gym and hit the grocery aisle
Ground-breaking gene atlas could lead to healthier, climate-resistant oats
A coalition of plant scientists are cataloguing the diversity of oats and their wild relatives, examining the genetic makeup of 33 common oat types and mapping more than nine thousand in detail.
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
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
5 functional beauty drinks driving innovation
The trend for functional beauty drinks doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon. Take a look at five of the latest innovations in this space.
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
Gen Z and Millennials redefine wellness: Protein, fiber and flavor drive food choices
Spins data reveals how younger consumers are reimagining nutrition around functional benefits, global flavors and ingredient transparency
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
Novonesis develops new flavours with Noma, one of the world’s top restaurants
An ingredient supplier and a world-renowned restaurant - two traditionally separate players in the food supply chain - are joining forces in an unexpected collaboration
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
Why emulsifiers deserve a second look
They’ve been branded unnecessary by the clean label crowd, but their role in texture, stability and sustainability is hard to ignore
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
General Mills bets big on overlooked consumers to drive next wave of growth
The CPG giant is adapting products, pack sizes and marketing to place aging consumers, GLP-1 users and Hispanic shoppers at the center of its fiscal 2026 plans
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
How GLP-1 drugs are supercharging the age of precision nutrition
Could the era of precision nutrition turn the pharma-driven metabolism revolution into a food-based one?
Healthy, hot and functional foods driving c-store growth
Prepared-food sales are climbing, and younger shoppers are leading the push for fresher, clean-label offerings
Could functional foods replace the need for GLP-1s?
As GLP-1 drugs disrupt the weight loss market, food and beverage players are racing to unlock the appetite-regulating power of functional ingredients
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
How big is the GLP-1 wave going to get, really?
As usage of weight loss medications surges and new therapies emerge, food businesses face a once-in-a-generation opportunity – or risk being left behind
Women are shaping the next frontier of protein innovation
Protein’s health halo attracts female consumers to various products from food and drink to supplements. Here’s what’s driving demand
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
APAC salt reformulation rises in response to grading schemes, salt taxes
With salt taxes looming and nutri-grade schemes making their mark, more APAC food firms must reformulate to meet health and regulatory demands
Quick bites: The snack built for the GLP-1 generation
In a world of grazers, go-getters and GLP-1 users, The Protein Ball Co’s bold refresh proves that clean, portionable snacking still has power
UPF labelling is coming - but in what form?
Ultra-processed foods could soon be immediately recognisable front-of-pack