PepsiCo is in the middle of its biggest snack reset in years
From SKU cuts and factory closures to functional launches and acquisitions, PepsiCo is moving fast to streamline and prove its snack empire still matters
Sustainability
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
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
Corporate sustainability holds firm despite political noise
Companies are broadening their targets and measurement scopes as climate action shapes up to be non-negotiable despite political uncertainty
Chocolate without trees? The science racing to reinvent cocoa
From cacao cells grown in bioreactors to fermentation-built chocolate flavours, scientists and startups are experimenting with ways to produce cocoa ingredients without growing cacao trees
Dole Whip, Lucky Charms, Cookie Pop and SuperPretzel kick off March’s spring snack surge
From tropical frozen desserts to stadium-style pretzel bites, brands are leaning into brighter flavours, playful formats and seasonal moments.
The next five years will eclipse the last 25: Steve McLean on agriculture’s defining decade
New UK Agri-Tech Centre CEO Steve McLean says the industry is entering a defining period that demands bigger thinking, harder commercial focus, and technologies proven on real farms, not just in labs
5 innovations desperately needed for EUDR compliance
Adhering to EUDR’s complex requirements isn’t easy, but the right innovations can help
Cocoa whiplash: How a record price spike turned into a demand slump
The market has swung from historic shortage to surplus projections for 2025/26 in under two years
Flavour first, fibre close behind: Bakery resets for 2026
Bakery’s next growth phase won’t be driven by a single mega-trend, but by flavour authority, fibre credibility and formats that make everyday indulgence feel justified
Acid whey in sourdough: Fixing a commercial pain point or provoking the purists?
New research suggests Greek yoghurt’s most problematic byproduct could boost loaf volume, extend shelf life and cut additives, but does swapping in acid whey cross a line for sourdough traditionalists?
Cocoa alternatives won’t fix chocolate’s pricing problem
Reformulation may steady margins, but unless manufacturers tackle cocoa’s income gap at source, volatility will keep coming back
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
Mars, Mondelēz, Nestlé, Hershey, and Lindt team up to transform future of cocoa
The world’s biggest chocolate makers are working together to futureproof cocoa and support growers
Industry, brace for change: Momentum builds behind Global Plastics Treaty
After negotiations failed to finalise a global treaty on plastic pollution last year, new hope is on the horizon
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
The future of chocolate is bittersweet
Soaring cocoa prices are quietly reshaping how chocolate is formulated, where it’s used and how far the industry can stretch expectations without losing trust
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
Packaging under fire: Do legal risks trump production headaches?
As PFAS regulation tightens and litigation accelerates, brands are being forced to rethink packaging choices that once seemed low-risk and routine
3 flour brands are redefining how regenerative agriculture scales
By redesigning contracts, supply chains and product development, three flour brands show that scaling regenerative agriculture is as much institutional as it is agricultural
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
Mondelēz’s CoLab Tech accelerator shines light on the biggest stress points facing the global snack system
As the company reopens applications for its R&D-led accelerator, the focus areas highlight mounting pressure around climate resilience, packaging constraints and shifting consumer expectations
5 lesser-known crops with big innovation potential
Rice, corn and wheat may dominate global crop consumption, but for food makers wanting to stand out from the crowd, there’s a wealth of untapped innovation potential in ancient grains
Parliament refers EU-Mercosur to Court of Justice
The long-awaited deal has hit another roadblock
Cocoa crunch: How shortages are rewriting chocolate’s future
As climate, disease and regulation strain global cocoa supply, manufacturers are turning to low‑cocoa and cocoa‑free innovations to protect margins and future-proof their portfolios
Crack it, snack it, recycle it: Packaging that’ll rule 2026
Snack packs are finally starting to look like they belong in 2026 instead of 2006, and the pressure to keep evolving isn’t letting up
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
EU-Mercosur: 6 takeaways for F&B
The landmark trade deal with the Latin American bloc will have long-lasting impacts on the food sector
As cocoa chaos continues, Kokomodo finds its moment
Why ‘climate-proof’ cacao start-up Kokomodo is hedging its bets on an increasingly stronger future for cell cultured cocoa
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
Opinion
The EU is making a mistake by choosing not to boost novel foods
By explicitly cutting off novel foods from use in regulatory sandboxes, the EU is stifling innovation
Beckham’s snack play: How BEEUP plans to sting the competition
Forget celebrity sidelines, David Beckham’s actually in the test kitchen: CEO Peter Stearns lifts the lid on how that shapes BEEUP’s next phase
World’s top 30 food-tech companies revealed
From AI-powered ingredient discovery to zero-waste packaging and next-gen proteins, the top 30 global food-tech list showcases the game-changing technologies shaping the future of food
Africa’s new appetite: Inside the rapid rise of convenience snacking
Africa’s booming youth population is transforming the bakery and snacks landscape, creating opportunities for brands rooted in local culture and convenience
Alternative cocoa: Ways confectionery’s most under-threat ingredient is being replaced
Chocolate makers has been significantly impacted by the cocoa crisis. Ingredient innovation offers a solution
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 water might be the biggest threat to the snack sector’s future
PepsiCo’s latest pep+ update centers on water and the message should make the whole snacks sector pay attention
Mars Snacking’s methane playbook: Lessons from Bovaer and a focus on next-gen tech
Paying premiums alone isn’t enough to get producers to embrace sustainability, Mars Snacking’s VP of R&D says as he reflects on emerging methane mitigation solutions and the Bovaer fallout
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
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
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
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
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
Nestlé, Mondelēz, Hershey - How chocolate giants are coping with price hikes
The largest players in food are making bold decisions in an effort to boost growth
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.
Mondelēz toys with price cuts as choc sales melt
The snacking multinational is dealing with high cocoa prices
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
Another EUDR backflip: How did we get here?
In a dramatic pivot, the EU’s anti-deforestation law looks like it will be pushed back for some, and reworked for all. Here’s a timeline to help with the whiplash