The new sustainability playbook starts with suppliers
The race to build a climate-smart food system is putting ingredient suppliers in the spotlight
Sustainability
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
Unilever, Thai Union urge collaborative yet transferable sustainability
Food giants Unilever and Thai Union highlight the importance of keeping CSR solutions collaborative yet global to make real impact in the global food sector
Roughly 80% of US food products will be labeled GMO by 2028
A federal district court has given the USDA until Jan. 1, 2028, to revise bioengineered food disclosures and close controversial QR code loopholes
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
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
Lindt accused of misleading consumers on child labour
Lindt facing US lawsuit alleging misleading claims over human rights commitments in its cocoa supply chain
IFT First
Upcycling enters new phase as startups unlock premium ingredients from food sidestreams
Advances in extraction, refining and on-site processing showcased at IFT FIRST are shifting upcycling from a sustainability strategy to a platform for premium proteins, bioactives and functional fibers
The climate shock that could reshape food costs until 2027
A strengthening El Niño is expected to drive the next wave of food inflation, leaving manufacturers with a narrowing window to protect margins before higher costs work their way through global supply chains
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
Reformulation isn’t simply about replacing cocoa
The cocoa crisis has exposed a much bigger challenge for manufacturers – preserving flavour, texture, quality and consumer trust while navigating a volatile ingredient market
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
Why some food startups succeed while others never leave the classroom
Riff may still be in its infancy, but the lessons four students learned while turning a university assignment into a registered snack business could help other founders avoid making the same mistakes
Big Food falling short on regen ag commitments
FMCGs are setting big targets but they’re not always credible, says new report
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
British EUDR? UK government to introduce anti-deforestation rules
The proposal will affect imports from around the world, including coffee, cocoa, soy and palm oil
Letter from the editor
Alternative agriculture’s next chapter: fermentation and cultivation
From precision fermentation and cultivated proteins to next-generation ingredients, food-tech innovators are advancing sustainable production despite funding pressures, scale-up challenges and evolving consumer demand
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
Britain’s biggest bakery honours are back
As the Baking Industry Awards (BIA) return for their 39th year, a new leadership category offers fresh insight into what excellence looks like in a bakery industry facing unprecedented change.
How sustainability is becoming ice cream’s next growth ingredient
Premium indulgence and snacking are driving momentum at ice cream major Froneri – and sustainability is underpinning both trends
Climate Smart Food: Is sustainability good for business?
FoodNavigator and AgNavigator’s new event will explore the business case for sustainability
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
Alfalfa-based egg white alternative inches closer to market
With a WeFunder campaign and institutional raise underway, Fudi Protein is positioning its alfalfa-derived Rubisco as a cost-competitive egg white replacement
What if chocolate’s flavour was never really about cocoa?
As cocoa markets spiral through another year of chaos, cocoa-free alternatives are shifting from novelty to necessity
What sustainability looks like in olive oil today
How does a sustainable supply chain work in a category rooted in ancient agriculture but facing modern global demand?
Regenerative agriculture’s core tensions unpacked
Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum – but what does it really mean, how should claims and practices be audited, and how can producers and industry fairly share the value it creates?
The death of the free airline snack
Delta’s decision to scrap complimentary snacks and drinks on hundreds of flights is exposing a bigger shift across global aviation.
Time’s ‘10 Most Influential Food Companies’ list misses some of the real disruptors
The 103-year-old magazine’s latest picks highlight companies on the move, but some of the forces genuinely reshaping food in 2026 sit beyond that shortlist
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
Next-gen potatoes: Why crisp makers are getting serious about what’s in the ground
New potato varieties are being designed to meet the snacks industry’s exacting demands on yield, storage and fry performance
As EUDR looms, is the world’s most controversial ingredient ready?
Despite significant progress in the sector, barriers to compliance remain for palm oil
QR codes on-pack: Smart engagement or the next labelling fight?
They promise transparency and storytelling, but new research suggests QR codes are currently doing far more selling than informing
Earth Day 2026: ‘Food’s problem isn’t supply – it’s commitment’
Eighth-generation UK miller Bertie Matthews says regenerative farming is already proven, so if it’s still niche, the failure sits with retailers, manufacturers and the wider supply chain
World’s first cell-based chocolate bar developed with Mondelēz
The first-ever milk chocolate bars made with cell-cultivated cocoa butter have been produced
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.
Toast-time trade-off eases as gene-edited wheat cuts acrylamide risk by 93%
Rothamsted field trials show gene-edited wheat can sharply reduce acrylamide risk in baked and fried foods without denting yield
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
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