News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
A senior leader at Whole Foods Market shares how the retailer’s shopper demographics and psychographics are evolving – from lapsed holiday buyers to aspirational Gen Z – and what that means for product placement and marketing opportunities
Joy is universal, but Cargill’s insights show CPGs must fine-tune baked goods by format, department and occasion
Rising costs and stiff shelf competition mean every blind spot can turn into wasted product, lost sales or empty shelves when customers show up.
Campbell’s latest results show America’s once unstoppable appetite for crackers, cookies and pretzels is stalling – leaving Campbell Snacks under pressure
The warehouse club is growing its store count along with its prepared food offerings
Apothékary’s expansion from DTC powders into tinctures on the shelves of Sprouts and Ulta shows how CPG brands can grow strategically while addressing an underserved category: women’s hormonal health.
Pork, beef and nut costs worsened beyond company’s second quarter projects
This week’s top stories explore beef tallow’s viral rise, new fall flavor trends and how SNAP policy changes are reshaping value-driven innovation
Health, digital discovery and family meals are rewriting the grocery playbook for 2025
FedUp Foods’ Ravi Jhala breaks down how GLP-1 trends and private label innovation are influencing functional beverage strategies for CPGs and retailers
Be ready: What every CPG brand and retailer should know about immigration audits, raids and compliance
AI-driven retail insights firm Crisp Data helps seafood brand Safe Catch recover lost sales and fuel double-digit growth
News Bites
From Washington’s deregulatory MAHA draft to consumers reshaping shopping habits and California move to curb ultra-processed foods in schools, this week brought pivotal shifts for food and beverage stakeholders
As new regulations tighten Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and states introduce waivers restricting the use of benefits for “unhealthy” foods, CPG brands face both risks and opportunities
Divergence across income and demographic groups, heightened health consciousness and evolving definitions of value are reshaping retail strategies
As new tariffs take effect on food imports, retailers and brands face a delicate balance: sustaining consumer demand through promotions and brand loyalty while preparing for gradual price increases
Circana sales data from July reveals US consumers are buying groceries more often, but where they shop and what they buy is shifting – with winners and losers emerging across bakery, protein and frozen
The collaboration sold out in minutes and again for a second time, prompting the two to consider future distribution
Summer Fancy Food Show 2025
From sourcing and ingredients to production methods, Marco Ortolani, CEO of Italian cured meat producer Rovagnati North America, shares the key elements the company prioritizes for its Italian and North American markets
The snackdown
As scrutiny mounts over Bimbo’s stalled bid for Wickbold, Mars’ frozen takeover of Kellanova and Smucker’s costly Hostess misfire, the M&A playbook in bakery and snacks is under serious pressure - from regulators, consumers and the market itself
Flashfood’s partnership with Kroger tests how the model performs in a real-world mix of store formats and shopper needs
Summer Fancy Food Show
The startup is taking a measured approach with its globally inspired Umami Everything sauce, soft launching in select markets to ensure production keeps pace with growing demand
The growth of fresh-format specialty and value groceries reflect shifting consumer shopping preferences rooted in value, convenience and relevance
Sweets & Snacks Expo
As consumers redefine the role of snacks on their terms – from nourishment to indulgence – independent grocers are rising to the challenge by curating product assortments that reflect both health and enjoyment, global flavor discovery and...
Summer Fancy Food Show
National distributor Kehe spotlighted five emerging macro trends that reflect how consumers are redefining health, flavor and value in the specialty food space
For grocers, Gen Z’s tightened purse strings may mean offering more convenient and helpful solutions for their at-home cooking
Convenience stores have shifted from being quick snack stops to destinations for discovering new food and beverage products, from name brand to private label offerings
Summer Fancy Food Show
From frozen ramen and regional Italian specialties to cheese-laced Korean noodles, brands are finding new ways to stand out in the category across retail
Summer Fancy Food Show
From deli cult classic to national retail rollout, the women-owned brand modernizes a category dominated by heritage brands and European tradition
Tariffs, combined with intensifying inflation, plummeting consumer sentiment and renewed supply chain snarls wiped out gains meticulously rebuilt by Conagra Brands in the first half of the year, causing the maker of iconic brands like Pam, Reddi-wip and...
Summer Fancy Food Show
Specialty sauce brands are no longer simply pushing Scoville levels – they are telling sourcing stories, building in-house capacity and tuning into regional palates to shake up sleepier aspects of the category
Retailers must embrace omnichannel strategies to thrive in an evolving landscape
Summer Fancy Food Show
The flour company reveals why strong supplier relationships and smart cross-functional planning – not just inventory – are the backbone of a resilient food business
Summer Fancy Food Show
While a traditional dill pickle still has a place, today’s pickled products are just as likely to feature strawberries or spiced lemon as they are cucumbers
Summer Fancy Food Show
Today’s private label products closely resemble the packaging and premium quality of name brands, pushing brands to zero in on their product differentiation with more precision
New product development
From thermochromic wrappers to nostalgic flavour mashups, the confectionery giants are doubling down on innovation this summer as creativity heats up
The snackdown
Mars’ $36 billion takeover of Kellanova has been waved through by US antitrust regulators with barely a pause. But across the Atlantic, the same deal has triggered a full-scale investigation by the European Commission
The blended meat - or balanced protein - category continues to grow as players invest in ingredient technology to align with consumer preferences for healthy, clean-label protein
The FMCG major has a positive outlook despite a negative end to the year
The integration is designed to give retailers, manufacturers and researchers new insight into product healthfulness alongside consumer behavior data
Dairy Innovations
The campaign focuses on health, nostalgia and natural ingredients
Folgers and Café Bustelo maker JM Smucker joins a growing group of CPG manufacturers and retailers raising prices to offset the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs, including a 10% tariff on imports across the board
The company leveraged Founder Anna Vocino’s podcast and cookbook audience, clean-label products and Startup CPG momentum to expand into 479 more Kroger banner stores
Positive Nutrition
The next phase of plant-based innovation must go beyond any one hero product, delivering category-specific solutions that balance nutrition, clean labels, sensory appeal and transparent communication.
Nut brand Pop & Sol launches with a blend of savory and sweet snacks
Protein demand remains red hot, as meat snack brands use sustainability and health claims to appeal to Gen Z consumers and caregivers
Global coffee markets such as Asia, Africa, and the Middle East hold huge opportunities for growth: touring these markets reveals some of the hottest future coffee trends
The snacks giant is suing Aldi over packaging that “blatantly copies” its own
Marketing to Gen Z and Alpha
Gen Z may still walk through the freezer aisle, but their decisions start long before they reach the store
Marketing to Gen Z and Alpha
Gen Z’s communication style is shaped by the digital world, and brands need to co-create content with them to speak their language