Breaking down clean label sugar reduction and sweet perception
Solutions driving clean label product formulations to reduce sugar and retain taste
Markets
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Strategies to drive volume will replace price hikes as path to profitability in 2025
Price hikes to boost profits are out in 2025 as CPG companies embrace more consumer-friendly strategies to drive growth, including one that could dramatically reconfigure the playing field
How to win in 2025: Mastering the top 10 health-driven innovations for success
We have developed a comprehensive three-part guide to explore the key bakery and snack trends for 2025, ensuring you stay competitive in an ever-evolving market
Is Ozempic’s impact on food and beverage sales exaggerated?
Consumers who take GLP-1 drugs might switch what they eat, but they largely spend the same amount of money on CPG food and beverage after a year on the medication
National Quitters’ Day: a time for reckoning, recommitting and marketing magic
The second Friday of January is notoriously known as ‘quitter’s day,’ or the point at which most people falter on New Year’s resolutions, including diet goals – but it doesn’t have to be
Should cultivated meat pivot as a B2B ingredient business?
Shifting cultivated meat from consumer brands to essential ingredients for food businesses could open new revenue options
US caffeine survey: Coffee up, tea down – and a new contender emerges
The caffeinated beverage market in the US has ‘changed dramatically’ over the past 10 years, according to a new survey
Snackification revolution: Global snacks sales to surpass $680 billion in 2024
Global snack sales soared in 2024 as more consumers embraced snacks as meal replacements, driven by convenience, lifestyle shifts, and economic pressures
2025 health food trends: Consumers slash UPFs, added sugar intake, That’s it. reports
Consumers aim to cut sugars and ultra-processed foods in 2025, while regulation changes seek to influence behavior changes
Frozen & refrigerated dairy redefines value for consumers
Frozen and refrigerated dairy redefines value with nutrition, convenience and cost-saving benefits
How to make your bakery the talk of the town
In today’s overcrowded bakery market, great products alone won’t cut it – capturing attention and engagement is key. But with the right strategies, you can stand out and make your creations irresistible
US dairy needs to stamp out H5N1 bird flu in 2025
California’s milk output has slumped to a 20-year low, making the outbreak an economic concern
Produce category is ‘on fire,’ bread units crumble, Circana reports
Deli, dairy and produce stay strong during the holiday season, but bread unit declines drag down bakery
FDA sets ‘achievable’ lead levels for baby food – but are they still too high?
The final guidance affirms previously proposed caps for lead in packaged baby and toddler food that public health advocates complained did not go far enough – spurring calls for state action
Natural Sweetener Alliance aims to ‘democratize’ sweeteners
The partnership between Tate & Lyle and Manus addresses a secure and sustainable supply of Reb M
Is ‘GLP-1 friendly’ a passing fad or a significant industry shift?
The term ‘GLP-1 friendly’ has quickly infiltrated the lexicon of the food and beverage industry, signalling a new wave of products tailored for individuals using new generation weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. But does it have...
M&A in 2025: What’s fueling the next wave of deals?
Election-year dynamics and innovation expect to drive 2025 M&A
McDonald’s aims to advance beef sustainability
McDonald’s USA is moving forward with its initiative to reduce the climate impact of its hamburgers.
High alert: Bird flu cases rise in Europe with bigger hikes in US
Avian influenza cases have ramped up across Europe and the United States, putting farmers and manufacturers on high alert.
Will the UPF lawsuit be successful?
The ultra-processed foods lawsuit could completely shake-up the food and beverage industry, if successful. But will it be?
Which food and beverage predictions came true in 2024 - and which didn’t?
How accurate were predictions on food and beverage this year?
Animal protein leaders weigh in on DGA recommendations
Animal protein stakeholders responded to the Dietary Guidelines, affirming the need for more of the macronutrient in American diets
The shape of things to come: Global dairy markets
We look at production, consumption and trade developments across major dairy-producing regions including the US, the EU, India, and China
Is meat regaining popularity?
As scores of start-ups compete to develop the perfect meat alternative, are consumers turning back to animal meat?
Natural market remains resilient in 2024 with functional options
The natural food and beverage category remained resilient in 2024 with functional options growing as plant-based products yield mixed results, according to data shared during a Naturally Chicago webinar.
5 Food trends warming up the frozen aisle in 2025
Consumers are balancing healthy and adventurous flavors when buying frozen foods, Conagra shared in its annual report on the category.
Brand Alchemy
Brand Alchemy: How brands are turning influencers into storytellers
Authenticity is the new currency of successful influencer partnerships, as brands seek to connect with increasingly discerning consumers.
Confectionery giants amass almost $500 million in US advertising spend
One multinational confectioner dominates the spend total for campaigns in the US. Can you guess who it is?
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
Healthspan tops Euromonitor’s 2025 trends list
Consumers interested in staying mentally and physically fit are focusing on healthspan over lifespan, spurring innovation in better-for-you foods and beverages, according to Euromonitor’s end-of-the-year report.
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
M&A ‘frenzy’ in specialty ingredient industry could mark 2025 following multi-year lull
The specialty food and beverage ingredient industry is on the precipice of a “frenzy of M&A activity” after a multi-year lull with private equity and smaller companies leading the charge and larger, strategic players taking a backseat, predicts strategic...
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
What defined consumers’ plates in 2024, and what’s next for 2025?
From Swedish candy to marry me pasta, consumers’ palettes stretched across the globe in 2024.
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
Value, private label & premium brands will grow in 2025
Economic pressures in 2025 will continue to impact consumers’ shopping habits as private label and premium products grow, but all is not lost for mainstream brands that can stand out through strategic partnerships with foodservice and targeted social...
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
2025 trendspotting: Exhausted consumers demand lower prices, healthy food, treats
Most US consumers are exhausted after a year of uncertainty marked by ongoing inflation and political turmoil, and industry insiders predict as they enter the new year many will seek relief – physical, emotional and financial – from the foods and...
Plant-based diet, mental health interventions may help improve older adult sleep
There may be a positive correlation between nutrient-rich plant-based diets and improved sleep health among older adults, according to a study by researchers in China.
What’s in store for cultivated meat in 2025?
The innovative category has had an eventful year. How could 2025 shake things up?
2025 M&A trends in grocery retail: The impact of the blocked Kroger-Albertsons merger
The failed merger may bolster regional M&A in the grocery landscape.
9 mouthfeel trends to watch in 2025
Mouthfeel is a vital element in developing successful NPD, but what are the trends to watch in 2025 and how can food and drink makers utilise them?
From gut health to GLP-1: Top 5 NPD trends of 2024
2024 has been a wild ride for the food and beverage industry, with some seriously exciting new trends taking hold. But which ones have proven most popular for NPD?
How brands can balance health, indulgence & convenience in the morning
Convenience wakes up the morning routine for consumers, with 90% of morning meals prepared in under 15 minutes, according to Circana.
Is Gen Z embracing the healthy eating trend?
Healthy eating is dominating food and beverage, but how are younger people responding?
Three new sustainability initiatives transforming the cocoa and sugar sectors
Are brands and organisations sweetening their climate conscious efforts to win over concerned consumers?
Hershey rejects Mondelēz’s acquisition bid
The Hershey Trust has rejected Mondelēz International’s second attempt to acquire confectionery giant Hershey, citing the offer as too low.
Aesthetic appeal: Social media culture driving increasing demand for ‘better-looking’ food and beverage products
The importance of social media and online food photography have rapidly increased consumer demand for ‘better-looking’ food and beverage products in the Asia Pacific region, with a focus on elements such as clarity and colour.
What’s next for the plant-based trend?
2024 has thrown some big challenges at the plant-based industry, leading to suggestions it’s in decline. But the sector has weathered the storms and is emerging stronger. So, what’s next for this enduring trend?
USDA orders mandatory raw milk testing for H5N1
A new federal order has been issue requiring nation-wide milk testing in a bid to tackle the bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle
Mondelēz International’s share earnings cut as cocoa costs predicted to rise
Hope for a cocoa price slump is dwindling as commodity analysts predict a price-boosting run on the brown stuff.
Cheapflation: How this economic phenomenon is impacting F&B
Cheapflation is having a major impact on consumer and manufacturer behaviour. So what is it and how long will it last?
Where does innovation stand in dairy, deli and bakery?
Deli, dairy and bakery innovation has focused on pack sizes, flavorful options and functionality over the last two years, according to insights shared during an International Dairy Deli Bakery Association webinar.
Startup Spotlight
Throne Sport Coffee shares why investing in a team is essential to achieve CPG dream
To keep overhead low, entrepreneurs often wear multiple hats and work long hours with a skeleton crew when first launching a business, but the founder of the ready-to-drink coffee startup Throne Sport Coffee suggests this may be penny-wise, but...
Mondelez’s SnackFutures Ventures invests in Celleste Bio to scale cell-culture cocoa production
Cocoa-tech startup Celleste Bio may soon produce the same amount of cocoa butter from just one to two beans as traditional production methods currently produce from four tons of cocoa pods, thanks in part to an infusion of $4.5 million in seed funding...