As food brands tweak child marketing rules, UNICEF’s playbook still holds
As food brands rewrite child‑marketing rules, experts say voluntary action isn’t enough
Regulation, policy & food safety
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
Looming deadline for state packaging laws places reporting pressure on CPGs
Seven states now require producers to track and report packaging data under extended producer responsibility laws, creating a fast-moving compliance challenge for food and beverage brands, importers and distributors
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
Hormuz blockade leaves food industry pricing in the dark as volatility becomes the baseline
Escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are pushing up energy, freight and insurance costs – but the bigger challenge for the global food industry is managing risk in a market that is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
Childhood obesity epidemic drives government’s drastic overhaul of school menus
The UK Government is scrapping high-sugar and deep-fried foods from school menus across the country in a bid to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic.
Iran conflict: The 5 biggest pressure points for food and beverage
The price of oil and transport dominates headlines: but food and beverage companies need to anticipate other potential impacts
Mould, microbes and the $10m mistake food companies keep making
As climate shifts and supply chains stretch, food safety failures are becoming faster, costlier and harder to contain
Can AI really sort the UPF mess the food industry is facing?
New tools promise sharper answers on ultra-processed foods as regulation struggles to keep up
FDA extends deadline as hidden gluten puts regulatory fine-tuning under the spotlight
A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consultation on gluten labelling – now extended – raises fresh questions about how clearly food makers communicate risk
California pushes ‘non-UPF’ seal as certifications multiply and confusion grows
A proposed state-backed label aims to simplify ultra-processed food choices, but could competing definitions and private certifications risk muddying the message for consumers and complicate reformulation efforts?
California’s tortilla rule underscores the shift in market power
The Golden State’s folic acid mandate for corn masa shows how one state is once again reshaping national manufacturing
FDA delays beetroot red and spirulina color approvals amid stakeholder safety and labeling worries
Agency delays effective dates for color additives after GMO/Toxin Free USA and Obelisk Tech Systems challenge safety reviews and ‘no artificial colors’ labeling
Scaling precision fermentation: Why capital and collaboration remain the biggest hurdles
Industry experts cite massive CapEx, supply bottlenecks and regulatory complexity as key barriers
Rising grocery costs loom as Middle East conflicts disrupt supply chains
As oil and fertilizer prices squeeze margins, farmers and manufacturers must make tough decisions on pricing, pack sizes and innovation
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
From climate shocks to GLP-1 impacts: Why the food chain must adapt now
Industry and public-sector leaders say stronger collaboration and smarter policy are essential to building a sustainable, data-informed food system
Are calorie counts wrong or just outdated? David Protein lawsuit sparks debate
A lawsuit challenging the nutrition claims of David Protein bars is putting calorie counts under the microscope and highlighting a deeper debate over how those numbers are determined in the first place.
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
Why Big Food is reformulating growth not just recipes
From halted breakups to billion-dollar buyouts, the world’s biggest food groups aren’t just tweaking products, they’re rethinking how growth works
Glyphosate in baby cereal sparks safety alarm in South Africa
A watchdog report detecting herbicide residues in bread, flour and infant cereal is reigniting the safety debate and putting pressure on regulators to act
Inside Burlap & Barrel’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump
A small US-based spice importer is taking the Trump administration to court over sweeping tariffs it says threaten small businesses and global farming partners
Ozempic’s chocolate contradiction: Indulgence isn’t disappearing, it’s trading up
As appetite-suppressing drugs take hold, the real shift in snacking may not be how much people eat but how deliberately they choose to indulge
Opinion
The new paradox: Protein vs processing
Protein is the snack industry’s hottest claim but if the foods delivering it are still ultra-processed, the sector may be building its next health halo on shaky ground
New light-scattering additive to replace shunned titanium dioxide
Safer whitening may be on the horizon for confectionery, bakery and dairy, thanks to a new alternative to one of food’s most controversial additives
Half of US shoppers worry about artificial ingredients, want EU-style bans
A new Acosta Group study finds growing demand for transparency and cleaner labels as consumers push for stricter rules on artificial ingredients
RFK Jr targets food dyes, SNAP and UPFs in MAHA rally keynote
The MAHA Rally for Real Food echoed RFK Jr’s agenda to clean up US food, including a formal definition of UPFs expected next month, but critics worry a lack of evidence-based policy will confuse consumers and impact companies’ bottom lines
5 innovations desperately needed for EUDR compliance
Adhering to EUDR’s complex requirements isn’t easy, but the right innovations can help
The tale of two spin-offs: What the Kellogg breakup really achieved
Kellogg’s 2023 split was sold as a focus play. Less than two years later, both companies had been sold. So what was the split really for?
Opinion
The ultra-processed foods debate has nuance - let’s recognise it
To understand how processing affects food consumption, don’t caricature either side of the debate
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
A new California bill could change how food ingredients get FDA green light
In the absence of swift federal action, California is proposing to ban food additives it deems unsafe or poorly tested
FDA’s new ‘healthy’ rules are shifting power in the food supply chain
As manufacturers race to meet the FDA’s new ‘healthy’ definition, the real pressure point isn’t reformulation – it’s sourcing, leverage and timing
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
Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariff policy
The decision is likely to spark a wave of lawsuits from businesses across the food and beverage industry and beyond
FDA allergen threshold guidance could reduce liability for food brands
FDA guidance on allergen thresholds may help brands label products more consistently while reducing risk
EFSA refuses to confirm sucralose safety in biscuits and cookies
The food safety body has ruled that the sweetener is still safe, but not in bakery
Why governments across southern Africa keep bread prices on a tight leash
From subsidies to price caps, bread pricing remains politically charged across southern Africa, forcing governments to intervene to curb inflation and prevent unrest
Whole food now at the heart of US nutrition policy
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines focus on federal programs and procurement to drive whole-food consumption and reduce ultra-processed foods nationwide
From breakfast staple to cultural treat: The reframing of sugary cereals in a MAHA era
Sugary cereals are no longer breakfast staples, but they’re not disappearing either
Brand protection strategies in an evolving retail landscape
UK retail is operating in a challenging environment. Consumers are cautious, competition is global, and ‘dupe culture’ continues to blur the boundaries between inspiration and imitation, writes Michael Conway, partner in the intellectual property team at...
FDA to re-examine controversial BHA preservative, a move advocates say is overdue
The long-awaited re-evaluation of butylated hydroxyanisole could preview the agency’s future approach to food additives flagged under federal and state chemical safety proposals
Mike Tyson Super Bowl spot puts MAHA nonprofit – and its backers – in the spotlight
The PSA‑style commercial introduces MAHA Center Inc. to millions of viewers, raising questions about the nonprofit’s opaque funding and deep links to Skyhorse Publishing
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
FDA eases ‘no artificial colors’ labeling rules, paves way for natural color adoption
FDA eases ‘no artificial colors’ claims, but ambiguity over ‘petroleum-based dyes’ leaves manufacturers cautious
Food companies further limit advertising to children across digital media
Coca-Cola, Campbell’s, General Mills and other CPG and fast-food companies expanded voluntary advertising restrictions across digital platforms after research found most children encounter unhealthy food branding on YouTube
Inside Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s legal battle
A long‑running feud between B&J’s and its parent has escalated into a governance battle - here’s the latest
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
What does clean label mean for bakery in 2026?
From synthetic color bans to rising scrutiny of processing, clean label is becoming less about claims and more about hard formulation and policy choices
Why salt reduction is getting harder for food makers
Governments may be returning to salt reduction targets, but manufacturers say the era of easy reformulation wins is long over