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
Retailer & shopper insights
Private label is surging. Here are 3 ways food brands can fight back
Food and drink brands are fast losing ground to private labels. But they can still win
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
3 strategies to help CPG marketers drive breakthrough results with less money
Tighter budgets, fragmented media and shrinking attention spans are forcing brands to rethink marketing success
From Warburtons to Tostitos and wildbrine: 9 picnic-ready bites for spring
Hot honey, smoky barbecue, dips, chips and fermentation are turning the spring picnic into a more flavour-led, shareable occasion
PepsiCo, Nestlé and Coca-Cola double down on Mexico as food players chase growth and stability
Mexico is drawing billions from the world’s biggest F&B companies, but behind the investment wave sits a more complex mix of cost pressure, regulation and an increasingly competitive domestic landscape.
Walmart revamps private label as shoppers redefine what ‘value’ means
Packaging overhaul comes as inflation-weary consumers, including higher earners, turn to private label for lower prices without sacrificing quality
Why TikTok is the new battleground for FMCG sales
TikTok Shop is fast becoming a serious FMCG sales channel. Here’s how
Walker’s, Coca-Cola, Drumstick and Cadbury turn April into an activation playground
From tartan parades and WWE rings to cookie boards and cricket stadiums, April’s launches show how partnerships are doing the heavy lifting for NPD
When demand falls but prices rise, who really pays?
From $7 chips to $8 cereal, food pricing is starting to defy logic – and the consequences aren’t falling neatly on one side
How Bel defied global snacking headwinds
The maker of Babybel has been on a sustained growth trajectory by leaning into new flavours, formats and ingredient trends
6 key food innovation trends driven by feel good indulgence
Consumer demand for indulgence — and feeling good about it — is increasingly driving food innovation strategies. Here are six key drivers powering this change.
NPD: Match-day bites built for energy, heat and hype
From protein boosts to pie aisle heat, these new product launches are bringing sportier energy to snacking this season
Circana: Private label takes different paths in the US and Europe
With national brands leaning on promotions, retailers are betting on premium private label, better-for-you innovation and ESG commitments to build long-term trust and loyalty
Just launched: Baguette wraps, chocolate egg mayo and more . . .
NPD is taking old trends to new places
Up the food chain
How Clio plans to turn Greek yoghurt bars into a $300m business
As protein, satiety and indulgence converge, Clio CEO John McGuckin explains how the refrigerated bar brand went from ‘bleeding cash’ to chasing $120m – and why the real prize is building a whole new snacking category
The hottest food and drink trends for 2027...or are they?
Our food and drink trend predictions for 2027 are starting early. But beware, some may have you fooled
Easter shopping trends in 2026: Darker, smaller, last minute
Easter shopping is shifting towards premium, playful and last-minute purchases
Gut instinct: The 10 functional ingredients gaining ground in 2026
Dietitians’ latest data points to a more grounded approach to functionality, where gut health, cost and credibility matter as much as claims
Retro and nostalgia: Why consumers are looking to the past
Consumers seek comfort and familiarity from food
How snacks are cashing in on the low/no alcohol trend
Gen Z might be easing off the booze, but it’s crisps, cheese and protein-packed nibbles that are quietly keeping things interesting
Global snacking with Ginsters, Lay’s, Frankie’s and more
From buffalo pastry pockets and protein scone bites to sprouted nuts, snack mixes and football-fuelled crisps, brands are pushing harder on flavour, format and occasion
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
5 big food trends in Spain
What do Spanish consumers want?
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
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
Oreo, Lucky Charms and Barbie lead a new wave of celebration-driven launches
From Nutella pastries and Marvel cookies to Barbie smoothies and Irish oats, brands are rolling out limited-time products designed to turn everyday eating occasions into something special
Are we wrong about plant-based’s decline?
Some predict that plant-based growth could balloon in the coming decade
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
Expo West brands embrace ‘sensemaxxing’ with layered textures, bold flavors and playful formats
Brands at Expo West showcased snacks engineered for crunch, chew and snap, layering textures and subtle flavors to deliver bigger sensory experiences in smaller bites
Why Lay’s, Oreo and M&M’s are engineering consumer experiences
PepsiCo’s Lay’s restaurant in Madrid highlights a growing strategy among snack giants to extend blockbuster brands beyond the supermarket shelf and into cafés, retail attractions and immersive consumer experiences
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.
British Pie Week meets Pi Day: The pies stealing the spotlight this March
Two pastry-themed celebrations are putting pies firmly on the global menu this month
The Ozempic effect reaches the bread aisle: Bimbo redesigns bakery for GLP-1 users
The world’s biggest baker says GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are already reshaping how people eat, so it’s redesigning bread and snacks to keep up
The snacks market right now: still huge, but structurally ‘slower’
Plant closures across PepsiCo, Smucker and Campbell’s reveal a structurally slower snack market adjusting to selective consumers and GLP-1 disruption
Food cravings on GLP-1s? What formulators need to know
It’s a common misconception that GLP-1 drugs erase food cravings. Actually, they alter them
Baking NPD: Protein muffins, pistachio nostalgia and cookie culture
Smaller households, impulse occasions and better-for-you cues are driving a new wave of baking innovation
Swicy, smoke and sourdough: Bakery and snacks turn up the flavour fest in 2026
Contrast is crowding out subtlety as 2026 forecasts point to bolder, layered and higher-impact flavour across bakery and snacks
Is Gen Z rewriting the rules of value?
Financially stretched but digitally fluent, the world’s youngest adult consumers are forcing food and drink brands to explain themselves
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
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
Inside the $330bn functional food frenzy fuelled by PepsiCo, Coke & Nestlé
From PepsiCo to Nestlé, global giants are racing to cash in on the booming functional food craze, but with trends shifting fast, the stakes have never been higher
Postcard from Aruba: Where the bread rises with the breeze
From pasteles to pan de coco, Aruba’s bakeries are mixing island pride with digital savvy and the world’s finally paying attention
Gen Z is rewriting the value playbook for bakery and snack brands
Gen Z’s mix of wellness, value-seeking, and indulgence is reshaping global bakery and snack strategies, demanding brands adapt fast to stay relevant.
Pringles, Nakd and Haldirams make flavour the main event in 2026
From mystery heat and nostalgic fruit to saffron-soaked indulgence, the latest launches show brands using flavour to provoke, reassure and seduce shoppers.
Why consumers don’t trust healthy indulgence
Consumers think some healthy products are too good to be true. Here’s what F&B brands can do to make healthy indulgence believable
The GLP-1 wake-up call for food makers: Appetite loss is exposing ‘weak’ products
As GLP-1s suppress appetite at scale, manufacturers are running into an awkward reality: when people eat less, nutritionally weak products are exposed fast
Big FMCG vs TikTok: Who leads trends and who can win?
Bubble tea, matcha, Dubai chocolate, cottage cheese, pistachio and hot honey: Just a small selection of products and flavours that have gone viral on social media in recent years
Food makers must listen to ageing populations - or be left behind
As the population changes, food will have to reshape itself around the needs and preferences of its demographics
Valentine’s Day NPD from Cadbury, Paris Baguette and Wisconsin Cheese
Chocolate still anchors Valentine’s Day, but 2026’s launches show how brands are pushing the holiday further through format, experience and gifts that feel less predictable
Postcard from Tokyo: Where precision meets pastry drama
From mochi buns to croissant cubes, Tokyo’s bakeries are turning tradition on its head and the world is watching