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
Science
Can enzymes really reduce bitterness in industrial bread?
With reformulation exposing bitterness and flattening flavour in industrial bread, enzymes are now being tested as a targeted way to rebalance taste at source – but how far they can go remains unclear
Scaling precision fermentation: Why capital and collaboration remain the biggest hurdles
Industry experts cite massive CapEx, supply bottlenecks and regulatory complexity as key barriers
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
Sourdough is rewriting fibre functionality
New research suggests sourdough fermentation does far more than build flavour. It’s actively reshaping wheat fibre in ways that could influence texture, digestibility and product development
Why the food industry can’t innovate alone anymore
As cocoa volatility, fat replacement and GLP-1 trends reshape demand, startups are becoming critical partners in ingredient innovation
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
From trash to toast: How sunflower oil waste could become bread’s next health upgrade
Research into sunflower oil byproducts suggests an overlooked ingredient could help bakers lift protein and fiber levels while supporting sustainability goals and easing pressure on wheat-based formulations
Ingredients Compendium No 2: Trehalose
The little-known functional sugar gaining ground across food categories
As manufacturers grapple with sugar reduction, texture loss and longer shelf-life demands, trehalose is emerging as a functional ingredient to watch in 2026
Global Food Tech Awards 2026
Global Food Tech Awards 2026: Americas shortlist reveals industry giants
The Americas are making noise on the global food tech stage in this powerful top 10 line-up of finalists
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
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
Opinion
The GLP-1 tsunami isn’t a diet trend – it’s a stress test for the food system
GLP-1 drugs are shrinking appetites at scale, but they’re also exposing how thin modern nutrition really is and the food industry can’t dodge the consequences
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
Why GLP-1s have turned fiber-maxxing into a snacking strategy
As GLP-1 drugs suppress hunger and compress eating occasions, fiber is emerging as a way to make smaller snacks feel functional, tolerable and worth the calories
Are GLP-1 ranges healthy? What food brands must know
Top food brands are embracing GLP-1-friendly ranges. But are these products nutritionally-sound?
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
After GLP-1: Weight regain, food fear and the industry’s next reckoning
With a growing number of people ditching GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, producers are being drawn into a far more complex conversation about nutrition, psychology and long-term eating behavior
Can AI finally tame sourdough’s wild side?
As sourdough scales up worldwide, new research suggests artificial intelligence could help bakers manage fermentation without sanding off what makes it distinctive.
McDonald’s India’s millet bun is a smart, subtle fix for the fiber gap
A quiet change to a burger bun in India says more about where fiber is heading than any claim ever could
The snackdown: Peanuts are the humble ingredient we’re too trend-obsessed to notice
A lifesaving therapeutic food made of peanuts should be a wake-up call to every snack developer still chasing novelty over impact
The gluten glitch hiding in compostable packaging
Some compostable packaging made from cereals has been shown to shed gluten into gluten-free food, a problem the sustainability push never thought to look for
Why AI might fix the slowest part of R&D
Cocoa volatility and fast-changing label demands are squeezing R&D timelines. Barry Callebaut’s partnership with NotCo points to a new, AI-assisted path forward
Could Brussels really crumble the humble UK oatcake?
As the UK-EU reset deal inches forward, new mycotoxin limits threaten to turn the much-loved British oatcake into unexpected Brexit collateral.
AI fast-tracks chocolate reformulation amid cocoa crisis
Innovation cycles take time. But artificial intelligence promises to change that - at lightening speed
The snackdown: The great UPF witch hunt
When the food industry finds itself smeared as guilty by association – it’s not just the definition of ‘processing’ that’s under fire – it’s the entire business model
Quaker is fighting global hunger with food science
PepsiCo’s Quaker brand is using science, local know-how and a bit of stubborn optimism to tackle one of the toughest global challenges
Protein, please: NPD with real muscle
Protein’s still flexing hard, but it’s left the gym and hit the grocery aisle
Inside the gluten revolution: The 3 breakthroughs bakers should pay attention to
From gene-edited wheat to a three-minute gluten test, scientists are rethinking gluten-free baking and the results could change everything
The silent revolution bubbling in your dough
Microbes are moving from background biology to bakery’s next big advantage - driving cleaner labels, longer shelf life and smarter sustainability
Can AI finally stop bakeries from getting burnt by price spikes?
An AI-powered insurance tool is giving bakeries a way to cap chaos in wheat, butter and packaging prices – finally turning forecasts into action
Could functional foods replace the need for GLP-1s?
As GLP-1 drugs disrupt the weight loss market, food and beverage players are racing to unlock the appetite-regulating power of functional ingredients
The great color reckoning: America’s breakup with fake dyes
With US states set to ban or label synthetic dyes, Sensient CEO Paul Manning unpacks the economics, supply pressures and sensory science driving America’s shift to natural color
NPD report: Bread innovation goes big on protein, purpose and planet
A new study is changing what bakers know about sourdough, while a wave of launches from Thomas’ to Sara Lee is proving bread can be nutritious, inventive and purposeful all at once
Top 5 foods fuelling the brain health boom
Brain food is booming. As consumers seek sharper focus and long-term cognitive health, the food industry is responding with powerful ingredients and smarter nutrition
Trump’s gluten labeling gambit puts industry on edge
The White House’s plan to make America healthy takes a swipe at gluten. And what looks like a win for consumers could leave food companies tangled in costly compliance and spark a new political fight over what belongs on a label
EU biscuits face acrylamide reckoning
A new study shows more than a quarter of biscuits on sale blow past EU safety benchmarks for acrylamide – a probable carcinogen that’s testing regulators’ patience and shaking consumer trust
Why General Mills is cheering on the GLP-1 boom
Weight-loss drugs threaten to cut calorie consumption, but General Mills sees opportunity in a leaner consumer, betting big on protein, fiber and smarter supply chains
Sustainable September
Sorghum-soy chips promise high protein, low GI crunch without the carbon
A new study suggests chips made from sorghum and soy tick the health and sustainability boxes without sacrificing taste. Could this be the crunch the snack aisle has been waiting for?
Opinion
The snackdown: Can bread ever be clean with glyphosate in the mix?
Bayer’s latest push for legal immunity puts the future of ‘clean’ bread and cereal under the spotlight
Bach to snacking: The science of sonic seasoning
From a University of Bristol researcher’s track designed to make chocolate sweeter to studies showing how pitch, tempo and timbre can season food like sugar or salt, music is fast becoming the next frontier in flavor
From Europe’s baguette to America’s bagged loaf: What sets them apart
Americans often say bread in Europe feels lighter on the stomach. Differences in wheat, fermentation and regulation suggest they may be onto something
Sustainable September
What shoppers really think of climate-smart chips and planet-saving pastries
Shoppers swear they care about sustainability, but in the snack aisle it’s still price, taste and convenience that decide what goes in the basket. So are ‘climate-smart’ breads and biscuits set to stay niche or can they crack the mainstream?
Opinion
The snackdown: MAHA throws a Froot Loop at Kellogg’s
Once the pride of America’s breakfast table, Kellogg’s now finds itself in the crosshairs of Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s Make America Healthy Again crusade. The fight over Froot Loops isn’t just about dyes – it’s a test of whether Big Food can survive a...
“Good bread has its own story”: A conversation with Poland’s first bread sommelier
Aleksandra Bednarek wants the baking industry to stop treating bread as background product. For her, every loaf carries value – in craft, in culture and in how consumers perceive quality.
Have children’s cereals quietly turned into empty calories?
Forget sugar for a moment. A new analysis shows kids’ cereals are steadily losing the very nutrients that once made them worth eating at all
Chewing over the next big idea: Snacks built for GLP-1 lifestyles
With GLP-1 users eating less often, chewy and long-lasting snacks like jerky, protein bites, gummies and gum are stepping up as the formats that make every portion count
Ozempic nation: Why GLP-1s are forcing bakers and snack makers to rethink everything
GLP-1 drugs are gutting demand for cookies, chips and bread – threatening billions in sales but opening the door to a new wave of protein- and fiber-driven snacking
The UPF lawsuit that fizzled – and why the next one might not
A US judge tossed the first big UPF lawsuit, but with mounting science and regulators circling, bakery, snack and cereal brands shouldn’t breathe easy just yet
Bar fight: RXBar founder Peter Rahal’s $85m snack startup dragged into US court over control of key fat
The $85m New York protein bar startup from RXBar’s Peter Rahal is battling a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York over its control of a key fat substitute