News & Analysis on the Bakery and Snacks Industries
Agency delays effective dates for color additives after GMO/Toxin Free USA and Obelisk Tech Systems challenge safety reviews and ‘no artificial colors’ labeling
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
Dietitians’ latest data points to a more grounded approach to functionality, where gut health, cost and credibility matter as much as claims
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
From GLP-1 drugs and AI to fast-shifting shopper preferences, founders and experts urge snack brands to double down on focus, purpose and agility
A watchdog report detecting herbicide residues in bread, flour and infant cereal is reigniting the safety debate and putting pressure on regulators to act
Raisins sit quietly inside thousands of everyday foods, but the global trade behind them is far more concentrated than most manufacturers realise
Ingredients Compendium No 3: Resistant Starch
As manufacturers push fibre levels higher while cutting sugar and protecting texture, resistant starch is emerging as one of the most practical tools in modern food reformulation
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
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
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
As manufacturers grapple with sugar reduction, texture loss and longer shelf-life demands, trehalose is emerging as a functional ingredient to watch in 2026
What do French consumers want?
FDA eases ‘no artificial colors’ claims, but ambiguity over ‘petroleum-based dyes’ leaves manufacturers cautious
Functional foods are often ultra-processed – but can they be clean label?
From synthetic color bans to rising scrutiny of processing, clean label is becoming less about claims and more about hard formulation and policy choices
Candy in the crosshairs
Even without enforcement action, publicly released contaminant data could fuel lawsuits, consumer confusion and regulatory scrutiny, while also undermining federal oversight
New consumer research shows that most UK consumers eat bread every day without really knowing what’s in it
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans avoid the term “ultra-processed foods,” prompting both praise and criticism
A quiet change to a burger bun in India says more about where fiber is heading than any claim ever could
Opinion: The snackdown
Ultra-processed foods have been debated endlessly. In 2026, they’re being regulated anyway and food makers are discovering that definitions matter far less once policy gets involved
National Advertising Division cases shine light on marketing missteps, making the case for food and beverage brands to rethink health-focused advertising
Indulgent treats aren’t being replaced – they’re being refined. This latest wave of NPD upgrades familiar formats with cleaner labels, global flavor cues and subtle functional gains
A bakery & snacks survival guide for 2026
From GLP-1-driven taste shifts to protein pressure and portion realism, 2026 won’t kill indulgence – it’ll demand that bakery and snacks work harder for every bite.
A lifesaving therapeutic food made of peanuts should be a wake-up call to every snack developer still chasing novelty over impact
A nearly $1 billion write-down and soft Q2 weigh on the stock, yet management reaffirms its focus on frozen, snacks and value-led innovation
From billion-dollar brinkmanship to red-dye revolts and zero-gravity corn chips, 2025 proved nothing in bakery and snacks is too big, too weird or too controversial to make headlines
Sweet snack trends are tilting toward simpler, fruit-forward formulations – and Solely’s approach is drawing fresh attention from retailers
The confectionery giant’s latest move – snapping up LesserEvil – pulls it deeper into the everyday snacking landscape it’s been circling for years
Cape Cod Chips now faces two lawsuits alleging the brand’s ‘no artificial’ claims don’t square with its use of synthetic citric acid
With cocoa costs spiraling, Briess is pitching malted barley flour as a reliable, clean label lifeline for bakers and snack makers
Discover the five trends that will define 2026, and why agility, authenticity, and technology will determine who succeeds and who fails
Synthetic dyes may still be legal but shifting consumer trends and rising US state-level pressures mean bakery and snack brands aren’t waiting for mandates to start cleaning up their color palettes
From colorless chips to collectible crisps and gooey skillet cookies, this season’s launches show how playful storytelling is reshaping what shoppers expect from a simple snack
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
New ESA president Christopher Gosau says the region’s snack makers must turn bold sustainability promises into measurable progress or risk losing credibility
The tradeshow featured hundreds of innovative new products at the Cool New Snacks preview room
Protein’s still flexing hard, but it’s left the gym and hit the grocery aisle
From gene-edited wheat to a three-minute gluten test, scientists are rethinking gluten-free baking and the results could change everything
Cocoa’s up, eggs are unpredictable and consumers still want it all. Ardent Mills’ Matt Schueller reveals how data – not luck – is driving the next wave of bakery innovation
Microbes are moving from background biology to bakery’s next big advantage - driving cleaner labels, longer shelf life and smarter sustainability
Spins data reveals how younger consumers are reimagining nutrition around functional benefits, global flavors and ingredient transparency
The anti-UPF noise is getting louder, but behind it lies a quieter truth about what people actually buy, eat, and believe
They’ve been branded unnecessary by the clean label crowd, but their role in texture, stability and sustainability is hard to ignore
Opinion
Turns out, more than half of us didn’t know chips are made from potatoes – and now food brands are scrambling to remind us what we’re actually eating
Mondelēz’s latest State of Snacking report explores how memory and emotion have become the new currency of snacking
Prepared-food sales are climbing, and younger shoppers are leading the push for fresher, clean-label offerings
Producers are proving that good food can do good, too – turning patisserie counters pink, tackling loneliness and funding second chances through every bite
Bread’s reputation has had a rough ride, but enzymes, fiber and a clearer story about nutrition could help bring it back into favor
Protein’s health halo attracts female consumers to various products from food and drink to supplements. Here’s what’s driving demand