Top confectionery trends for 2026
Top trends driving innovation in confectionery include personalisation, premiumisation, and ultra-limited editions
Clean label
UPFs are not the devil to clean-label’s angel
Are ultra-processed foods really the enemy?
Is it time to get plastic out of chewing gum?
Chewing gum might be small, but its plastic content is causing big concerns. With mounting regulatory pressure and rising consumer demand for change, manufacturers are being urged to rethink their formulations
Unilever, Mars, Ferrero & Kraft Heinz: A story of spin-offs, splits, mergers & acquisitions
From Kraft Heinz’s split to Mars and Kellanova’s mega-merger, the world’s biggest food brands are reshaping the industry
Keto’s collapse: The end of a diet era
Once a weight-loss juggernaut, the high-fat, low-carb keto diet is losing consumer interest
Top confectionery trends driving sales in 2025
From timeless favourites to viral treats, discover how price, innovation, and better-for-you options are reshaping the confectionery aisle
Top 5 functional confectionery ingredients
Functional confectionery is booming. Find out which ingredients are driving the trend
Food and beverage trends 2025: What’s hot and what’s not
Snacks are surging, alcohol is slipping, and flavour is king. Discover the biggest consumer shifts in food and drink in 2025
The sweetener trust crisis brands can’t ignore
Consumers are turning away from sweeteners amid rising health concerns and distrust. What does this mean for the future of food and beverage?
3 megatrends disrupting food and beverage
As consumer priorities shift, food and beverage businesses must adapt fast to survive
Mars to reformulate iconic brands in 2026
M&M’s, Skittles, and Starburst will ditch artificial colours, but not every product is making the switch
Top 5 food trends for Autumn/Winter 2025
Bold flavours, indulgence, flexitarianism, and wellness are reshaping consumer demand as 2025 draws to a close
UPF consumption still high despite backlash
Consumers continue to eat ultra-processed foods, and awareness remains low
Consumers want functional health from their bread
Demand for bakery products, like many other foods, is becoming more dependent on their functional health benefits
Gut health market to hit $270bn by 2034 as trend dominates F&B
Gut health market shows no signs of slowing as consumer interest proves unstoppable
UK may align with EU on food, but obstacles remain
To align or not to align - that is the question that the UK’s asking about its food standards
‘Clean food’ classification created
The new Clean Food Consumerism scale aims to reflect why consumers buy ‘natural’ foods
6 diets supercharging food and beverage sales
The food and beverage industry is dominated by diets that drive sales and fuel new product development. We look at the most popular
What’s next for unstoppable ‘food as medicine’ trend?
‘Food as medicine’ is big and growing fast. But what’s next for this major player in food and beverage?
Outcry as Novo Nordisk Foundation eyes UPF classification
The foundation is developing its own food processing guidelines
Triumph for organic industry as sales skyrocket
Organic foods and beverage are becoming increasingly popular with sales rising globally. So, what’s fuelling this growth and what’s next for organic?
Tofoo Co readies alt meat beating sales boosting strategy
Fast-growing The Tofoo Co is a big-name brand in the plant-based protein market, but the business is eyeing further growth.
Is meat regaining popularity?
As scores of start-ups compete to develop the perfect meat alternative, are consumers turning back to animal meat?
Can plant-based overcome UPF links to avoid future trust issues?
Plant-based diets remain popular, but associations with UPF and low-quality ingredients has shaken consumer trust in alt meat, fish and dairy brands. So, what can the sector do to restore public opinion?
Rustic food trend leaves fine dining in the dark
Consumers are turning away from fancy foods in favour of more hearty meals. So, what’s sparked this new trend and what does it mean for the industry?
£9m secured by small ingredients supplier for ‘US expansion’
A family-owned natural colours, flavours and extracts business supplying global food and drink manufacture has secured a £9m investment to grow into the States.
Big Interview
Mondelēz Snackfutures’ head on staying attractive to investors
He may well be one of snacking’s most influential men. So, an audience with Mondelēz International’s Snackfutures Ventures boss, Richie Gray, could indeed be the making or breaking of a business.
The demand for ‘clean label’ meat alternatives?
With many consumers classing plant-based meats as ultra-processed, the race is on for manufacturers to ‘clean up’ labels.
How to produce a clean-label beverage with a long shelf life
Without artificial additives, ensuring that products have a long shelf-life is more challenging.
Start-ups that caught our eye at Bread and Jam 2024
At the Bread and Jam festival in London last week, we saw a range of start-ups try to plug perceived gaps in the market, in ingredients, cheese and alcoholic drinks.
Convenience over cooking: The unstoppable food trend
Why ready meals, takeaways and eating out, trump home cooking for consumers.
What’s the biggest trend in better-for-you snacking?
What’s the one key trend in the better-for-you snacks category? We put the question to Mondelēz, Nestlé, Ferrero, and Mars.
Does it matter that consumers don’t understand the term ‘ultra-processed’?
Consumers have consistently been shown not to understand what the term ‘ultra-processed’ means. But how much does this matter?
Do consumers believe ‘better-for-you’ marketing on snacks?
The wellness industry is booming, with health and fitness trends becoming popular amongst consumers and profitable for brands. But do consumers trust the ‘better-for-you’ marketing printed on the products they buy?
From peas to pintos: The new ingredients being tested in plant-based dairy
Researchers are looking beyond soy and oat for plant-based dairy innovation. Which ingredients are being put under the microscope?
Mondelēz is hungry for snacks innovation: What’s its VC arm looking for?
When Mondelēz International searches externally for savoury snack and confectionery innovation, what kinds of start-ups is it looking for?
How AB InBev tackles stigma in non-alcoholic beer
Social stigma continues to plague the non-alcoholic beer category, according to AB InBev. How is the world’s largest brewer working to overcome this hurdle?
Making 0.0% ABV beer with body and aroma: Inside the brewery with AB InBev
How has non-alcohol brewing evolved over time? The world’s largest brewery reveals how it develops body and aroma in 0.0% beer.
Novonesis F&B chief on post-merger strategy: ‘We’re now reaching 2bn consumers a day’
How will the merger between Chr Hansen and Novozymes impact their now joint food and beverage division?
UPF watch: What’s the latest on ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed food is making headlines. In our rolling coverage of UPF, we unpack the good, the bad, and the confusion around this classification of products. Here’s the latest…
Do non-sugar sweeteners make people hungrier?
This is the question posed by researchers, who also wanted to find out whether swapping out sugar for artificial and natural sweeteners reduces blood sugar levels.
Organic alternative to chemical pesticides discovered
Scientists believe they’ve found an organic solution to chemical pesticides
How KFC is reformulating the classics to cut fat, salt and sugar
From burgers to fries, the QSR major is cutting calories from menus in the UK and Ireland. Which reformulation strategies are at play?
Animal-free collagen: The food and drink potential
As demand for collagen ‘surges’, will its animal-free alternative edge further into food and drink?
Danone, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz baby food ‘unfit for promotion’: ATNI
In fact, none of the 1,297 complementary foods tested from six companies were up to scratch, according to the Access to Nutrition Initiative. The food makers disagree.
Taste, appeal, health claims: Getting functional foods to consumers
Functional food brands face a range of challenges, from taste to health claims, in order to get their products to appeal to consumers, and educate them about product potential.
Are ultra-processed plant-based burgers healthy? WHO investigates
The World Health Organization has funded research analysing the nutritional composition of ultra-processed plant-based burgers, and the findings are out.
From non-HFSS cereals to desserts: How unlikely foods hit the sweet spot with regulators
How are brands cutting fat, salt, and sugar from popular product categories to hit the mark with both policymakers and consumers?
‘We made the first female arousal drink’: How G Spot leans into functionality for women
Award winning actor Gillian Anderson is harnessing the power of botanicals to cater to an underserved market. We ask which ingredients align to which need state.
Is hemp the next functional food in vegetarian nutrition?
As regulatory restrictions ease, researchers studying Cannabis sativa L. identify its nutritional benefits and potential in vegetarian diets while highlighting the need for clarity on the safety of some concentrated extracts.