Health & wellness

Why Nestlé’s latest results point to real recovery

Accelerating volumes, resilient margins and a confident outlook suggest Nestlé’s recovery strategy is gaining traction

From food noise to alcohol cravings: The expanding promise of oral GLP-1s

As oral GLP-1s sweep across Europe and the US, research suggests they may do far more than curb appetite

Psyllium: The next big functional fibre?

Gut health concerns, gluten-free baking and the popularity of GLP-1s may spur the growth of the ingredient

Sprouts Farmers Market rethinks pricing playbook after cuts delivers mixed results

The retailer says lower prices moved products but had less impact on traffic than expected, leading it to double down on personalization and targeted promotions

News Bites

Legacy brands are evolving from products into platforms

For the majors like The Hershey Co., General Mills and Kellanova, growth comes from strategically stretching trusted brands across occasions, benefits and formats – broadening the snacking landscape itself

IFT FIRST

Can dairy retain its bioactive benefits without sacrificing food safety?

By preserving naturally occurring milk exosomes that conventional processing often destroys, biotech startup Exosomm says it can help manufacturers deliver clinically relevant bioactive benefits without compromising food safety, shelf life or scalability

Mars invests $3m to empower women cocoa farmers

Mars and Save the Children launch major new project to support women in cocoa farming

Ferrero prioritises power brands to drive growth

Confectionery giant focuses on hero brands, innovation and acquisitions to drive growth

How are better-for-you snacks outpacing conventional offerings?

High protein is here to stay while consumers seek fresh, whole foods as part of their healthier snack routine

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Stress-relief drinks fuel next functional beverage boom

Stress-relief drinks are fast becoming one of the hottest categories in functional beverages, as consumers seek products that support relaxation, mood and emotional wellbeing

Blurred boundaries: How sports nutrition brands can stay competitive

As food and supplements increasingly converge, experts say sports nutrition brands must sharpen health messaging and create new consumption occasions to stay competitive.

Why has nutrition science overlooked half the population? PepsiCo bets on women’s health

PepsiCo says women remain an under-studied demographic. Now the company is launching a five-year research effort to better understand hydration, body composition and hormonal influences on health

Kashi targets gut health gap with fiber-packed granola

Kashi’s recent Gut Health Granola leverages WK Kellogg Co’s ingredient expertise with diverse fiber sources

Mondelēz issues urgent Cadbury recall over “undeclared” allergen

Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo bars recalled following discovery of undeclared pistachio, prompting food safety investigation

Food Taipei Mega Shows 2026

Multifunctional beverages: The next avenue of growth?

Taiwanese functional beverage start-up Passion 24 is expanding overseas with fruit-based drinks targeting beauty, hydration, and mental wellness

IFT FIRST

‘Facts aren’t enough’: IFT warns of growing food misinformation crisis

Nearly half of food science professionals are extremely concerned as viral content and distrust of institutions reshape the information landscape

Nestlé bets big on premiumisation as consumers trade up

Nestlé prioritises premiumisation as consumers seek quality, functionality and indulgence

FN+

Will the beef tallow trend come to Europe?

It’s taking off in the US, but will European consumers be open to the idea?

IFT FIRST

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Protein’s single note is getting old – what is its next verse?

After years of optimizing protein concentration, ingredient suppliers are shifting the focus toward solutions that deliver broader benefits ranging from satiety and metabolic health to sensory performance and formulation flexibility

IFT First

Upcycling enters new phase as startups unlock premium ingredients from food sidestreams

Advances in extraction, refining and on-site processing showcased at IFT FIRST are shifting upcycling from a sustainability strategy to a platform for premium proteins, bioactives and functional fibers

5 functional snack trends for an ageing world

Older consumers are becoming one of the food industry’s fastest-growing demographics, prompting snack manufacturers to rethink everything from ingredients and nutrition to texture, packaging and portion sizes

Nestlé’s turnaround gains momentum despite profit drop

Nestlé delivers stronger organic growth and improving volumes in H1 2026, but net profit falls 31.4%

EFSA slashes TFA safety limits amid food contamination concerns

EFSA significantly lowers safe intake level for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a result of “new scientific evidence”

Summer Fancy Food Show

Can women’s hydration escape the sachet?

As women’s wellness beverages center around powdered formats, Greater Than is positioning itself to fill what it sees as an untapped white space: RTD hydration for women

What does ‘alcohol-free’ really mean?

The definition is under debate in the UK, as producers seek to align with other European countries

From Three Square Meals to the Snack Universe

The traditional three-meal day falls from favour as consumers choose spontaneous snacking

Cortisol: The viral trend that’s rewriting shopping lists

The internet’s favourite stress hormone is fuelling a fibre boom, and shoppers are being told to slow down and think again

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The future of snacking lies between function and indulgence

Beyond traditional indulgent treats and wellness-focused products lies a growing opportunity for brands: functional snacking staples

Creatine, GLP-1s, gut health and sleep: How storytelling opens new opportunities in sports nutrition

As the lines blur between sports nutrition and wellness, demand for traditional performance ingredients is booming. But sports nutrition brands are increasingly challenged by niche specialists that excel at emotive storytelling and lifestyle positioning.

China Focus: Yili on healthy ageing, e-commerce and sports nutrition, conscious indulgence, and more

This edition explores Yili’s innovation strategies for elderly nutrition, sports nutrition growth via e-commerce, capitalising on the conscious indulgence era, and more

Healthy ageing: Yili taps TCM, flavour to boost elderly nutrition

Yili is blending traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), flavour innovation and age-friendly design to for elderly nutrition products in China’s ageing market

聚焦初创公司：苹果醋、能量饮料与美容果冻

本期“聚焦初创公司”涵盖苹果醋、能量饮料及美容果冻相关内容

Growth Asia Summit 2026

Paradigm shift: Next frontier of probiotics lies in traceability and functionality – TCI

Taiwanese company TCI says the next frontier of probiotics is not drawing more correlations between the gut and other organs, but tracing what travels between and building a more complete evidence chain.

Korea, China lead sports nutrition e-commerce as India drives growth

South Korea and China remain Asia Pacific’s biggest sports nutrition e-commerce markets, while India records the region’s fastest online sales growth

FN+

Creatine appeal expands with mental health focus

Research explores potential mental health benefits of creatine as popularity of supplement soars

Opinion

Regulating UPFs will not be easy

It remains to be seen whether such regulation is workable

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Health vs Indulgence: Why consumers refuse to choose

Wellness is reshaping food and beverage, but indulgence still drives sales

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Could almond hulls be the next big functional food ingredient?

A new GRAS determination paves the way for the agricultural byproduct to move beyond animal feed and into foods, where its fiber, antioxidants and functional properties could appeal to manufacturers across categories and applications

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The brands turning alcohol-free into drinks’ hottest category

No longer content to imitate beer, wine and spirits, a new generation of alcohol-free drinks is creating entirely new occasions, flavours and functions, and consumers are drinking it up

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Microplastics in confectionery: A growing risk

Microplastics are a growing concern for confectionery manufacturers. But can contamination be prevented?

Where does the food industry see the strongest growth?

As traditional categories struggle, F&B is turning towards areas of higher value

Summer Fancy Food Show

Can flavor beat function in the crowded soda aisle?

Tropical soda startup is not rejecting function in its beverages, but it is eschewing the idea that a beverage should be function first

Summer Fancy Food Show

Why flour is having its specialty coffee moment

Can heritage grains revitalize the flour category?

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Consumers are reprioritizing the top purchase drivers for food and beverage

Taste remains the leading purchase driver, but growing awareness about ingredients, processing and ultra processing are complicating how consumers prioritize health and convenience, according to IFIC’s newly released 2026 Food & Health Survey

The gut health opportunity set to redefine food innovation

Targeted nutrition and gut microbiome modulation could help extend healthspan, creating new opportunities for food and beverage innovation

Growth Asia Summit 2026

Calbee’s personalised granola takes breakfast to a new level

Calbee is tapping demand for personalised nutrition with tailored granola designed to provide healthier, more individualised breakfasts

Gen Alpha and Beta: Confectionery’s next battleground

Freeze-dried sweets, bold flavours, Roblox activations and AI-powered engagement – the forces reshaping confectionery innovation as brands look beyond Gen Z

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What are the six top innovations driving beverage development?

Beverage innovation is moving from ‘refreshment’ to ‘purposeful refreshment’ with weight loss medications and protein soda’s driving change, a leading R&D expert has claimed.

ジャパン フォーカス：食品価格の高騰、OSKの紅茶、Thai Unionのシーフードスナック

今月のJapan Focusでは、今年さらに激化すると見込まれる食品価格の高騰、OSKの成長計画、Thai Unionの日本風シーフードスナックなどについて探ります

Japan Focus: Food price hikes, export ambitions and smarter marketing

This edition explores how food price hikes will intensify this year, OSK’s growth plans, Thai Union’s Japanese-inspired seafood snacks, and more