Many major food companies are setting big targets for regenerative agriculture. But many key companies are falling short, according to a new report by investor network FAIRR. Many targets are not quantitative or outcome-based, and lack a clear link to financial materiality. As sustainability goals are exposed to increased scrutiny, FMCGs must ensure their goals are clear and can be acted upon.
Feeding dairy cows unsold fruit, vegetables and bakery waste can maintain milk production while improving fibre digestibility, Penn State research finds.
Danone’s lawsuit against Chobani over 20g protein claims underscores growing competition in high-protein yogurt and the risks of misleading labelling in a premium market.
Why is a heat-stable natural red still one of food science's biggest challenges? Kalsec's Christina Cuddihy explains the science, cost and formulation hurdles facing bakery and snack manufacturers.
The SAI Platform has launched the Regenerating Together Programme (RTP) to scale regenerative agriculture by providing a flexible yet consistent framework for measuring and verifying outcomes across diverse farming systems. Backed by over 40 global agrifood companies, the RTP emphasizes independent verification, outcome-based metrics, and farmer agency, aiming to address challenges of inconsistent claims and fragmented reporting. Developed through multi-stakeholder collaboration and tested in 25 countries, the programme shifts the focus from defining regenerative agriculture to implementing it at scale with practical, farmer-friendly tools.
Dairy giant Lactalis has taken Nutri-Score to court. And not just any court but the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Lactalis claims that the front-of-pack labelling system not only unfairly discriminates against dairy, but also oversimplifies nutrition in general, and thus fails to live up to the EU's regulations on packaging information.
Nestlé is attempting a reset—but its Dairy Plan raises questions. While the company reports a 26% emissions cut, investors and analysts are scrutinising methodology, transparency, and the lack of verified outcomes behind its climate claims.
The Natural Products Association met with representatives of the Texas attorney general's office to discuss the state's investigation into protein powder manufacturers, launched two weeks ago.
It is ten years since Brexit - since the UK left the EU. How has food and beverage been affected? Brexit has caused divergence in regulation, impacted food prices and the availability of labour, and made EU/UK trade more complex. But at the same time, much has remained the same.
Brands are spending heavily on promotions, loyalty pricing and digital discounts, yet private label continues to gain ground across Europe's biggest grocery markets.
Explore the latest in fermentation and cultivated ingredients, from precision-fermented proteins and animal-free eggs to scale-up strategies, investment trends and commercialization breakthroughs.
Nestlé, Danone and Muscle Milk’s approach to reformulation reflects a broader shift away from “free-from” and “reduced” ingredients, to a complete overhaul without compromising organoleptic characteristics.
Danone leaders explain in this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-to-Nuts podcast how regenerative agriculture, dairy technology and farm-level investments are supporting high-protein, nutrient-dense food innovation while strengthening supply chain resilience.
Dairy major Danone has announced that it will acquire Made Group, an Australian company selling health-focused dairy products. This will help the French multinational strengthen its presence in Asia Pacific, as Made Group has presence in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
Creatine is pushing into functional beverages as brands crack stability issues, but questions remain over efficacy, dosing and long-term consumer appeal.
Research suggests that GLP-1 users prefer sugar to artificial sweeteners, as they are increasingly attracted to more 'natural' food that feels 'worthwhile' with their smaller appetites. There is little research around whether changing taste perception on the drugs works differently for sweetness from sugar and artificial sweeteners. However, artificial sweeteners tend to have a bitter off-taste that sugar doesn't, which may, some research suggests, be heightened on GLP-1s as well.
Why is Ingredion acquiring Tate & Lyle? The two companies are compatible, with Tate & Lyle's focus on mouthfeel and fibre complementing Ingredion's speciality texturisers and plant-based offerings. For Ingredion, the deal bolsters its strategy on texture; for Tate & Lyle, it gives access to greater scale.
Danimals is repositioning as a nutrition-first kids brand with reduced sugar, added fiber, and a new nutrition education initiative aimed at building trust with health-conscious parents.
Consumer desire for ‘more’ is driving innovation around healthy enjoyment, elevated convenience, collaboration, crossovers and memorable or immersive experiences, according to Circana’s 2025 New Products Pacesetters report.
Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice creams continue to outperform flavour and health trends as Oishi Manufacturing streamlines operations for growth.
The US and Iran have agreed on a peace deal. What could this mean for food and beverage? Food prices are unlikely to fall straight away, due to long-term contracts taking a long time to filter through the supply chain. However, for some classes of commodities, such as palm and soybean oils (which are used for biofuels), prices could fall more quickly. The prices for plastics used for food packaging may fall more quickly than food as well.
Nestlé USA has completed its 2026 goal of removing artificial colors defined by Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) from its US food and beverage portfolio as part of the company’s broader reformulation and transparency initiatives.
Uganda’s Ebola outbreak and border closures could disrupt coffee production and smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, though global supply may help offset trade risks.
As Ebola prompts border restrictions in Uganda, analysts warn of potential supply risks—but bumper harvests in top exporters could stabilise global coffee markets.
Explore the top 5 taste trends shaping dairy and plant-based innovation, from café-inspired indulgence and pistachio to tropical fruit and savoury, spicy flavours driving new product launches.
Food-tech startups across Europe, the Middle East and Africa are invited to apply for the 2026 Global Food Tech Awards EMEA heat, with entries now open and free to submit.
Dairy giants including Danone, Nestlé and Lactalis are investing in meal replacement brands like Huel, Yfood and Protein Works as demand rises for convenient, protein‑rich nutrition in the era of GLP‑1 weight management.
Explore how texture innovation—creamy, crunchy, stretchy and more—is helping dairy and plant-based brands boost value, stand out in commoditised categories, and win premium positioning.
Unilever's merger of its food businesses with McCormick and IFF's sale of most of its food portfolio represent a wider trend. Businesses are distancing themselves from often cumbersome, slow-growing food businesses in favour of health, premiumisation and convenience.
Swiss start-up Sixteen44 is piloting its methane removal technology on a Swiss farm, aiming to prove it can eliminate diffuse methane emissions from cattle without interfering with the animals. The company’s system targets low-concentration methane in indoor livestock environments, converting it into water vapor and CO₂, and claims a 97% reduction in warming impact. The pilot will test real-world performance, with results independently validated and designed to support both carbon credit generation and compliance with tightening emissions rules. Sixteen44, founded in 2025, is targeting the removal of one million tonnes of methane by 2035 as part of its commercial strategy.
GLP-1 users are increasingly gravitating towards foods with can supply them with the nutrients they need, especially those with high fibre and protein content. However, this does not mean that taste is no longer a factor. Users are especially attracted to foods with lighter textures which are easier to eat, such as yoghurt, kefir, soup, fruit and veg. Indulgence remains popular as well, but in a different way: GLP-1 users are driving growth in premium chocolate, for example.
After months of speculation, US ingredients giant Ingredion has bought UK company Tate & Lyle. Combined, the two ingredients companies may take up a substantial chunk - roughly 15% - of the world's alternative sweeteners market.
Froneri is leveraging sustainability across sourcing, product innovation and branding to support premium indulgence and snacking trends — and drive growth.
Do GLP-1s dull taste? There have been significant research suggesting that they do, with many users saying that they experience a dulled taste when on the drugs. But recent research may point to the opposite effect, with around a quarter of users surveyed self-reporting more intense flavours (more in all categories of taste than those reporting dulled tastes).
Muscle Milk’s latest relaunch of its RTD Pro protein shakes marks what the brand describes as its most significant transformation in nearly three decades catered to consumers’ amorphous nutrition preferences, especially around protein.
Nestlé and nutrition biotechnology company Helaina are collaborating to understand new bioactive proteins and their potential impact on early-life development.
Nestle's acquistion of Yfood follow's Danone's acquisition of Huel: as the opportunities for meal replacement, nutrition drinks and protein beverages powers up
Nestlé is shifting back to volume‑led growth, doubling down on coffee, confectionery and emerging markets as it sharpens focus and streamlines its portfolio.
FDA issued GRAS notice GRN 1312 for Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys' animal-free, lactose-free recombinant casein — a key milestone before a potential no-questions letter.
Dairy brands are missing out on World Cup sponsorship—here’s how they can tap into digital audiences, build visibility and compete with global beverage giants.
Europe was recently hit by a heatwave, with temperatures rocketing up across the continent. Heatwaves make cold chain storage work harder and use more energy. However, they are unlikely to lead to spoilage as even most ambient products can normally cope with increased temperatures. Heatwaves do, of course, lead to increased demand for some categories, such as ice cream, but companies are usually prepared for this.
IFF’s $4.3 billion sale of its food ingredients business will give the global ingredient supplier more space to focus on its other core businesses: scent, taste and health and biosciences.
Smearcase is carving a niche in frozen with ‘froco’—a cottage cheese-based, high-protein pint with clean ingredients, collagen and expanding retail distribution.
From Mengniu to Chobani and fairlife, dairy brands are using the FIFA World Cup to push health, protein and performance messaging to a global audience.
Danone’s €1bn Huel deal faces CMA review, signalling tighter scrutiny on food megadeals and raising questions over competition, growth and industry impact.
Danone expands Oikos Protein Shakes with new RTD flavours, tapping the ‘profee’ trend as protein drinks shift from sports nutrition to everyday wellness.
AI’s biggest opportunity in food isn’t inspiration – it’s helping consumers navigate cost, time and cognitive overload to make faster, more confident decisions, according to a recent Hartman Group white paper.
AI is moving from hype to reality across food and drink, cutting R&D timelines, automating factory roles and putting pressure on jobs from the lab to the shop floor.
Coffee shops have become the proving ground for plant-based milks, where brands must deliver barista-level performance, strong flavour and more than just sustainability to win over consumers.
Kinisla’s launch marks a new era for Kerry’s dairy business, but can strong protein demand and premium positioning offset weak consumer sentiment and market volatility?
Microplastics found in Nestlé and Danone baby food pouches raise concerns over packaging safety, industry standards, and growing pressure for reform and transparency.
Explore how dairy brands are tapping into occasions-driven snacking with pouch formats, cheese snacks, ice cream bites and RTD beverages, driven by demand for convenience, protein and health-focused innovation.
Recent reports have suggested that private equity firms such as Blackstone and CD&R have recently expressed interest in The Magnum Ice Cream Company. The company's share price has been low for some time, indicating that it's struggling since it was demerged from its former parent, Unilever. However, several structural factors may have contributed to the new company's performance.
From matcha to functional botanicals, brands are navigating a widening gap between fast-moving trends and slow-building infrastructure, forcing R&D, procurement and formulation teams to rethink how scalability is built from the ground up.
Forty leading global food and agriculture companies have signed a joint declaration to accelerate regenerative agriculture, aligning behind SAI Platform’s Regenerating Together Programme to create common frameworks and metrics. While this marks a significant move towards industry-wide action, the core challenge remains unresolved: financing the transition at the farm level, where upfront investments and financial risks often fall on farmers. The success of scaling regenerative agriculture hinges on developing new economic incentive models and shared responsibility across supply chains. Ultimately, real progress will require deeper collaboration among industry players, financial institutions, and farmers to ensure economic viability and lasting impact.
The functional beverage market is evolving as consumers demand drinks that not only taste good but also deliver proven health benefits, offer appealing branding, and meet clean label expectations.
The White House and Congress are working together on a number of efforts to boost domestic production of fertilizers as farmers struggle to keep up on higher input costs.
Danone sells its $67.4m stake in Lifeway Foods, ending a long-running takeover battle and marking a strategic exit from the US kefir maker as the company shifts focus.
Strong demand for high-value whey proteins is driving investment and price premiums but as supply catches up, the focus is shifting toward functional premixes and broader nutrition platforms.
A UK government advisory body has warned that prioritising emissions reduction and productivity in livestock breeding risks undermining animal welfare. The Animal Welfare Committee’s report highlights that efficiency-driven breeding can lead to health and welfare problems, such as metabolic stress and reduced resilience, and urges a “balanced breeding” approach that includes welfare as a core sustainability metric. The report notes that current sustainability frameworks often exclude animal welfare, and calls for its explicit inclusion alongside environmental and economic goals. Major food chains and industry groups echo these concerns, warning that climate-focused innovation could inadvertently create new welfare issues if not carefully managed.
Ingredion has proposed a $3.7 billion acquisition of British ingredients maker Tate & Lyle, offering up to 615 pence per share in a deal that would create a combined ingredients giant worth more than $10 billion.
Danone’s regenerative agriculture strategy is advancing, with 91% of milk supply assessed and 42% of key ingredients sourced from transitioning farms—driving resilience, emissions cuts and farmer support worldwide.
Senior leadership shake-ups are sweeping Big Food, as boards lose patience amid weak growth, rising competition, and post-COVID challenges - raising questions about strategy, innovation, and the future of CEO leadership in the sector.
Bel Group’s acquisition of Brainiac highlights the rise of “brain food” snacks for kids as functional nutrition gains traction. The deal signals growing demand for products positioned around cognitive development, amid rising parental focus on children’s wellbeing and increasing scrutiny of health claims in the category.
Early rejection rates, tight deadlines and technical hurdles are complicating the refund process for small and mid-sized importers lacking legal support.
Rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions pushed grocery prices sharply higher in April as consumers cut back and seek more value.
Calbee’s monochrome snack packs have exposed the hidden role naphtha plays in global food packaging – and why the Iran conflict could pressure snack brands worldwide.
Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum, but questions remain around definition, certification, producer value and consumer trust. We explore the key tensions shaping its future across food and drink supply chains.
Animal-free dairy is entering a reset phase, with one startup abandoning the “build first, scale later” approach in favor of designing products around existing infrastructure, cost constraints and real-world performance from the start.
