Innovation & NPD
Future Food Tech San Francisco
AI assists, but active ingredients still lead in wellness innovation
Industry leaders at Future Food Tech said AI tools are helping product developers, yet rigorous ingredient science continues to set the pace for better-for-you foods and beverages
Natural Products Expo West
Predictive data reveals the next wave of performance-driven wellness trends in food
Insights from Spate reveal consumers want functional, low-sugar and benefit-packed food and beverages that fit easily into their lives
Retro and nostalgia: Why consumers are looking to the past
Consumers seek comfort and familiarity from food
WPC at crossroads: How demand is reshaping protein supply
The global whey protein concentrate (WPC) market is diverging as demand-driven growth in high-value ingredients fuels volatility in the broader category
4 big food trends in The Netherlands
What do Dutch consumers want?
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Collaboration, not capital, is driving the next wave of food innovation
Industry leaders at Future Food-Tech San Francisco say lower investment levels are giving rise to an era of deeper cooperation among stakeholders focused on creating healthier products
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
Inside the race to reinvent food color: Global Food Tech Awards Americas heat winner pioneers new approach to natural dyes
Award-winning biotech Michroma is using fungi-based fermentation to tackle the cost, supply and performance challenges holding back natural colors
Understanding ‘food noise’ in the age of GLP-1s
The removal of food noise is the key to GLP-1s’ success
Inside the functional beverage craze: What benefits are consumers really looking for?
From gut health to energy, there’s a huge range of choice in the functional beverage category. What do consumers actually want?
How protein is shaping active nutrition in 2026
Sustained demand for protein continues to define the active and performance nutrition space. But where are the growth niches?
Cheaper, healthier: How consumer priorities are shaping dietary choices
Shoppers strive towards healthier diets – but are their aspirations turning into action?
How GLP-1s are reshaping product innovation
For product developers, designing GLP-1 friendly foods will require new sensory approaches, emotional metrics and new nutritional architectures
Why the sleep crisis is food and drink’s next big global battleground
Sleep deprivation is becoming big business as consumers obsess over how much shuteye they’re getting, but how is the market responding?
How cow‑free milk is changing coffee culture
By pouring its cow‑free milk into America’s favourite beverage, Strive Freemilk is normalising a new kind of dairy
How Danone is redefining plant-based through a benefit-led strategy
Danone US is taking plant-based nutrition into the sports performance arena as it seeks to deepen the category’s benefit-driven appeal
GLP‑1 drinks take off as brands race for $3.5bn functional growth
From protein shakes to collagen coolers, brands are reinventing beverages for the GLP‑1 era and the race for dominance in this fast‑growing $3.5bn category is just beginning
Innovation in functional coffee creamers takes off
The rise of the US coffee creamer category has been largely fuelled by flavour innovation and brand collabs. But functional creamers represents a rapidly growing area.
Functional dairy’s next phase: From gut health to stress relief
Dairy is the largest segment in functional foods – so where is the category headed?
NPD: From Ben & Jerry’s to The Laughing Cow
The latest launches tap into some of dairy’s biggest trends: from protein‑packed functional formats to flavour‑driven innovation
Flavour trend-watching: Dragon fruit, watermelon and lavender shake up the beverage aisle in 2026
Fresh, fruity and floral never go out of style: but with new favourites every year
Lactalis taps collagen to blend functional dairy with longevity
The dairy giant’s new ready‑to‑drink collagen milk aims to support bone health, signalling where functional dairy innovation is heading
Inside the $330bn functional food frenzy fuelled by PepsiCo, Coke & Nestlé
From PepsiCo to Nestlé, global giants are racing to cash in on the booming functional food craze, but with trends shifting fast, the stakes have never been higher
Nestlé bets big on ‘healthy longevity’: Inside its new launch
Which ingredients make Nestlé’s new drinks suitable for healthy ageing?
Kefir with fiber beats omega-3 supplements in reducing inflammation
New research sheds light into the anti-inflammatory potential of fiber-fortified kefir – but there are caveats
Nestlé sharpens focus on coffee as key growth engine
Nestlé’s new coffee pillar brings together global power brands Nescafé, Nespresso and Starbucks. And RTD coffee will be a feature for all three...
Has dairy lost its health halo - and can brands bring it back?
Dairy was once inherently linked with health and wellness, but some consumers doubt the category’s clean image. How can brands rebuild trust?
What is yerba mate and why is this natural energiser going global?
Yerba mate is breaking out from its South American roots, fuelled by soaring exports, innovation and booming global demand for natural energy beverages
Why consumers don’t trust healthy indulgence
Consumers think some healthy products are too good to be true. Here’s what F&B brands can do to make healthy indulgence believable
Big FMCG vs TikTok: Who leads trends and who can win?
Bubble tea, matcha, Dubai chocolate, cottage cheese, pistachio and hot honey: Just a small selection of products and flavours that have gone viral on social media in recent years
The 4 things food companies still don’t understand about GLP-1s
Although the biggest names in F&B are keeping a close eye on GLP-1 developments, knowledge gaps remain
What’s new in dairy: Lifeway, Kraft and more
We look at some of the hottest dairy launches in recent weeks
3 key lessons for food brands targeting the ‘Future Consumer’
The ‘Future Consumer’ is here, and food brands need to stay ahead of their evolving tastes and expectations to survive in the long run
Is the protein snack boom running out of steam?
Flattening consumer interest and growing format fatigue suggest the category may be hitting a ceiling unless brands evolve beyond bars and bold claims
How Chobani is bringing ‘hunt culture’ to grocery retail
Chobani is translating hype and scarcity economics into everyday grocery categories, reframing its Flavor Drops creamer from a staple product into a discovery-driven experience
Clean label vs. functional foods: Can the two trends coexist?
Functional foods are often ultra-processed – but can they be clean label?
GLP‑1 shake‑up: How food makers are reshaping NPD for smaller appetites
The GLP‑1 boom is rewriting consumer behaviour at speed and forcing food makers to rethink everything from portion size to product strategy
How coffee creamer brands stay top of mind
From Chobani to International Delight, creamer brands are elevating their product development and marketing tactics to keep shoppers onboard
TikTok’s influence on food: How online trends blow up
The social media platform can drive food trends to the point where they move markets
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?
How whey powers the next wave of innovation
The dairy by-product has turned into a billion-dollar platform powering biotech, biofuels and much more beyond food and beverage
How coffee creamers became a powerhouse category
Coffee creamers are outperforming much of the dairy aisle – and new products keep pouring in. Where is the category headed?
Plant-based failing? Here’s how to win at hybrid
Hybrid meat and dairy strategies are evolving in four key ways
What food brands must know about GLP‑1 consumers
GLP-1 consumers are re-writing the rules of food retail. Here’s what this means for product innovation and how brands can win
2026 yogurt innovation: Tropical, protein-packed and trendy
From tropical flavors to protein-rich options, yogurt continues to balance bold taste with health-conscious trends
Winter Fancy Faire
Dry oat milk ‘slices’ promise a step-change in plant-based beverage sustainability
Using a proprietary dry-printing process, Milkadamia’s new oat milk format reduces packaging by 85%, lowers logistics costs and gives retailers a less expensive, more sustainable entry point for plant-based milks
Top 5 trends shaping healthy dairy snacking
From cheese bites to RTD beverages, dairy is primed for success in the healthy snacking space
NPD: From saucy sundaes to clean-label creamers
Lifeway, Breyers and Horizon Organic all feature in our latest new product development round-up
The cottage cheese boom: How challenger brands are stirring up the category
Meet the new wave of cottage cheese brands disrupting the dairy aisle
Medjool dates, saffron and cardamon seeds: Entrepreneur creates flavorful functional alternative to traditional milkshakes
Finance professional turned food entrepreneur Masuma Zahara Bukhari brings an exotic flair to the fast-growing functional dairy-free category