Cautious optimism: Will the CPG food industry return to growth in 2026?
Steady wages, tax refunds and undervalued assets set the stage for targeted growth and strategic deals
Markets
What are consumers giving up in 2026?
January is the time for restraint. What foods and beverages are consumers giving up?
Tackling soda consumption can help stem the rise of UPFs in lower-income countries
A global move away from whole foods and towards UPFs - including soda - is threatening public health, warns a series of studies in The Lancet.
AI goes mainstream in food and beverage in 2025
This year’s wave of tools – from trend‑spotting engines to autonomous R&D agents – turned AI into everyday infrastructure for food and beverage
How protein powers CPG majors’ expansion plans
Protein remains a cornerstone of innovation for food and beverage brands. Here’s how Danone, PepsiCo and General Mills are exploring the global megatrend
Top celebrity beverage brands
Beyonce, Jamie Foxx and Michael Jordan are among the A list celebrities with beverage brands
How Lindt’s Dubai Style Chocolate created a travel retail sensation
Lindt spotted the Dubai Chocolate trend emerge early on, then executed its own launch to perfection. Dubai Style Chocolate has transformed Lindt’s global travel retail offer - what can other brands learn from its success?
Five ways GLP-1 drugs are shaping the beverage industry
Soda sales are taking a hit; but functional beverages are booming
Meet the futuristic functional ingredients reshaping human health
From the mental health crisis to keeping an ageing population active, state-of-the art ingredients promise to help humanity bio-hack its way to peak performance. Here’s how
Is plant-based dead - or evolving?
Plant-based brands are looking for new ways to lure in consumers after the category’s initial success
Diageo sells East African Breweries to Asahi in $2.3bn deal
Asahi makes a big move into Africa: eying up the growth potential on the continent
3 food predictions that came true in 2025 (and 3 that didn’t)
What predictions were right, and which ones didn’t come to pass?
Why collagen is set to dominate 2026
Collagen is transforming food, drink and confectionery. Discover why this powerhouse ingredient is set to dominate innovation in 2026
2026 Trendspotting
Could white cake, churro and huckleberry cobbler be the big drink flavors of 2026?
From matcha and sober-curious sips to gut-friendly tonics, protein power and tropical spritzes, functional beverages are defining the next wave of refreshment
EUDR delay confirmed
The deforestation regulation’s postponement comes after a year of political wrangling
A two-tier economy is reshaping food retail
A widening divide in consumer spending is reshaping food retail traffic and forcing CPG brands to rethink value, localization and omnichannel execution
GLP-1 adoption is rising steadily – and reshaping pack size, portfolio strategy and volume
Rising GLP-1 adoption is quietly reshaping pack size strategy, category risk and marketing priorities for food and beverage brands
M&A: The beverage deals that shook up the industry in 2025
Keurig Dr Pepper, PepsiCo and other major beverage players have signed big deals that will continue to reshape portfolios in 2026
Functional coffee trends: Nootropics, gut health, collagen and more
Coffee is nature’s original ‘energy drink’: thanks to the caffeine burst that gives energy every morning. But the coffee of tomorrow is going far beyond that...
OnSwitch: Energy drink collab goes beyond caffeine to target systemic optimization
What if an energy drink could do more than just wake you up? Formulator Shawn Wells sat down with NutraIngredients to introduce OnSwitch, a collaborative, new energy drink concept that made its way around the show floor during SupplySide Global this year.
Europe’s new wine support package: 8 key measures
The wine industry faces many serious challenges – falling consumption and the threat from climate change being just two of them – but a new package of measures from the EU will make life a little easier for winemakers
Top 10 food and beverage trends for 2026
The food and beverage trends driving change in 2026
Why Africa is becoming a key frontier for dairy beverages
Health-conscious consumers and shifting diets are fueling Africa’s dairy beverage boom, as local and global players rethink strategies to capture growth
EUDR delay and review agreed by EU
The Council and Parliament have decided to postpone the landmark regulation
Finlandia embraces ‘slow joy’ storytelling to expand reach in global travel retail
The vodka category is one of the largest in travel retail: and Finlandia sees this channel as an exciting way to reach new audiences. But how can the brand stand out?
Soda and UPFs: The debate heats up
Soda has long been under attack for its high sugar content and artificial ingredients. It’s now increasingly under scrutiny as a UPF: but in many ways, the beverage industry already knows what to expect
‘Gen Z’s avocado-on-toast moment’: Making matcha mainstream
Matcha’s vibrant green color means it’s booming on social media. And yet, the tea itself is something of an acquired taste. So how are brands translating likes into sales?
Sports nutrition 2026: Six game-changing trends
Discover the trends shaping performance, recovery, and longevity in the next generation of sports nutrition
Matcha under threat: A ‘victim of its own success’?
Lower quality matcha has been flooding markets. Could the popular ingredient fall out of favour?
Kaohsiung Food Show 2025
Popping bobas: A cleaner spin on Taiwan’s global sensation
Taiwan’s Tachiz is reimagining the world-famous boba – from fruity to savoury fillings – to deliver indulgent yet healthier options for food and drink makers
Cocoa challenges for beverage makers
Beverage makers reliant on cocoa are in the middle of a perfect storm. Cocoa is more expensive, less reliably available and riskier to source long-term
Danone takes on Chobani with low-sugar coffee creamer
The Too Good & Co. range brings ‘farm-fresh’ ingredients to coffee aficionados at home
Trump removes coffee, beef, cocoa from tariff list
Consumer Brands Association urges further tariff rollbacks on products like palm oil and tin mill steel
Healthy beverages
What’s the buzz around instant coffee?
Gen Z and Millennials are embracing the low-cost counterpart to ground and whole bean
Brewing loyalty: How coffee is powering bakery footfall
Coffee’s not just a pick-me-up anymore. It’s helping bakeries pull ahead in a slowing market
Protein, AI, GLP-1 drugs and more… What are the biggest trends shaping the beverage industry of tomorrow?
In this week’s free webinar, we’ll ask beverage experts what they’re watching and where the biggest opportunities are for beverage innovation
Prospecto’s AI-powered tractors aim to cut costs and boost sustainability in vineyards
Italian start-up Prospecto is embedding machine learning into agricultural machinery to help wine producers monitor grape clusters, foliage, and yields in real time – reducing input costs and enabling smarter, data-driven decisions
The evolution of the energy drink category: Odyssey Functional Energy heralds drive towards added functionality
Clean energy has already swept across the energy drink category. Now, Odyssey Functional Energy heralds the next era of added functionality: becoming a favorite in offices of SpaceX, Uber, Google, Meta, Amazon and more
DrinkAid’s co-founder ventures into performance nutrition with creatine gummies
Ryan Foo, co-founder of Singapore-based hangover prevention firm DrinkAid, is venturing into the sports nutrition space with the upcoming launch of creatine gummies through his new business FOULPLAY.
Instacart’s 2025 health policy agenda signals new opportunities for CPG brands
Grocery delivery service Instacart’s renewed policy agenda isn’t just a roadmap for public health – it’s a signal to CPG brands that the future of grocery is increasingly digital, nutrition-driven and integrated with healthcare
Inside discount retailer Lidl US’ recipe for success: Fresh, value and focus
From SKU rationalization to supplier partnerships and front-line empowerment, CEO Joel Rampoldt is reshaping Lidl US’ playbook for sustainable growth and earning consumer loyalty along the way
5 functional beauty drinks driving innovation
The trend for functional beauty drinks doesn’t seem to be waning anytime soon. Take a look at five of the latest innovations in this space.
Food and drink split on sustainability progress, exclusive survey reveals
Looking back at our Sustainable September initiative, where does the food and drink industry thrive and fall?
How Sprouts scouts out the next big thing in beverage innovation
Sprouts Farmers Market’s approach to NPD keeps it on a constant search for the hottest beverage innovations
How GLP-1 drugs are supercharging the age of precision nutrition
Could the era of precision nutrition turn the pharma-driven metabolism revolution into a food-based one?
Healthy, hot and functional foods driving c-store growth
Prepared-food sales are climbing, and younger shoppers are leading the push for fresher, clean-label offerings
How big is the GLP-1 wave going to get, really?
As usage of weight loss medications surges and new therapies emerge, food businesses face a once-in-a-generation opportunity – or risk being left behind
Sweeteners in focus
Liquid I.V., IQMIX and G Fuel lead zero-sugar drink mix shift
The $38.7 billion category’s momentum reflects consumer appetite for natural sweeteners, energy and focus
Women are shaping the next frontier of protein innovation
Protein’s health halo attracts female consumers to various products from food and drink to supplements. Here’s what’s driving demand
The British beverage brands making it big in the US (and the mistakes they made on the way)
The UK and US markets are often defined by similar macro-trends: making expansion attractive for beverage entrepreneurs. But don’t forget the classic quote: ‘England and America are two countries separated by a common language’…