Folgers enters functional coffee with protein, prebiotic and focus blends
JM Smucker will launch four instant-coffee varieties in November, as it pursues growth in functional beverages
Ingredients
Food inflation may look tame, but rising CPG input costs suggest otherwise
August PPI data show relatively little movement in final-demand food prices, but sharp increases in grains, oilseeds, confectionery, diesel and select packaging inputs could put pressure on food and beverage makers in the months ahead
Can plant-grown proteins bring down the cost of cultivated meat?
Advocates of molecular farming say plants could serve as low-cost bioreactors for producing growth factors, a key and often expensive ingredient in cultivated meat production
Beyond Meat, Daring Foods and Impossible Foods expand plant protein into new occasions
As consumers sour on traditional meat alternatives, Beyond Meat, Daring Foods and others are expanding into protein drinks, bars, powders and complete meals to create new occasions for plant protein
Applegate Farms explores regenerative agriculture’s next selling point: Nutrition
After finding that regenerative messaging alone was not enough to drive purchases, Applegate is investigating whether farming practices can influence the nutritional composition of food and whether that could give consumers a more personal reason to...
Beyond ‘GLP-1 friendly’: The nutrition opportunity food brands are missing
Health experts point to muscle, bone and cardiovascular health as key priorities for consumers taking GLP-1 medications and navigating midlife, creating opportunities for food and beverage brands to connect functional nutrition with consumer education
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Raising the functional beverage bar: Drinks are becoming more specific and creative
As consumers look beyond generic energy and wellness claims, emerging brands are creating drinks tailored to specific needs, from focus and calm to protein and recovery
Can ‘touchless’ preservation extend shelf life without adding ingredients?
As consumers push back against chemical-sounding preservatives, startups are developing technologies that protect food from the surrounding environment rather than adding ingredients to it
News Bites
Food’s new rules: Regulation, reformulation and the reinvention of legacy brands
Transparency, health and regulation emerged as the defining forces shaping the food industry this month
General Mills removes artificial dyes from its entire cereal portfolio
A market leader in cereal sales plans to remove artificial colors from all of its products by the end of 2027
FDA wants more GRAS oversight – but can it handle the workload?
FDA wants companies to notify the agency when they determine food ingredients are Generally Recognized As Safe. But with hundreds of potential notifications and fewer staff, questions remain over whether FDA has the resources to review them
Marion Nestle and former Kellogg exec team up on cereal industry exposé
‘Sugar Coated’ connects decades of cereal-box designs to the policies governing food labels and health claims
Could FDA’s GRAS proposal chill investment in novel food ingredients?
Mandatory GRAS notifications could make regulatory risk a bigger factor in fundraising, partnerships and M&A, potentially pushing innovators toward safer bets and away from riskier products
Cultivated protein’s next phase? Integration over invention
The sector is entering an integration phase, according to Ever After Foods’ CEO Eyal Rosenthal, where partnerships, acquisitions and platform-based business models could help tackle persistent cost and scaling barriers that have slowed commercialization
Would you eat a cookie made from a plastic bottle?
US scientists are using engineered yeast to turn plastic waste into protein-rich cookies – but safety, scale and consumer disgust stand between µBites and the snack aisle
Why relevance is shaping the snacking category
Relevance, not reinvention, is driving innovations in snacks as brands aim to meet consumers’ dynamic lifestyles
PepsiCo bets on healthier versions of legacy brands
PepsiCo cuts sodium and sugar, while betting on fiber and protein
Avo oil under pressure: Science and lawsuits challenge the premium halo
A major authenticity study and proposed class actions against Utz and Campbell’s are exposing the risks behind snacks’ costly avocado oil makeover
FDA considers new natural food color petitions as synthetic dye phaseout looms
Petitions seek approval for safflower yellow, expanded uses for gardenia blue and changes to carrot oil production as food makers move away from synthetic dyes
Matcha made easy: Startups turn ritual into routine with convenient formats
As matcha’s popularity grows, Chuh, Shinzo and other emerging brands are using convenience, flavor innovation and new formats to turn a café favorite into a packaged beverage category
Louis Dreyfus Company targets pea protein off-notes with new isolate
As demand for plant-based dairy and protein sodas surges, a new large-scale Canadian facility is producing purified pea protein isolates to eliminate sensory off-notes and support emerging dietary needs
New Trump tariffs ‘like deja vu’ according to food industry panel
As the administration replaces IEEPA duties with section 301 forced labor tariffs, food and beverage importers face renewed legal battles and supply chain uncertainty
The new sustainability playbook starts with suppliers
The race to build a climate-smart food system is putting ingredient suppliers in the spotlight
Gay Lea Foods invests $200m to boost cottage cheese production amid Canadian shortage
Canadian dairy co-operative Gay Lea Foods is to invest more than $200 million to help address the country’s cottage cheese shortage
And so it begins: Pumpkin spice season kicks off with a flurry of products
As the $1.25 billion pumpkin spice market eyes massive growth, top brands are rolling out fresh, better-for-you seasonal snacks to satisfy early consumer cravings
Natural colors are creating a new supply chain reality
Natural dyes require more than reformulation because supply chains must evolve too
The a2 Milk Company’s new research findings to drive US growth, innovation pipeline
New Zealand dairy nutrition firm The a2 Milk Company’s recently released research results are set to drive growth in the US market and shape its innovation pipeline.
Could soaring whey prices make infant formula even more expensive?
Will the use of whey in trending foods and beverages have a knock-on effect on essential categories?
WK Kellogg Co to cut artificial dyes and BHT a year ahead of schedule
The cereal giant has faced intense scrutiny for its use of controversial ingredients like petroleum-based dyes and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Red tape sinks world’s first floating dairy farm
The pioneering floating dairy farm that became a global symbol of urban food production is being sold after regulatory hurdles, infrastructure challenges and uncertainty over its future location
Letter from the editor
Science, trust and the next era of food innovation
From combating food misinformation to redefining healthy eating and scaling AI-enabled innovation, IFT FIRST 2026 underscored how evidence-based science is reshaping the future of food
Court clears way for lawsuit challenging US ban on FODMAP labeling
The ruling reverses a 2024 dismissal and allows a challenge to federal limits on low-FODMAP package labels to move forward, potentially reaching the US Supreme Court
IFT FIRST
Is fibermixxing the new fibermaxxing?
Growing consumer interest in specific fibers is prompting the promotion of fiber diversity as a way to deliver multiple health benefits while supporting product innovation
Cyclospora outbreak reshapes grocery shopping and restaurant traffic beyond recalled lettuce
Fear and uncertainty surrounding the growing Cyclospora outbreak are driving consumers away from fresh produce and toward frozen foods, creating ripple effects for grocers, restaurants and produce suppliers
IFT FIRST
Ingredion: Better-for-you foods hinge on texture as much as nutrition
As consumers push for less sugar and cleaner labels, thin beverages and chalky proteins can derail a product’s success
A new protein contender emerges as whey prices surge
ADM and The Every Company are scaling up US production of a fermented egg white protein pitched at formulators tired of whey’s price swings
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Benefit stacking, not hero ingredients, is the future of food
Manufacturers must rethink formulation in the post-GLP-1 era to account for shifting consumer desire from hero ingredients to products that deliver multiple health benefits, fit into their everyday routines and justify their price
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
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
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
IFT FIRST
American Egg Board builds next generation of egg-based CPG
The AEB’s Eggcelerator Lab and Founder Cohort program aim to incubate food companies that incorporate eggs into their formulations