Watchdog group blasts USDA move to roll back poultry and livestock protections
Agency pushes implementation to 2027 and seeks comment on removing competition and trust rules, prompting criticism from advocates
Regulation
The coming UPF regulation revolution
The regulatory landscape surrounding ultra-processed foods is changing rapidly. Here’s what has already happened, what’s coming next and why manufacturers should be paying attention
Danone’s Chobani lawsuit proves why protein claims are high stakes
Chobani and Danone’s court face-off demonstrates how fierce the battle in the ultra-high protein category has become
News Bites
How CPGS are rewriting ‘better-for-you’
Cleaning up labels is no longer enough – value-driven consumers are forcing the industry to rethink the balance of price, health and convenience
Opinion
Nestlé’s Dairy Plan is strong on disclosure but weak on detail
Disclosing emissions data is crucial for transparency and accountability, but companies like Nestlé must do more to show what’s behind the data
Federal court blocks food benefits ban on soda and candy
The decision in Aragon v. Rollins vacates USDA waivers in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia and sets up a likely appeal
The state of fermentation and cultivated ingredients: Where are we now?
Fermentation finds its footing even as food-tech funding cools
Startups producing colors, proteins, sweeteners and specialty ingredients through fermentation are attracting investment, regulatory approvals and commercial partnerships as manufacturers seek alternatives to constrained conventional supply chains
Letter from the editor
Alternative agriculture’s next chapter: fermentation and cultivation
From precision fermentation and cultivated proteins to next-generation ingredients, food-tech innovators are advancing sustainable production despite funding pressures, scale-up challenges and evolving consumer demand
How are Nestlé, Danone and Muscle Milk rethinking reformulation?
Additives and artificial colors and flavors continue to be axed from formulas as the industry balances a meeting consumers’ health goals with nutrition policy
The next tobacco fight? Marketing to children enters UPF debate
Campaigners warn that food companies are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to build brand loyalty from childhood
The ‘Uh-Oh SpaghettiOs’ lawsuit vs the court of public opinion
As online commentators dissect everything from sterilisation processes to consumer behaviour, the dispute offers a glimpse into how food safety claims are increasingly judged in the digital age
Kennedy signals new course for food labels as FDA nears definition for ultra-processed food
A forthcoming federal definition for ultra-processed foods could influence front-of-pack nutrition labeling requirements, product reformulation efforts and compliance timelines across the food industry
Iran-US peace deal: What it means for food
The deal includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
What happens when apple growers spend more on labor than their crop is worth?
That question, and concerns about nutrition programs, food safety oversight and packaging mandates, was at the center of the produce industry’s lobbying push on Capitol Hill last week
Fed Up! campaign takes aim at UPFs, but the science debate persists
A new campaign on ultra processed food education highlights systemic nutrition barriers, while food science experts stress the need to define the polarizing term before linking it to health outcomes
Grocery prices cool as overall inflation jumps on energy spike
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.5% in May and 4.2% year over year, driven largely by a fresh energy price spike, even as food‑at‑home inflation inched up just 0.1%
Energy drink company Celsius faces investigation over youth marketing
Texas attorney general’s office is looking into whether the energy drink giant misled customers, following death of teenager
Campbell and Walmart in court over SpaghettiOs contamination claim
A Florida family is seeking damages after claiming it discovered moving worm-like organisms in a can of SpaghettiOs that had already been partially consumed
Food assistance bans pose $830M risk to soda, candy and energy drink sales
A new report by data analytics firm Numerator reveals that new restrictions will reach 7.5 million households by 2027
ThaiFex-Anuga Asia 2026
3 make or break factors for Asian brands in the West
The western world is home to many of the world’s most established food brands, so what strategies can Asian brands use to crack desirable markets like Europe or the US?
FDA clears key hurdle for animal-free dairy protein
FDA’s acknowledgment of GRAS notice puts Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys one step away from a no-questions letter
Can infant formula catch up to breast milk?
A new generation of infant formula that recreates the immune, digestive and developmental benefits of human milk is creating regulatory challenges
Is shrinkflation illegal now?
A recent court case involving Mondelēz suggests FMCGs could be penalised for reducing pack sizes. But is this really the case?
Alfalfa-based egg white alternative inches closer to market
With a WeFunder campaign and institutional raise underway, Fudi Protein is positioning its alfalfa-derived Rubisco as a cost-competitive egg white replacement
Nestlé and Danone: Baby food pouches under fire as microplastics found
Microplastics detected in Nestlé and Danone baby food pouches spark safety concerns
Food-as-medicine hindered by lack of community buy-in, long-term investment
Experts say prevention programs are promising – but getting patients, payers and policymakers on board is a challenge
What will it take to stem diet-related deaths?
From culinary medicine programs to Medicaid managed care, stakeholders at the 2026 Food as Medicine summit outlined a multi-pronged push to make nutrition a cornerstone of US health care
Tariff refunds are available - here’s how to get them right
High rejection rates and a tight 80-day filing window are turning what should be straightforward IEEPA tariff refunds into a high-stakes, error-prone process for small and mid-sized CPG brands
FDA issues request for information on BHT and ADA
The two embattled food chemicals are the first two under review, following the launch of FDA’s new post-market assessment review program
FDA’s leadership shakeup elevates food program insider amid questions over science, staffing and MAHA influence
With Marty Makary’s abrupt exit, acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas faces skepticism from industry and public health stakeholders over whether he can steer the agency through political pressure, staffing losses and food policy reform
From cereulide to botulism: Exposing the fault lines in infant nutrition safety
From recalled product remaining on shelves to weak marketing guidance, regulatory gaps across infant nutrition remain stark
US government spends hundreds of millions on biotech pilot plants as national security priority
Defense Department and state matching grants fund BioMADE’s three pilot plants as precision fermentation infrastructure gap forces US companies to manufacture overseas
Monster Beverage Corp may raise prices as aluminum costs surge amid global tensions
Monster executives warned aluminum and freight costs are expected to climb sequentially through year-end, but said category demands remain healthy even after price hikes last fall
Calm in the chaos: How US bakers are fighting back on regulation, reformulation and a restless consumer
At the recent American Bakers Association Convention (ABA), industry leaders made one thing clear – in a volatile market, credibility, collaboration and consumer connection will decide who thrives
Strategies to decarbonize the supply chain
Partnerships to cut methane emissions from rice offer a blueprint for reaching Scope 3 goals across the food system and underscore the importance of pre-competitive partnership across the supply chain
Confident but constrained: How small businesses are navigating a fluctuating economic environment
Between shifting consumer demand and economic instability, small businesses can still compete as long as adaptability remains part of their core infrastructure
FDA’s largest infant formula test yet finds ‘low’ contaminants – but no new rules
FDA’s infant formula test found mostly trace contaminants, but without standards, enforcement or pre‑market testing, the data leaves critical questions unanswered
News Bites
GLP‑1 nutrition, Nestlé’s reset and the rising reformulation crunch
Food companies are being pushed to rethink everything from product design to portfolio strategy and ingredient standards
Food financial assistance restrictions fuel fight in 2026 budget debate
As Congress moves closer to a floor vote on the 2026 Farm Bill, a proposed amendment has ignited a high‑stakes debate over whether the federal government should restrict what SNAP benefits can buy nationwide
What a new bill could mean for small businesses shut out of SBA loans
Democrat-led legislation aims to restore Small Business Administration (SBA) loans for immigrant‑owned small businesses
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Hershey’s new sustainability strategy offers blueprint for balancing business & ESG needs
Hershey breaks lofty ESG ambitions into practical, data-driven strategic steps that help embed sustainability into sourcing, operations and product innovation
Post–Liberation Day tariff fight shifts to refunds, courts and Congress
The post–Liberation Day tariff fight now centers on refunds and who ultimately keeps the money
