Start-ups

EMEA Global Food Tech Awards winner 2026 announced at Future Food-Tech London

The future of food ingredients? Meet the startup turning a regenerative crop into a scalable, high-performance protein for multiple industries

Top 10 shortlist announced for FoodNavigator’s Global Food Tech Awards EMEA heat

The 2026 shortlist of startups take on industry challenges around scalable food waste reduction, nutrition and food safety

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

Why are European food companies shopping for growth in America?

From snacking to specialty dairy, European buyers are paying a premium for hard-to-build capabilities and immediate entry into the American market

FN+5 hard truths every functional food startup needs to learn

The functional food market is booming, but turning a promising concept into a commercially successful product is rarely straightforward

Global Food Tech Awards EMEA

FN+What’s driving Europe’s alternative protein sector in 2026?

Industry leaders see long-term growth in Europe’s alt protein market, despite a challenging environment

FN+The food innovations set to reshape the UK

A new government report identifies the technologies poised to transform the UK food system

Private-equity firm acquires $1.6 billion Irca as Dubai chocolate trend fuels growth

The Italian baking, chocolate and ice cream ingredients maker will focus on M&A, supply chain optimization and international expansion

PepsiCo, Danone & Nestlé: how AI is powering F&B growth

AI is transforming how F&B giants cut costs, boost efficiency and innovate faster — turning data into a powerful competitive edge

Global Food Tech Awards

Global Food Tech Awards EMEA heat opens: Why startups should apply and how to stand out

Calling all EMEA food and beverage startups - applications are now open and entry is free

Nestlé’s global footprint extends reach of startup Helaina’s protein

The partnership is a crucial milestone toward meeting infants’ nutritional needs in larger populations given Nestlé’s global footprint that would be difficult for the startup to achieve independently

Unilever CEO defends $40bn McCormick megamerger

Unilever stands by $40bn McCormick deal as scrutiny grows over whether streamlining will strengthen the group or weaken it

IFF sells bulk of food ingredients business to refocus on health and wellness

The global ingredient supplier’s deal reflects a broader trend of how companies are streamlining their businesses to meet shifting health and wellness preferences

Where brands should focus their AI strategy now

AI’s real value may lie in helping consumers choose – not discover

The F&B jobs AI is targeting, but is it really that dire?

AI is accelerating reformulation, automation and data-led decision making at a pace that is already reshaping roles across the food and drink workforce

FN+Alt-seafood investment bets on production, not just product

Oshi’s $3 million raise signals a new phase for alt-seafood, where sensory innovation meets scalable production to potentially unlock broader adoption

FN+Is the Magnum Ice Cream Company ready to thrive?

Recent chatter about private equity interest has brought the company’s performance into focus

FN+Beyond Meat: Why is foodservice doing worse than retail?

The plant-based major has seen severe divergence between channels

Ingredion’s Tate & Lyle buy would create a $10B global ingredient powerhouse

The proposed deal would unite two of the food and beverage industry’s largest ingredients makers

FN+Will the next wave of alt dairy be built backwards?

Animal-free dairy startup is reversing the traditional biotech model, prioritizing scalability and cost from the outset as the category resets

Opinion

FN+Fermentation waste could be food industry goldmine

What if fermentation waste became the most valuable fibre source yet

Future Food-Tech San Francisco

FN+6 tips to raise capital in 2026 for food-tech

The expectations, red flags and structural hurdles shaping food‑tech fundraising in 2026

FN+Nestlé trials AI technology to tackle factory food waste

Nestlé’s latest AI pilot reveals how real-time data can boost efficiency and unlock revenue

Future Food-Tech San Francisco

FN+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

Up the food chain

FN+Givaudan’s head of front-end innovation on AI and the future of food

An engineer at heart, Alexandre Bastos brings a problem‑solver’s mindset to the front lines of food innovation

FN+Relaxation drinks boom as consumers seek calm

The global market for functional ‘chill out’ beverages is growing by more than 8% annually, driven by adaptogen-fueled brands like Recess, Hiyo, Brēz and Trip

Opinion

FN+From humanisation to cultivation, pet food is only getting more exciting

Innovation in pet food is everywhere

FN+Buffett bets on Kraft Heinz as shock split suspended

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway signals support for Kraft Heinz, following separation update

Cow‑free dairy finds its stride as Those Vegan Cowboys break crowdfunding records

Those Vegan Cowboys’ record raise shows that precision fermentation dairy has legs – and is ready to run

Food-Tech Solutions For A More Sustainable And Secure Food System

Why CPGs need to design for AI discovery now

CPG brands must restructure product data and APIs to stay visible as AI pushes deeper into agentic commerce

UK private equity firm buys largest US private-label manufacturer for $2.9B – could it spark a wave of M&A?

Following its purchase of TreeHouse Foods’ meal-prep business for $950M in 2022, Investindustrial returns to purchase the rest

Global Food Tech Awards 2026

Global Food Tech Awards 2026: Americas shortlist reveals industry giants

The Americas are making noise on the global food tech stage in this powerful top 10 line-up of finalists

Yuka drives reformulation but leaves brands in the dark

In a world of pervasive confusion and growing mistrust over the contents of our food, the Yuka app is one claiming to sow a few seeds of clarity and transparency

What does Hain Celestial’s sale of its North American snack business signal for the category?

After years of acquisitions and declining sales, the health-focused food company is narrowing its portfolio and using the proceeds to shore up its balance sheet

Trends vs fads: What’s shaping CPG in 2026?

In 2026, longevity – not hype – is the real differentiator

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast

What will it take to rebuild plant-based and cultivated meat?

As protein demand rises and consumers grow choosier, Good Food Institute Founder Bruce Friedrich outlines how plant-based and cultivated meat can move beyond hype and become investable, scalable industries

Hellmann’s, Heinz and McCormick dominate the mayo market – but for how long?

Mayonnaise giants are squaring off against better-for-you upstarts like Graza and Chosen Foods in the race to reinvent a creamy classic

Kraft Heinz rocked as Buffett eyes full stake sell‑off

Berkshire Hathaway’s move to exit sends shockwaves through industry - what does it mean for the future of Big Food?

What CPG investors want now: Growth, proof points and founders who won’t quit

Top VCs share what gets CPG brands funded

Freeze-dried candy craze grows – but not everyone’s winning

Mars, Ferrara ride TikTok-fueled demand while Sow Good restructures to survive

Cocoa crunch: How shortages are rewriting chocolate’s future

As climate, disease and regulation strain global cocoa supply, manufacturers are turning to low‑cocoa and cocoa‑free innovations to protect margins and future-proof their portfolios

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

The AI revolution sweeping food and drink

From autonomous R&D to real‑time supply chain resilience, AI is redefining the rules of food and beverage. Is industry ready for the next era?

As cocoa chaos continues, Kokomodo finds its moment

Why ‘climate-proof’ cacao start-up Kokomodo is hedging its bets on an increasingly stronger future for cell cultured cocoa

The Big Shift: Five trends transforming food and beverage

Discover the breakthrough ideas redefining how food is created, regulated and trusted

How the ‘Dyson of dairy’ reinvented butter and why cottage cheese is next

Born from a viral video and built like a modern CPG, All Things Dairy’s is using social‑first brand building, clean‑label processing and protein‑aligned innovation to move the needle in a commoditised category

FN+World’s top 30 food-tech companies revealed

From AI-powered ingredient discovery to zero-waste packaging and next-gen proteins, the top 30 global food-tech list showcases the game-changing technologies shaping the future of food

Gut health: Innovations shaping a $51bn industry

From microbiome-first foods to AI-powered diagnostics, discover the innovations shaping the future of wellness

Cultivated meat guidance released in UK: 4 key takeaways

The UK has released its first guidelines on cultivated meat novel food applications

CRISPR crops: The next frontier for food security?

The innovative gene editing technique can make crops more disease and drought resistant, but faces scepticism from regulators and NGOs