New Culture targets $50 billion cheese market with new patent
New Culture expands its animal-free casein portfolio with mozzarella patent
Start-ups
Summer Fancy Food Show 2026
Bone broth breaks out of the soup bowl
Bone broth’s versatility across beverage formats reveals there’s more to it than a functional, savory drink
Summer Fancy Food Show 2026
What brands need to know before pitching retailers
Winning at retail requires balancing data, storytelling and relationships to reinforce each other
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
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
Global Food Tech Awards
Why next gen alt protein startups will be built on access, not just science
In protein, the real challenge isn’t invention – it’s getting to market and staying there
How a better-for-you chip brand is raising the stakes in the category
Former better-for-you candy disruptor moves to the savory aisle with a healthier take on the classic potato chip
Precision fermentation scale-up: Inside a pilot plant for next-gen food ingredients
The University of Illinois is helping food companies move from lab breakthroughs to commercial production, working with partners like ADM and Primient
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
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
Ashwagandha and mushrooms fuel rise of relaxation beverages
Data shows mood drinks gaining ground as consumers seek calm, sleep and alcohol-free social options
Anterra Capital closes fund to back AI-powered food startups
VC firm targets scalable, science-backed startups across food and agriculture as investment shifts from hype to discipline
Indoor ag firm AeroFarms finds new lifeline with Palm Ventures
Investment firm bets on vertical farming, retail traction and GLP-1-driven demand as industry shifts toward profitability
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
Snack bar startups draw capital around protein, function and format
Stars + Honey’s recent funding to scale its collagen protein snack bars reflects broader capital investment towards nutrition, functionality, clean label and format innovation in the snack bar category
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
McCormick and Unilever ‘well underway’ with $40 billion merger despite investor fears
More than 200 employees are meeting in Baltimore this week to blueprint the integration as executives tout growth, margin expansion and up to $600 million in synergies
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
News Bites
How consolidation, new sweeteners and retail pressure are redefining food
Companies are getting bigger, ingredients are getting smarter and the definition of “better-for-you” is getting narrower
Beyond Meat backer closes $1B growth fund targeting food and energy
The growth-stage fund has already deployed $300 million to food tech and agriculture companies like Sojo Industries and Exacto
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
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
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
Chicken of the Sea tests sustainability waters, but will consumers bite?
Chicken of the Sea rolls out sustainability certification across its entire tuna portfolio, marking a milestone for a mainstream US brand – but the move is about more than environmental credentials
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
Why non‑UPF verification is emerging as a strategic advantage for startups
As consumer concern over ultra‑processed foods accelerates, startups are turning to emerging non‑UPF certifications to build trust with shoppers and retailers
How the Swedish candy craze helped save a San Francisco sweets shop
A year after flames gutted his Haight Street candy shop, founder Max Kolegue rebuilt the business through Amazon sales – and a viral boom in Swedish gummies
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
CPGs can’t wait for biotech to scale up – they need to help build it
Scale-up infrastructure is broken and it won’t fix itself
Future Food-Tech San Francisco
How corporates, startups and farmers can share risk and drive resilience
A case for rethinking how the food system invests, scales and strengthens its most essential ingredients
Scaling precision fermentation: Why capital and collaboration remain the biggest hurdles
Industry experts cite massive CapEx, supply bottlenecks and regulatory complexity as key barriers
Fermentation growth collides with manufacturing shortage – iFAB aims to fix it
As Europe and Asia outpace the US in precision fermentation investment, an Illinois-based consortium backed by ADM and a $51 million federal grant aims to catch up
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
From 67 no’s to nationwide: How Magic Mind built its functional shot business
Positioned to upgrade coffee, Magic Mind rapidly is scaling its nootropic shot after turning early rejections into nationwide retail traction
