Beverage

Mars at 115: Shaping the future of confectionery

From a small-town America to the world’s biggest confectionery company, Mars mark 115 years of family ownership and industry influence

Gut health made Yakult famous. Now it must prove it can stay relevant

Yakult helped to create the gut-health category, but it faces stiff competition in an ever-crowded functional market.

Japan Focus: Asahi’s growth plans, Calbee on personalised nutrition, food tech investment, and more

This edition features Asahi’s focus on its beer adjacent categories and East Africa expansion, Calbee’s personalised granola, government investment into food technology, and more

5 trends shaping global energy drink recipes

From GLP-1 to naturalness, the evolution of energy drinks worldwide is being driven by a variety of different trends

FN+PepsiCo flags major gap in women’s sports nutrition

PepsiCo is calling for more practical women’s sports nutrition products and research, with greater focus on areas such as hormonal health and body image sensitivities

FN+Why Nestlé’s latest results point to real recovery

Accelerating volumes, resilient margins and a confident outlook suggest Nestlé’s recovery strategy is gaining traction

Mars invests $3m to empower women cocoa farmers

Mars and Save the Children launch major new project to support women in cocoa farming

The new beverage battleground is in AI recommendations vs. shelf space

AI is recognizing brands that solve a problem, according to new data

Asahi eyes beverage growth in East Africa for cyberattack rebound

Asahi is banking on growth in its beverages business as well as its new East African acquisition to fuel recovery and get back on track after its infamous 2025 cyberattack

FN+Coca-Cola outpaces rivals with strong Q2

Coca-Cola delivers strong Q2, posting growth across revenue, volume and profits

Food Taipei Mega Shows 2026

Multifunctional beverages: The next avenue of growth?

Taiwanese functional beverage start-up Passion 24 is expanding overseas with fruit-based drinks targeting beauty, hydration, and mental wellness

FN+Coca-Cola’s Fairlife resumes operations after attack

Operations resume after Coca-Cola subsidiary Fairlife hit by ransomware attack

Are global coffee sustainability strategies falling short?

Coffee sustainability worldwide is at a crossroads, as prices fluctuate and concerns grow over climate change, farmer incomes and long-term supply resilience

Nestlé’s turnaround gains momentum despite profit drop

Nestlé delivers stronger organic growth and improving volumes in H1 2026, but net profit falls 31.4%

FN+Coca-Cola confirms cyberattack as Fairlife operations halted

Coca-Cola confirms ransomware attack on dairy subsidiary Fairlife

FN+The brands turning alcohol-free into drinks’ hottest category

No longer content to imitate beer, wine and spirits, a new generation of alcohol-free drinks is creating entirely new occasions, flavours and functions, and consumers are drinking it up

FN+Brown-Forman VP unveils strategy for travel retail alcohol growth

The VP of Brown-Forman has revealed the firm’s strategy behind its continued bold push in travel retail alcohol amid fast-changing consumer trends

ジャパン フォーカス：食品価格の高騰、OSKの紅茶、Thai Unionのシーフードスナック

今月のJapan Focusでは、今年さらに激化すると見込まれる食品価格の高騰、OSKの成長計画、Thai Unionの日本風シーフードスナックなどについて探ります

Japan Focus: Food price hikes, export ambitions and smarter marketing

This edition explores how food price hikes will intensify this year, OSK’s growth plans, Thai Union’s Japanese-inspired seafood snacks, and more

OSK makes caffeine-free tea play as it eyes US, Middle East

Japanese tea brand OSK is expanding its caffeine-free range to tap health trends and capture international growth

PepsiCo embraces dirty soda trend with Dirty Mountain Dew and Mug Root Beer Floats

As consumer interest in indulgent, creamy sodas surges, major beverage brands are ditching the DIY approach for convenient, ready-to-drink formats

FN+Iran conflict: food sector’s 8 biggest casualties

Impacts from the Iran conflict have rippled across the global food system, with disruption taking an overall toll on food security and supply chains

New Protein Watch: Betagro chicken noodles, Thai Union snacks and fresh soymilk

Betagro chicken noodles, Thai Union snacks and fresh soymilk feature in this edition of New Protein Watch

FN+5 food trends driven by lifestyle shifts around the world

Convenience, wellness and cultural identity are reshaping what people eat, driving five global food trends influencing brands today

Growth Asia Summit 2026: Retailers JD Health, Guardian, Alpro Pharmacy join major brands next week

There is still a week left until the Growth Asia Summit 2026 and we can confirm the attendance of retailers active in the region’s health and nutrition space, including Alpro Pharmacy, China’s JD Health and Guardian Singapore.

Supermarkets globally ramp up investment in own-label alcohol ranges

Supermarkets globally are pouring investment into their own brand food and drink ranges as they look to capture more customer spend, with alcohol becoming an increasing important part of the mix

Agthia’s ‘world-first dates energy drink’ targets category shake-up

United Arab Emirates (UAE) based Agthia has entered the energy drink category with a world-first invention, attempting to appeal to a modern audience with a major regional ingredient: dates

Former Nestlé CEO in legal dispute with Swiss food giant following sacking

Former Nestlé chief executive officer, Laurent Freixe, is challenging his dismissal in a dispute over lost bonuses and shares

SWIFT reforms: India’s push for food safety and traceability

India’s recent reforms span ingredient restrictions and digital trade systems aimed at strengthening food traceability and supporting domestic and global trade

UAE’s Nutri-Mark nutrition labelling system goes digital

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) government has launched an app to bring its national nutritional labelling system to the next level

Danone strengthens beverages portfolio with Asia-Pacific acquisition

Danone has ramped up its portfolio of functional beverages with the agreement to purchase Australia-based Made Group.

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

聚焦中国：功能性食品创新、KitKat 本土化战略、中国品牌在东南亚的崛起等

本期探讨本土化、功能创新与高端化如何助力品牌赢得亚洲各地消费者

China Focus: Functional food innovations, KitKat’s localisation strategy, and the rise of Chinese brands in SEA

This edition examines how localisation, functional innovation and premiumisation are helping brands win consumers across Asia

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

Is ‘healthy enough’ the new ‘better for you?’

Winning brands balance health, indulgence and convenience

Iran-US peace deal: What it means for food

The deal includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

4 ways food brands can win in China’s ‘conscious indulgence’ era

Chinese consumers are among the most discerning in the world, and guilt-free indulgence is leading local innovation trends. Here are four ways food firms can capitalise

Japan Focus: KitKat’s localisation strategy, food security, Glico at Growth Asia Summit, and FFC trends

This edition explores how KitKat became a Japanese icon, efforts to strengthen food security, Glico in Growth Asia Summit, and FFC consumption trends

Can Ebola disrupt coffee prices and stocks?

The border closure between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised concerns over potential disruption to coffee trade - but is there a risk to global coffee prices?

The changing fortunes of alcohol in a K-shaped economy

Changing drinking habits and inflation are shaking up the economics of alcohol

Do baijiu’s powerful brands promise global potential?

The Chinese spirit has a lot to offer, with some powerful brands and consumers’ thirst for exotic tastes

TFWA 2026

Croissant gin? Four Pillars tests the boundaries of innovation

Australian distillery Four Pillars is reinventing what gin innovation looks like, experimenting with bold new flavours that leap beyond classic botanicals

Will integrated hubs define Singapore’s food manufacturing future?

As major food brands shift operations out of Singapore, Gourmet Xchange taps convenience and scalability with an integrated food hub from ideation to production and distribution

Monster chases global energy drink growth with Coca-Cola distribution muscle

Monster executives say the company still has a long runway outside the US as it rolls out market-specific products, affordable brands and female-focused lines such as FLRT, while international sales climb to 45% of revenue

Snack trends: Nutrient-dense grazing hitting its stride

Snack brands are targeting fluid eating occasions with products that deliver nutrition in smaller portable formats, aligning with healthier snacking trends to suit busier lifestyles

ANZ Focus: Aussie Syrah, World Cup dairy and Brancourts

Aussie Syrah wine, World Cup dairy and Brancourts feature in this edition of ANZ Focus

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?

Could the World Cup open up a unique opportunity for alcohol-free?

With matches in Europe running late into the night, consumers will be looking for alternatives to alcohol

Is APAC finally moving towards food safety regulatory harmonisation?

Global food safety authorities claimed ‘tangible results’ were seen in the most recent Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit (APFRAS) attended by 14 Pacific nations — but is this just talk?