Snacks

Exposing the mistakes that sink healthier snacks

Health messages that put shoppers off, recipes pushed too far and unreliable suppliers can derail even the most promising better-for-you snacks

Fi Asia 2026

Fibre on fire: Next-gen functional yet convenient instant noodles and snacks

A savvy Indonesian firm is taking advantage of the rising fibre trend creamer to pursue export growth with added-fibre instant noodles, beverages and snacks

Is snacking too obsessed with Gen Z?

Manufacturers chasing younger consumers could be putting an unnecessary age limit on their next bestseller

Nongshim taps K-pop for global Shin Ramyun growth

Nongshim is using K-pop group aespa to position Shin Ramyun as an everyday food for global consumers, as Korean food rides the Korean Wave

Japan Focus: Health, innovation and the forces shaping food and drink

In this edition of Japan Focus, we explore the health and nutrition trends, market drivers and sustainability challenges shaping Japan’s food and drink industry — and the wider Asian food landscape

Mars predicts a future of automated and immersive retail

Agentic technology is increasingly shaping what consumers expect from their shopping experience as household staples are relegated to automated replenishment while immersive spaces are designed to drive discovery and spotlight viral trends

Glico COO: Nutrition and snacking shouldn’t be separate

Glico says snack innovation is increasingly about combining nutrition, health benefits and indulgence, rather than treating them as separate priorities

Foodex President Director: Flavour still matters most in snacks

Indonesian F&B giant Foodex sees flavour as key to snack innovation, with ube, matcha and peach among the profiles it is exploring across markets

Looking beyond healthy: Why better-for-you isn’t enough for snacks

Better-for-you snacks must deliver more than health as consumers continue to seek indulgence, familiarity, convenience and value

COA expands high-protein chocolate range with matcha and coconut

COA has added matcha and coconut flavours to its high-protein chocolate range as it expands in Australia and New Zealand and eyes the US market

FN+UPF meta-analysis lands as industry debates definitions

UPF risks mount, but safe consumption levels remain unclear amid divided definition debate

FN+From trend-chasing to execution II: What food innovation needs next

In the second part of this analysis, we look at how recent food industry moves show innovation must balance consumer appeal with scale and resilience

Nestlé Russia under state control: What happens next?

As the dust settles on Russia’s takeover of Nestlé’s local operations, analysts warn the move could reshape how multinationals assess risk in the country

FN+China food policies face test as consumers seek healthier choices

China has established the foundations for healthier food environments - but new data shows implementation gaps could be a bottleneck

FN+Nestlé Russia falls under Kremlin control

Food and beverage giant vows to protect its rights after Russia transfers control of local business to state-appointed administrator

Australia food labelling under scrutiny as FSANZ weighs reforms

FSANZ is consulting on changes to food labelling rules as an investigation into food fraud and misleading labels raises fresh questions about Australia’s food labelling system

FN+Nestlé shifts strategy from scale to execution

Coffee, Petcare and emerging markets at centre of Nestlé’s new strategy as the food giant moves away from growth through scale

Canada’s tariff retaliation puts US food and agriculture industries in a bind

Dairy and steel groups back aggressive US trade action, while broader agriculture groups warn that escalating tariffs and retaliation could threaten critical export markets

FN+The top 3 areas winning private label right now

Private label’s glow-up is winning shoppers with clean labels, high-protein products and trend-driven innovation that goes far beyond bargain pricing

Creative friction: How Taiwan taps tradition for modern Asia

Mayor Huang Ming-Hui tells FoodNavigator how Taiwanese brands are balancing traditional appeal with modern consumer needs as they expand across Asia

Opinion

FN+Climate change is an existential threat to food

The threat that heat poses to crops is a global problem

FN+Could dropping ‘vegan’ unlock growth?

What if the future of vegan food isn’t vegan at all? Why the next wave of growth could come from selling great food that just happens to be animal-free

‘Damning results’: Australia investigates alleged food fraud in supermarkets

Australia’s consumer watchdog is looking into alleged food fraud after forensic tests flagged misleading origin claims and possible adulteration in supermarket products

Mondelēz accelerates premiumisation drive

From Cadbury and Oreo to Toblerone and Côte d’Or, Mondelēz encourages consumers to trade up as it doubles down on premiumisation

FN+Confectionery fraud surges as manufacturers struggle to stay ahead

Fraudsters target high-value ingredients and premium claims, leaving confectionery manufacturers battling risks from farm to finished product

Can culturally rooted snacks survive industrial scale?

As regional flavours go global, manufacturers risk engineering away the very character that made them valuable

Bursting the health halo: Insights from India’s food safety landscape

India’s food safety landscape highlights why health and wellness brands need evidence-backed claims, transparent labelling and robust traceability

Cadbury breaks category boundaries with beauty launch

Cadbury joins cross-category collaboration trend with MCoBeauty beauty launch

Ritter Sport and Haribo join confectionery collaboration boom

Ritter Sport and Haribo join forces to launch limited-edition Balla Bites

US snack giants find their fastest growth is no longer at home

Tariffs, weight-loss drugs and a more cautious US shopper are pushing the industry’s biggest names to chase growth in India, Latin America and Southeast Asia instead

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

Baobab: A multi-purpose functional powerhouse continues to grow

The fruit, originating in Africa, has potential for use as a functional ingredient around the world

FN+Nestlé breaks with 60 years of After Eight tradition

Nestlé is giving After Eight its biggest makeover in decades, expanding the iconic brand with new flavours and a modern look

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

Roasted edamame taps high-protein, clean-label snack demand

As demand grows for high-protein and clean-label snacks, Zenko is betting roasted edamame can offer consumers a natural alternative to processed protein products

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%

China Focus: Yili on healthy ageing, e-commerce and sports nutrition, conscious indulgence, and more

This edition explores Yili’s innovation strategies for elderly nutrition, sports nutrition growth via e-commerce, capitalising on the conscious indulgence era, and more

聚焦初创公司：苹果醋、能量饮料与美容果冻

本期“聚焦初创公司”涵盖苹果醋、能量饮料及美容果冻相关内容

Growth Asia Summit 2026

Calbee’s personalised granola takes breakfast to a new level

Calbee is tapping demand for personalised nutrition with tailored granola designed to provide healthier, more individualised breakfasts

Is MSG still controversial?

The scientific consensus around the additive does not reflect common attitudes

Mondelez State of Snacking: The impossible innovation brief

Manufacturers have spent years responding to one consumer trend after another, but today’s snack has to satisfy every expectation at once

Why the smartest food marketing begins when everything goes wrong

From stolen chocolate to monochrome packaging, some of the food industry’s most effective marketing campaigns have grown out of operational problems rather than creative briefs

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.

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

When everything is a snack, is anything a snack?

The most important finding in Mondelez International’s latest State of Snacking report isn’t that people are snacking more but that the industry may no longer know what a snack is

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

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

Mondelēz reveals taste is no longer king in snacking

Consumers aren’t simply looking for something tasty. Mondelēz International’s latest report suggests they increasingly want food that entertains, comforts and gives them something worth talking about