Elizabeth Crawford

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast

The future of impulse shopping

Inflation, GLP-1 use and shifting shopping habits are reshaping spontaneous purchases, but not eliminating them, according to NielsenIQ’s Jack O’Leary who explains why digital merchandising, AI, social commerce and faster fulfillment are creating new...

FDA’s UPF definition may lack legal force, but not policy impact

The agency’s decision to submit a white paper rather than a proposed rule limits its legal force but could still influence voluntary reformulation, front-of-pack labeling and future federal food policy

Letter from the editor

Science, trust and the next era of food innovation

From combating food misinformation to redefining healthy eating and scaling AI-enabled innovation, IFT FIRST 2026 underscored how evidence-based science is reshaping the future of food

BellRing’s 4-part playbook for growing in a crowded market and maintaining a pole position

As competition intensifies in ready-to-drink protein, Premier Protein maker BellRing Brands tries something to new to drive future growth

IFT FIRST

Is fibermixxing the new fibermaxxing?

Growing consumer interest in specific fibers is prompting the promotion of fiber diversity as a way to deliver multiple health benefits while supporting product innovation

Cyclospora outbreak reshapes grocery shopping and restaurant traffic beyond recalled lettuce

Fear and uncertainty surrounding the growing Cyclospora outbreak are driving consumers away from fresh produce and toward frozen foods, creating ripple effects for grocers, restaurants and produce suppliers

Tyson Foods says value-added chicken playbook shields profits from commodity price swings

The company’s years-long shift toward branded, retail-ready chicken products and strategic customer partnerships helped insulate its poultry business from falling commodity chicken prices, offering a potential roadmap for other processors

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast

Benefit stacking, not hero ingredients, is the future of food

Manufacturers must rethink formulation in the post-GLP-1 era to account for shifting consumer desire from hero ingredients to products that deliver multiple health benefits, fit into their everyday routines and justify their price

Sprouts Farmers Market rethinks pricing playbook after cuts delivers mixed results

The retailer says lower prices moved products but had less impact on traffic than expected, leading it to double down on personalization and targeted promotions

IFT FIRST

Can dairy retain its bioactive benefits without sacrificing food safety?

By preserving naturally occurring milk exosomes that conventional processing often destroys, biotech startup Exosomm says it can help manufacturers deliver clinically relevant bioactive benefits without compromising food safety, shelf life or scalability