Bakery and Snacks

Is traditional snack advertising becoming obsolete?

Big Food is moving advertising spend towards social media, influencers, e-commerce and AI – putting traditional brand marketing under pressure.

Mars pumps $13m into future talent and farmer resilience

Mars Impact Fund invests over $13m in global community programmes, backing farmer livelihoods, healthcare access, youth education and animal welfare initiatives.

McVitie’s, Snickers, Cadbury and Cheez-It turn snacks into something bigger

McVitie’s, Snickers, Cadbury, Cheez-It and five more brands are using unusual launches to create experiences, enter markets and engage shoppers.

Barilla’s Goodles acquisition reflects growing health food M&A trend

Barilla’s acquisition of Goodles follows a familiar formula of pairing startup innovation with multinational scale.

The top 3 areas winning private label right now

Private label’s transition from a generic staple to rivalling national brand aligns with broader consumer preferences towards premium wellness products according to Spins data.

Campbell’s Co slashes dividend, cuts jobs and raises prices in $500M savings push

Campbell’s cuts jobs, closes plants and slashes its dividend as it launches a $500 million savings plan after another weak quarter.

Big Food’s Big Reset: Why the industry’s changing faster than ever

Big Food is undergoing a major transformation as rising costs, private label growth, shifting consumer demand and investor pressure force companies to rethink portfolios, leadership and growth strategies.

Can AI unlock your factory’s hidden capacity?

Pringles says AI lifted factory capacity by 10% without new machinery. Could food producers unlock more output from their existing production lines?

From cocoa microbes to bloom, the battle for consistent chocolate

Scientists are uncovering how cocoa microbes, crystallisation and sugar structure influence chocolate flavour, functionality, bloom and shelf life.

7 ingredients European food manufacturers are quietly falling out of love with

Food makers are replacing once-essential ingredients as clean-label demands, supply risks and rising costs reshape food formulation strategies.

Allulose-containing products claiming zero sugar threatened with growing litigation

Products with the sweetener allulose face a wave of lawsuits challenging “zero sugar” and “sugar free” claims, following a key Seventh Circuit ruling involving Chobani.

US bakery giant opens UK centre of excellence

Can food brands survive the rise of agentic commerce?

Agentic commerce is reshaping food retail. Brands that master nutrition, trust and data stand to gain most from AI-driven shopping

Arsenic for breakfast? Cereal’s contaminant problem exposed

Clean Label Project tested 77 US cereals and found wide variations in arsenic, lead, acrylamide and glyphosate, raising questions for manufacturers.

Carob cracks gluten-free pasta’s biggest challenges

New research finds carob flour can make gluten-free pasta firmer, less sticky and higher in fibre, with 20% delivering the best overall results.

Xylitol linked to heart attacks and strokes in major study

A major study links higher blood xylitol levels to greater cardiovascular risk, adding to growing scrutiny of the sweetener's long-term safety.

Mondelēz, PepsiCo and pladis to take part in circular packaging trial

Companies including Mondelēz, PepsiCo and pladis are taking part in a Belgium-wide packaging trial which will test whether invisible watermarks can improve sorting. If successful, the trail will enable the development of more targeted recycling systems. The trial aims to get industry ready for PPWR minimums on recycled packaging content that will be introduced in 2030.

Back-to-school shopping trends shift among inflation and seasonal creep

Inflation, discounts, Halloween and new dietary guidelines are reshaping 2026 back-to-school shopping trends for food and beverage brands.

California passes non-UPF food seal, setting potential blueprint for other states

California lawmakers unanimously passed AB 2244, creating a government-backed non-UPF food seal that could influence labeling in other states.

Is the snack market slowing? How changing habits are reshaping the industry

Is the snack food market heading for a slowdown? Discover how changing consumer habits, protein trends and healthier choices are reshaping snacking.