Why Maple Sugar Is Becoming the Next Big Ingredient Trend
The Food Institute podcast at CLC Canada 2026 highlighted maple sugar’s rise from a niche product to a major ingredient trend. Matthew Bryson of Prestige Maple explained how the company, a leading exporter of maple syrup, is diversifying with maple sugar, mocktails, and a line of fermented maple wines aimed at premium consumers. Key insights include a two‑year R&D effort to create maple‑based mocktails and three maple wines—sparkling, dry white, and dessert—developed with an Italian wine expert. Maple sugar, essentially dehydrated maple syrup, is gaining traction as a natural, single‑ingredient sweetener, driving a 15% annual growth rate and expanding into sports drinks, bakery ingredients, and emerging markets across the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Bryson emphasized cultural immersion: “Learn the language, visit supermarkets, understand local flavor trends,” and noted that humility—saying sorry when missteps occur—can protect millions. He also cited the strategic advantage of offshore warehouses and agile logistics to navigate shifting tariffs and supply‑chain disruptions. For food and beverage firms, the maple sugar wave signals a lucrative shift toward clean‑label sweeteners and innovative beverage formats. Companies that combine product innovation with local market insight and supply‑chain flexibility stand to capture significant market share as consumer demand for natural, premium ingredients accelerates.
What El Niño Means for Food Businesses
El Niño is expected to develop later this summer, bringing a shift in global weather patterns that will increase extremes and unpredictability for food and beverage companies. The phenomenon will amplify heat waves, drought, wildfires in the Western U.S., flooding in...
U.S. Processed Foods Have 4x More Additives
A new Harvard Law School‑partnered study examined 800 processed food items across 12 categories in the United States, revealing that cheaper products consistently contain far more additives, sugar, and salt than their premium counterparts. The analysis showed the cheapest breads average...
The One Thing Every Shopper Is Asking Themselves
Consumers across income brackets are feeling mounting financial pressure, with even half‑million‑dollar earners reporting paycheck‑to‑paycheck living, according to Goldman Sachs. This erosion of disposable income is collapsing the previously touted K‑shaped recovery, where high‑income shoppers continued to spend while others...
What 80 Million Yuka Users Already Know About Your Ingredients
Foodforthought Leadership hosted Julie Shapone, CEO of Yuka, to explain the app that lets consumers scan food and cosmetic barcodes and instantly see a health rating. Launched in 2017, Yuka now operates in 12 countries with 80 million users and positions...
Reasons Why Celebrities Are Getting Into Food & Beverage
The video examines why an increasing number of celebrities are launching consumer packaged goods, from Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin to Blake Lively’s Betty Buzz, and how their star power is reshaping the food‑and‑beverage aisle. Data show that 16% of U.S. adults...
Food and Beverage Industry News: 7-Eleven, Fertilizer Crisis & More #podcast
The Fast Break podcast highlighted four major food‑industry stories: the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned that a prolonged crisis in the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt fertilizer and energy exports, driving up prices and squeezing crop yields worldwide; 7‑Eleven’s...
Food Media Has Been Gatekeeping Global Cuisines — NYT's Eric Kim Explains
In a recent interview, New York Times food writer Eric Kim argues that food media has long acted as a gatekeeper, limiting the visibility of global cuisines while a growing consumer appetite for authentic ethnic flavors is reshaping the market. Kim...
Winning the Digital Shelf: Acosta Group on AI, Strategy and Growth
The interview at Expo West spotlights how the digital shelf, AI, and strategic focus are reshaping natural‑and‑organic CPG commerce. Shannon Hodok of Acosta Group explains that today’s shopper jumps between mobile, desktop, and physical aisles, turning the purchase path into...