FDA Finalizes Systematic Post-Market Food Chemical Review Process
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finalized a systematic post‑market review process for food chemicals, launching reassessments of the additives butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and azodicarbonamide (ADA). The new framework uses an AI platform called WILEE to monitor signals, triages chemicals based on risk, and conducts case‑by‑case scientific assessments. Public engagement is built in, allowing stakeholders to submit information and comment on preliminary findings. An annual work plan will list chemicals slated for review, ensuring transparency and ongoing oversight of the food supply.
Editorial: Sustainable Food Procurement for Healthy Diets in Public and Private Canteens
The editorial surveys a new research collection on sustainable food procurement across public and private canteens, highlighting how procurement policies, menu design, and behavioral interventions can drive healthier, lower‑impact diets. Case studies range from French school feeding programs and Malawi’s...
Grocery Prices Increase the Most Since Government Shutdown
Grocery prices rose 0.7% in April, the steepest monthly gain since the 2023 government shutdown, after a 0.2% dip in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Five of six major food categories posted increases, led by fruits and...
Dutch Bros Posts 30% Revenue Jump as Energy Drinks Fuel Growth
Dutch Bros reported a 30% year‑over‑year revenue increase in Q1 FY2026, outpacing rivals like Starbucks. The surge is tied to the chain’s aggressive expansion of its proprietary energy‑drink portfolio, including the long‑running Rebel line and the newly launched Myst Energy...
Snackbox To Go Sharpens Airline BoB Strategy with Benchmarking Tool
Snackbox To Go unveiled its BoB Benchmarking Tool at WTCE 2026, offering airlines a data‑driven way to compare European buy‑on‑board menus. The platform surfaces pricing, assortment depth and untapped "white‑space" opportunities, allowing carriers to fine‑tune product mix and revenue strategy. The...
Tostitos Enters New Market with Refrigerated Guacamole Line
PepsiCo is extending its Tostitos brand into the refrigerated aisle with a new chunky guacamole dip. The product, flavored with a mild hint of lime, uses Hass avocados, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and spices, and contains no artificial colors, flavors,...
Mama’s Creations Adds to Prepared Meal Offerings
Mama’s Creations, a specialty foods maker known for deli salads, announced an expansion of its prepared‑meal portfolio with 12 new ready‑to‑heat options. The line, priced around $7.99 per serving, targets busy families and health‑conscious shoppers. Distribution will reach roughly 3,500...
Hormel Rolls Out New Herdez Asada Marinades, Seasonings, Sauces
Hormel Foods, through its MegaMex division, has introduced the Herdez Asada line, adding six new Mexican‑style marinades, sauces and taco seasonings. The products—ranging from carne asada and pollo asado marinades to two barbecue sauces—are engineered to caramelize in air fryers,...
Five Guys Store Closures: See a List of Doomed Locations in Several States for 2026 so Far
Five Guys is closing at least 14 restaurants in the first half of 2026, affecting locations in California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Georgia and Nebraska. The closures come despite the chain’s overall footprint expanding, as it added 37 stores in 2024...
Bunge Opens Soy Protein Plant with Capabilities for Meat Products
Bunge Ltd. inaugurated a $550 million soy protein concentrate and textured soy protein facility in Morristown, Indiana, capable of processing 4.5 million bushels of soybeans each year. The plant adds 70 jobs and joins an existing crushing operation that handles up to...
CPGs Need a New Playbook
Food and beverage CPGs are confronting a prolonged slump, with volume growth stuck under 1% annually and total shareholder return for the sector down about 7% versus a 9% rise in the S&P 500. McKinsey’s April report attributes the decline to...
Mini Melts Teams with The Magnum Ice Cream Co. For Distribution Deal
Mini Melts USA has entered a strategic partnership with The Magnum Ice Cream Co. to operate Magnum‑branded vending machines across the United States, with a rollout beginning in summer 2026. The collaboration will place Magnum’s portfolio—including Good Humor novelty bars and...
Kraft Heinz’s Biggest Portfolio Campaign to Date Celebrates America250
Kraft Heinz is launching its biggest portfolio campaign, "The United Tastes of America," to coincide with the United States' 250th anniversary and the Memorial Day cookout season. The multi‑channel effort features limited‑time star‑shaped products and patriotic packaging across its core...
Guatemala Coffee Report: Production Up as Arabica Plantings Mature
Guatemala’s USDA‑FAS report projects green coffee output to reach 3.26 million 60‑kg bags in the 2026/27 market year, a 3.3% increase over the prior estimate. Harvested area expands 2% to 345,000 ha, driven by maturing arabica trees and rust‑tolerant hybrid renovations covering...
Brightseed Expands Bioactive Dataset to 21M Compounds
Brightseed announced that its bioactive compound dataset has surged to roughly 21 million entries, almost twice the size of its 2023 collection. The expansion is driven by new microbial and fungal coverage and advances in profiling and AI analysis. The larger...
Food Price Increase Contributes to Overall 3.8% Jump in Consumer Prices
The U.S. Consumer Price Index climbed 3.8% in April, with grocery prices rising 0.7% after a flat March. Beef led the food surge, up 2.7% and now 14.8% higher than a year ago, while fruits and vegetables jumped 1.8%. Energy...
Drive-Thru Concepts Welcome Tech Advancements, But Not Without Human Touch
PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, part of Ballard Brands, is championing a hybrid dine‑in and drive‑thru model that delivers 30‑40% higher revenue than café‑only locations. Roughly 80% of its units now feature a drive‑thru, with the brand emphasizing order accuracy...
Value Is Now the Default: How Retailers Should Rethink Assortment, Pricing and the Shelf
Zappi’s 2026 CPG Mega‑Trends report shows brand‑only buying halved to 10% as price becomes the primary driver for shoppers. Private‑label products now enjoy parity or superiority in the eyes of over 80% of U.S. consumers, yet they capture only 19%...
European Food Trust Rebounds, but Confidence in Sustainability Lags
Consumer confidence in Europe’s food system is rebounding, with the EIT Food report showing farmers now trusted by 68% of respondents in 2025. Retailers and restaurants also improved, reaching 54% and 53% trust respectively, while manufacturers and public authorities remain...
Masymas Supermercados: 4.3% Increase in Revenue in 2025
Masymas Supermercados posted €440.3 million (≈$480 million) in 2025 revenue, a 4.3% rise driven by a 3% volume increase across 115 stores in Spain’s Valencian Community and Murcia. In Europe, SPAR opened its fifth EUROSPAR in Finland’s North Karelia, while Aldi Belgium...
Low and No Cider a Leading Option for Non-Drinkers in the UK
A National Association of Cider Makers survey reveals low‑ and no‑alcohol cider is now the top choice for UK non‑drinkers, surpassing beer, wine and cocktails. Over half (58%) of respondents said they have reduced their alcohol intake in the past...
Hoteliers Using Winnow’s AI Saving $100 Million in Food Waste Annually
Hospitality giants including Hilton, Accor, Marriott, Mandarin Oriental and IKEA are collectively saving more than $100 million a year by cutting kitchen food waste with Winnow’s AI‑driven tracking system. The technology records discarded food in real time, analyses patterns and provides...
Hain Celestial Bets on Functional-Food Innovation to Power Next Phase of Turnaround
Hain Celestial is steering its turnaround toward innovation‑led growth after shedding its North American snack brands. The company reported a 13% year‑over‑year revenue decline to $338 million in Q3, yet its shares jumped 12% on better‑than‑expected earnings. New launches, such as...
Ink Shortage From Iran War Forces Japanese Snack Brand Calbee to Remove Color From Packaging
Japanese snack maker Calbee will switch its chip bags to a black‑and‑white design at the end of May 2026. The change responds to a critical shortage of multi‑color printing inks, which are tied to naphtha supplies disrupted by the Iran‑related...
Brain Food Startup Mosh Closes $13M Series A as Cognitive Wellness Goes Mainstream
Mosh, a brain‑food brand co‑founded by Maria Shriver and Patrick Schwarzenegger, closed a $13 million Series A led by Main Street Advisors. The raise comes as the global cognitive‑health food market, valued at $18.1 billion, is projected to reach $40.3 billion by 2030. Mosh’s...
Kroger Launches Limited‑Edition 7UP Mandarin Orange to Spark Summer Traffic
Kroger has added a new Mandarin Orange‑flavored 7UP, offered in full‑calorie and Zero Sugar versions, as a limited‑time product in partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper. The launch is designed to create urgency, draw shoppers back to stores, and capitalize on...
Hundreds of Dunkin’ Locations Planned for Canada in New Partnership
Foodtastic has signed a master franchising agreement with Inspire Brands to bring Dunkin’ back to Canada, securing exclusive rights to develop the brand nationwide. The plan calls for hundreds of new Dunkin’ locations, with the first store slated for opening...
Burger King Pilots AI Assistant “Patty” To Streamline Drive‑thru Inventory and Staff Interactions
Burger King has begun piloting an AI assistant called “Patty” in select drive‑thru lanes to monitor stock levels, cue staff actions and suggest managerial focus areas. The system, championed by chief digital officer Thibault Roux, is positioned as a productivity...
Premium Standards Power Seafood Brand’s Push Into Frozen Foods
Safe Catch, known for its mercury‑tested canned seafood, is entering the frozen market with pollock nuggets and tuna burgers. The brand leverages its proprietary testing that measures mercury ten times below FDA limits, applying the same transparency to every frozen...
Meat Industry Consolidation: A National Security Issue?
Four meatpackers—JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill, and National Beef—control roughly 80% of U.S. beef processing, driving historically high steak and hamburger prices. The Trump administration, via USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, frames this concentration as a national‑security threat because half of the...
Spaghetti Bolognese Leads Growth, Tomatoes Surge 15%
Spaghetti bolognese is outperforming Pasta up 1.3% Uncooked ground beef up 2.7% Tomatoes up 15.1%
Hidden Valley, Carl Buddig Launch Ranch Dippers Snacks
Hidden Valley Ranch and Carl Buddig and Co. have introduced Hidden Valley Ranch Dippers, a ready‑to‑eat snack featuring grilled chicken strips coated in the brand’s Original Ranch dressing. The line launches in two flavors—original ranch and buffalo‑style ranch—each delivering 15 grams...
Mizzica’s Italian Cream Liqueur Convinces a New Generation to Stay for One Last Drink
Mizzica, a new Italian cream liqueur crafted by branding agency Percept, launches with a tactile ribbed glass bottle and a striking diagonal diamond‑shaped label. The design deliberately breaks from the traditional, nostalgic aesthetic of cream liqueurs, positioning the product as...
McDonald’s Value Menu Faces Pressure From Higher Gas Prices
McDonald’s reported first‑quarter 2026 net income of $1.98 billion and revenue of $6.5 billion, with U.S. comparable sales climbing 3.9% after a prior decline. The chain rolled out a revamped Extra Value Menu and the McValue platform, featuring under‑$3 items aimed at...
The Lower-Cost Ikawa Go Is Ready and Set
Ikawa, the London‑based roaster‑maker, unveiled the Ikawa Go, a low‑cost, 50‑gram sample roaster, at World of Coffee San Diego. Priced at $2,100, it offers the same fluid‑bed roasting system, advanced profiling and app integration as the Pro and ProX lines,...
Greenhouse Production Drives Dominican Cherry Tomato Exports Up
Dominican cherry tomato exports jumped to 12.8 million pounds in 2025, a 27% rise from 2024, driven by expanding greenhouse production. The Ministry of Agriculture highlighted that greenhouse farms have stabilized supply, improved quality, and helped meet stringent U.S. market standards....
Compass Box Names New CMO
Scotch whisky maker Compass Box has appointed Ivo van den Brand as chief marketing officer to drive its next phase of global growth. Van den Brand brings experience from Too Good To Go, DiDi, Huawei and Philips, and will focus...
The Chancery Lane Project and WRAP Update Clause to Fight Corporate Food Waste
The Chancery Lane Project and WRAP have revised Runa’s Clause, a contractual tool that obliges companies to measure, report and cut food waste across supply chains. The update targets the £1,638‑£4,200 (≈$2,080‑$5,340) cost per tonne of waste and promises up...
World Gin Week to Launch in June
World Gin Week launches June 13‑20, featuring pop‑ups, tastings and seminars across top bars worldwide. Organized by spirits experts Phillip Duff and Karl Finegan, the week builds on the momentum of World Gin Day, which began in 2009. Participating venues...
Simon Kim Launches Three‑concept Dining Hub at 550 Madison Avenue
Simon Kim is opening three new dining concepts—Bar Chimera, a new Cote steakhouse, and a Masahiro Yoshitake sushi counter—across 15,000 square feet of the Philip Johnson‑designed 550 Madison Avenue building. The multi‑concept venue, slated for a fall debut, aims to...
The Iran War Is Taking the Color Out of Japan’s Best-Known Snack Bags
Calbee, Japan's leading snack maker, announced it will temporarily replace its iconic colorful plastic bags with black‑and‑white packaging. The change stems from a shortage of naphtha, a petroleum‑derived solvent essential for ink production, caused by the Iran war’s impact on...
Gin Guild Welcomes 31 New Members
The Gin Guild announced the addition of 31 new members, raising total global membership to 642. The intake, revealed at the Guild's annual dinner and Spring Installation in London, includes major brands such as The House of Suntory, Adnams, and...
PharmaLinea Rides Surge in Functional Hydration Demand
PharmaLinea’s sugar‑free Hydramin stick packs, powered by its proprietary AminoAbsorb technology, have become the company’s most successful launch, fueling growth as functional hydration expands beyond athletes. At the Vitafoods Europe show, the firm demonstrated rapid wellness tests and announced two...
Target Expands Low‑Potency THC Drinks to 300+ Stores in Florida, Texas and Illinois
Target announced the rollout of its low‑potency, hemp‑derived THC drinks to more than 300 locations across Florida, Texas and Illinois. The expansion follows a successful pilot in Minnesota and comes as the retailer seeks to recover from a 1.7% decline...
China Axes Tariffs for African Imports, but What Does This Mean for South African Wine?
From May 1, China eliminated tariffs on products from 53 African nations under the China‑Africa Economic Partnership Agreement, including South African wine. The first tariff‑free shipment saw 6,000 bottles cleared at Shenzhen Bay, removing a 14‑20% duty. The pact runs until...
Applebee's Doubles Down on 2026's Biggest Diet Trend
Applebee’s is reviving its $16 all‑you‑can‑eat menu, now marketed as a high‑protein option, to attract price‑sensitive diners amid rising gas prices and inflation. The offer includes boneless wings, riblets, battered shrimp and unlimited fries, with minor tweaks to sauces and...
Tarquin’s Gin Maker Hits £1m Whisky Sales in First Year
Tarquin’s Spirits’ flavored whisky brand Tinner Bros has surpassed £1 million (≈US$1.36 million) in sales within its first 12 months. The brand, launched in March 2025, attributes rapid growth to strong retail, export and direct‑to‑consumer channels, with exports accounting for roughly one‑third...
Applebee’s Revives $15.99 All‑You‑Can‑Eat Deal to Boost Summer Traffic
Applebee’s has brought back its $15.99 all‑you‑can‑eat promotion, featuring unlimited boneless wings, riblets, shrimp and fries, alongside a new summer cocktail lineup. The move is positioned as a high‑value offer to drive dine‑in traffic during the peak summer months and...
Panera Bread CEO Launches $4.99 Value Menu and New Guest Experience Role to Revive Brand
Panera Bread chief executive Nico Carbone announced a multi‑pronged brand overhaul that adds a $4.99 half‑portion value menu, a part‑time “guest experience champion” in every store, and new sandwich and salad formats. The changes aim to re‑engage lapsed customers and...
Dug Group Relaunches Venezuelan Rum Tepuy
Family‑owned Dug Group has relaunched its Venezuelan rum, Ron Tepuy, as a super‑premium label for 2026, introducing two 40% ABV expressions. Monumento is a pot‑still blend aged up to 12 years in American oak and finished in three sherry casks,...