Apetit Horizontal Banner February 2026
Ahold Delhaize’s reformulation drive elevates “healthy” own-brand F&B sales

Ahold Delhaize’s reformulation drive elevates “healthy” own-brand F&B sales

Ahold Delhaize has reported fourth-quarter 2025 net sales of €23.5 billion (US$27.8 billion), an increase of 6.1% at constant exchange rates, with 52.1% of own-brand food sales now classified as “healthy” — a figure that signals the Belgian-Dutch retailer’s reformulation commitments and health-driven product strategy are succeeding commercially. Full-year net sales hit €92.4 billion (US$109 billion), with an underlying operating margin of 4.0%. Comparable sales excluding gasoline rose 2.5% in Q4, outpacing a US supermarket market where volumes declined 2% over the year. 
Maximizing mouthfeel in healthier F&B: How ingredient innovators tackle texture challenges
Maximizing mouthfeel in healthier F&B: How ingredient innovators tackle texture challenges
Food and beverage brands are reformulating their products to better align with changing consumer preferences for healthier offerings and keep pace with the shifting regulatory landscape and government-backed dietary recommendations. Maintaining the texture and mouthfeel of F&B products is a central priority for manufacturers.
IFT President: AI can transform F&B innovation, but adoption barriers block success
IFT President: AI can transform F&B innovation, but adoption barriers block success
The F&B industry is undergoing a technological revolution as artificial intelligence (AI) makes significant inroads into NPD, formulation decisions, and food safety improvements. Boosting time-consuming tasks helps food manufacturers improve operational efficiency, but challenges in fully harnessing AI’s power remain.
ADM Texperien® Tapioca Starch Solutions
ADM Texperien® Tapioca Starch Solutions
For foods with the ideal bite, ADM Texperien® tapioca starches offer the functionality to deliver superior texture and clean taste in a range of applications.This Technical Paper is brought to you by ADM.
ISM 2026 recap: Alternative ingredients address confectionery industry challenges
ISM 2026 recap: Alternative ingredients address confectionery industry challenges

Price volatility and dietary demands are changing confectionery’s core ingredients. Missy Green, editor of The World of Food Ingredients, explores how alternatives to cocoa, gelatin, and refined sugar are reshaping the confectionery industry on the ISM 2026 show floor.

ISM & ProSweets 2026: Solving supply and reformulation challenges
ISM & ProSweets 2026: Solving supply and reformulation challenges
At ISM & ProSweets 2026 in Cologne, Germany, innovation converged around supply chain resilience, product reformulations, and sensory excellence in confectionery and snacks. Exhibitors showcased cocoa-free alternatives, sugar-reduced solutions, and clean label colors and flavors. The show highlighted how collaboration, social media-driven trends, and smart ingredient designs are reshaping the future of scalable, high-quality confections and snacks.

Latest headlines

View more
Kerry full-year results: Taste innovation drives gains following dairy...
Kerry full-year results: Taste innovation drives gains following dairy divestment
Kerry Group reported 3% volume growth, EBITDA margin expansion from 17.1% to 17.9%, and constant currency adjusted earnings per share growth of 7.5% in 2025 — its first full year following the divestment of Kerry Dairy Ireland. Demand for Tastesense salt and sugar reduction technologies, fermentation-derived taste systems, and a new enzyme-based natural sweetness platform drove gains across snacks, bakery, and beverages. The Tralee-headquartered group reported revenue of €6.8 billion (US$7.1 billion), a 2.5% decline on a reported basis reflecting the Dairy Ireland exit and currency translation headwinds of 3.9%. Adjusted EPS reached 481.5 cents, landing within the upper half of the company’s 7–11% guidance range. Kerry announced a new €300 million (US$315 million) share buyback program, commencing February 17. 
European Food Safety Authority withholds sucralose safety approval for...
European Food Safety Authority withholds sucralose safety approval for high-heat applications
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said it cannot confirm the safety of sucralose (E 955) — a sweetener around 600 times sweeter than sugar and used in reduced-sugar and sugar-free F&B products — for additional uses requiring prolonged high-temperature processing.
Scientists upcycle sunflower oil waste for high-protein, nutrient-rich bread
Scientists upcycle sunflower oil waste for high-protein, nutrient-rich bread
Scientists in Brazil have utilized sunflower oil waste to develop bread higher in protein, fiber, and antioxidants, as consumer demand for healthier alternatives to traditional wheat-based food pushes F&B research.
Fonterra forecasts dairy protein surge as GLP-1s reshape F&B trends
Fonterra forecasts dairy protein surge as GLP-1s reshape F&B trends
Fonterra flags how increased GLP-1 use is fueling the demand for protein in its top five food and nutrition trends set to shape the year ahead in F&B. The global dairy exporter predicts a surge in demand for protein powders, ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shakes, and protein-enhanced snacks, as the number of weight loss medication users rises globally.
Agropur posts revenue increase as protein demand drives dairy growth
Agropur posts revenue increase as protein demand drives dairy growth
Canada’s largest dairy cooperative, Agropur, has reported revenues of CA$8.9 billion (US$6.2 billion) for its 2025 fiscal year, a 2% increase on 2024, with the company flagging plans to expand its value-added protein processing capacity. EBITDA rose 12.6% to CA$686.4 million (US$479 million), while CA$70 million (US$48.9 million) was returned to member dairy producers in patronage payments. 
How the supplement industry is bridging Ozempic’s nutrition gaps
How the supplement industry is bridging Ozempic’s nutrition gaps

Nutrition Insight

The rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide has thinned the waistlines of millions and opened the door for innovation in the US$200 billion supplement and nutraceutical industry. As the accessibility of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy increases, users are eating less and discovering the biological effects of rapid weight loss.
Highlighted features
IFF.
Business News
IFF posts full-year net loss as US$1.15B write-down sets...
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has reported a full-year net loss of US$374 million for 2025, driven largely by a US$1.15 billion write-down on the value of its Food Ingredients business — a segment the company is now actively putting up for sale. Stripping out one-off charges, the underlying business grew 2% on a currency-adjusted basis and delivered US$2.09 billion in adjusted operating profit. Full-year reported sales came in at US$10.89 billion, down 5% from the prior year.The write-down — an accounting charge that reduces the stated value of a business when its expected sale price falls below what was originally paid — reflects IFF’s assessment that its Food Ingredients unit is worth less than the figure carried on its books since the 2021 merger with DuPont’s nutrition division. IFF placed the segment under strategic review in August and has since launched a formal sale process, taking a US$1.15 billion goodwill write-down to reflect the planned exit. 
Beef processing.
Food Ingredients News
US beef prices surge as supply crisis triggers political...
US beef prices are climbing at nearly six times the rate of overall food inflation, driven by the smallest cattle herd in 75 years and a parasitic fly crisis on the Mexican border. The situation has triggered a rapid political response from the Trump administration, which has ordered antitrust investigations into the country’s dominant meat packers, while simultaneously expanding Argentine import quotas to ease consumer costs. Major processors, including Tyson Foods and JBS, are reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in quarterly beef losses, and the USDA Economic Research Service forecasts wholesale beef prices to rise a further 6.9% this year. On the retail side, grocery chains are reworking their pricing, assortment, and markdown strategies to manage what has become one of the most visible grocery cost pressures on US consumers. 
scientist examines mushrooms holding them in his hands
Food Ingredients News
Functional mushrooms move beyond supplements into...
Functional mushrooms are moving beyond capsules and powders into mainstream F&B — from mushroom coffee and energy drinks to chocolates and gummies. However, as consumer awareness of species like lion’s mane and reishi rises, industry advocates reveal deeper challenges around ingredient standardization, species differentiation, and treating functional mushrooms as a single, interchangeable category.

Ingredient focus

View more
Image

Consumers crave enhanced mouthfeel experiencesFeb2026

Data from Innova Market Insights shows that consumers are increasingly curious about texture when purchasing indulgent F&B products. They are drawn to smooth, creamy textures while also exploring ...

Brought to you by:

Ingredion

Product innovation

View more
Image

Sweetener trends & insights: Opportunities for calorie-conscious innovation Feb 2026

Innova Market Insights reveals that nearly half of consumers globally are turning to sweeteners to satisfy their sweet cravings while aiming to reduce their calorie intake. This growing demand for lower-calorie options is fueling innovation in the sweetener market, presenting new opportunities for the development of novel sweetener solutions in F&B products.

Trend analysis

View more
Image

Plant-based innovation: Beyond dairy and meat alternativesFeb 2026

Plant-based products now extend beyond dairy and meat alternatives, including both category replicas and standalone or hybrid products. Innova Market Insights data shows plant-based F&B launches have seen steady growth globally over the past five years, with Europe leading the way. Dairy remains the top category in these launches.

Multimedia

View more
Image
Video02:22
ISM & ProSweets 2026: Vegetables marry chocolate in “Vegilate” creation

Germany-based chocolatier Coppeneur has developed a range of snack and confectionery products that combine the indulgence of chocolate with the health and visual appeal of vegetables. “Vegilate” is a vegan product, containing up to 40% vegetable powder along with sugar and cocoa butter.

Image
Video05:09
ISM 2026 recap: Alternative ingredients address confectionery industry challenges
Image
Video05:53
ISM & ProSweets 2026: Valio on “permissible indulgence” and high-protein innovation
Image
Video01:31
ISM & ProSweets 2026: Bursting espresso martini chocolates win Silver ISM Innovation Award 
Subscribe to our newsletters
PlatformsFood Ingredients FirstNutrition InsightPackaging InsightsPersonal Care InsightsThe World of Food Ingredients
About usContact usAdvertisingPrivacy statementSitemapArchive
Follow us
linkedinrss_headergoogle_news
Image