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IFT FIRST trade show in Chicago, US.

IFT FIRST 2026 preview: Clean label reformulation faces scale-up test

Clean label innovation is entering a more demanding phase. Ahead of IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, US (Jul 12–15), ingredient suppliers say brands are moving beyond simple replacement claims and looking for natural, transparent solutions that can withstand the realities of commercial production. That demand means natural colors must perform through heat, pH shifts, and storage. Preservation systems must protect food safety and shelf life. Additive elimination must not compromise taste, cost, or scalability. And clean label claims must be backed by credible proof, reliable performance, and practical supply chains.
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AI-driven ingredient innovation: From faster formulation to smarter sustainability
Artificial intelligence is moving from a supporting role in food innovation to a more embedded position across R&D, formulation, supply chain planning, sensory prediction, and consumer insight. For ingredient suppliers, the opportunity is not simply to automate tasks, but to connect data, science, and application know-how in ways that compress development timelines, improve predictive accuracy, and help manufacturers respond to fast-moving market pressures.
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IFT FIRST 2026 preview: SternMaid Ingredients president on alt-protein’s shift from promise to proof
The F&B alternative protein industry is moving into a more demanding phase, as market demands converge with evolving consumer expectations and a tightening regulatory environment. Consumers increasingly prefer products with shorter and simpler ingredient lists, pushing manufacturers to balance clean label demands with challenges around scale-up and cost control.
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Reducing Sodium Without Compromise: 4 Critical Drivers of Successful Low-Sodium Formulations for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Products
Sodium reduction in meat, poultry, and seafood products is technically complex, requiring more than a simple ingredient replacement. This e-book explores four critical drivers that affect successful sodium reduction: yield optimization, visual appearance, microbial safety and shelf life, and textural integrity. Find proven solutions that lower sodium without compromise.This Technical Paper is brought to you by ICL Food Specialties.
AGRANA Fruit webinar promotional graphic showing a shopper reading a label beside text about gaps in functional F&B
When Healthy Isn't Enough: What's Missing in Today's Functional F&B?
As consumer demand for functional food and beverage products continues to rise, delivering health benefits is no longer a differentiator, it’s an expectation. But while brands compete on claims, many overlook a critical driver of repeat purchase: enjoyment.Taste, texture and sensory excitement often fall short, leaving consumers with products that are good for them, but not compelling enough to come back to. In this webinar, we explore the missing link in today’s functional F&B landscape: “fun.” Why is indulgence still important alongside functionality in many categories and how can brands bridge the gap between nutrition and pleasure without compromising on either.Join us as we unpack emerging consumer expectations, highlight key trends, and demonstrate how a holistic approach to product development can unlock both health and indulgence. Discover why the future of functional F&B lies in both what products do and how they make people feel.
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IFT FIRST 2026 preview: Better-for-you formulation takes center stage
At IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, US (Jul 12–15), ingredient innovators will showcase how functionality is moving deeper into everyday F&B. From protein enrichment, sugar reduction, and fiber fortification to clean label colors, natural flavors, active nutrition, and AI-enabled formulation, exhibitors will spotlight better-for-you solutions designed to deliver taste, texture, convenience, and targeted health benefits without compromising consumer appeal. Here, we preview some of the standout suppliers and solutions.

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Ask Ingredion tackles R&D bottlenecks with “conversational” AI formulation...
Colorful liquids in test tubes in lab with scientist's hands in blue gloves
Ingredion has unveiled Ask Ingredion — a “conversational” AI-powered ingredient assistant that helps R&D and technical teams overcome formulation challenges faster and more effectively. The launch reflects how F&B ingredient suppliers are increasingly using AI to support NPD, moving beyond manual searches for insight-led guidance.
IFT FIRST 2026 preview: Multifunctional ingredient systems reshape...
IFT FIRST trade show in Chicago.
As IFT FIRST 2026 approaches, ingredient suppliers say F&B innovation is moving from single-claim functionality toward more complete formulation systems that can deliver nutrient density, satiety, digestive comfort, convenience, and sensory appeal in one package. The shift is being accelerated by several overlapping consumer and industry forces: the rapid rise of GLP-1 medications, sustained demand for protein, interest in metabolic and microbiome health, and mounting pressure to reduce sugar without eroding taste.
Global food prices dip in June as cereal and sugar markets soften
Woman shopping for vegetable oil in the supermarket.
Global food commodity prices edged down in June 2026. Declines in cereals, sugar, and dairy outweighed increases in vegetable oils and meat, according to new data released by the UN FAO. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 130.3 points in June, representing a 0.3% decrease from May, although it remains 2.2 points (or 1.7%) higher than in June 2025.
Amazon-backed Circular Grain turns brewer’s waste into high-protein milk...
hands with cups of coffee
Food tech company Circular Grain is set to launch Tremi — a nutrient-rich milk alternative made using spent brewer’s grain, a byproduct of beer production often used as animal feed. The innovation will feature alongside nine others at this year’s Amazon Sustainability Accelerator program. The program is focused on upcycling waste products from various industries into new everyday products.
Could waste-derived microbial fats offer alternatives to cocoa butter and palm...
Chef's hand spreading chocolate ganache glazed over torte.
A new study suggests that fats produced through fermentation using food and agricultural waste could soon become a viable alternative to conventional fats used across the food industry, including cocoa butter, palm oil, and animal-derived fats.
Rousselot pushes targeted collagen peptides beyond beauty and mobility with...
Mature woman taking collagen on sofa at home

Nutrition Insight

Amid continued consumer and market interest in collagen, Rousselot says the category is moving beyond generic claims toward targeted collagen peptides’ composition and clinically validated solutions. The collagen and gelatin specialist highlights brand opportunities to stand out in an increasingly crowded market by moving beyond traditional beauty and mobility applications, such as tapping into metabolic wellness with its specific collagen peptide Nextida GC. 
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Key interview
IFT FIRST 2026: FoodChain ID unpacks Mentor AI’s expanded...
At IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, FoodChain ID will showcase the next phase of its connected intelligence framework with live demos of its Mentor AI platform. At the US-based tradeshow (Jul 12–15), the company will preview Mentor’s AI innovations, including real-time regulatory and market intelligence monitoring.
Broiler chicken factory farm.
Food Ingredients News
Europe’s livestock sector faces heatwave reckoning after...
France’s late-June heatwave killed an estimated 2.5 million to 3 million broiler chickens, according to Le Monde, with Brittany among the worst-hit regions. The scale of mortality overwhelmed rendering services and forced authorities to allow emergency on-farm burial in some cases, turning the heatwave into an animal welfare crisis and a logistical emergency for farmers. The heatwave’s impact extended beyond France. In Belgium, farmers warned that cows and pigs were suffering heat stress, reducing feed intake, milk yields, and growth rates. The rolling effects are expected to result in losses for dairy and meat production. 
Older consumer shopping for healthy food products.
New Product Development
Why healthy aging is moving beyond supplements into...
Healthy aging is no longer a niche conversation confined to capsules, tablets, and specialist nutrition. As consumers live longer, stay active later in life, and look for convenient ways to support mobility, mainstream F&B brands are beginning to borrow more confidently from the nutraceutical playbook. For F&B formulators, this shift is opening new white space around everyday formats that support muscle, strength, recovery, and mobility. Dairy drinks, ready-to-drink beverages, and functional snacks are becoming potential carriers for ingredients once more commonly associated with sports nutrition or supplement aisles.

Ingredient focus

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Plant-based ingredients drive steady NPD growthJul2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that consumers are increasingly looking to include plant-based ingredients in their diets. This demand is supporting steady innovation, with global F&B launches f...

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AI-driven F&B innovation gains momentum Jul 2026

According to Innova Market Insights, consumers are cautiously warming to AI’s role in food and drink innovation: 17% globally say they feel very comfortable with AI being used in product development, while 26% are comfortable with AI creating new flavor combinations. In response, brands are integrating AI into NPD across areas such as recipe creation, mascot development, and food safety monitoring. At the same time, they are using AI to drive innovation that directly address consumer concerns about the technology itself.

Trend analysis

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F&B flavor trends in focusJul 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicate a 22% YoY growth in F&B launches featuring flavor ingredients between April 2024 and March 2026. Bakery led category launches, while Alcoholic Beverages continued to gain momentum. Milk chocolate emerged as the top flavor, with Dubai chocolate showing exponential growth.  

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Michiel van der Bom, Cargill
Video06:06
Cargill: Cocoa volatility, processing control and the rise of hybrid chocolate

During a tour of Cargill’s cocoa supply chain in the Netherlands, Michiel van der Bom, product line director, Cocoa & Chocolate, spoke to us about the impact of bean origin, storage, roasting, and alkalization on cocoa flavor, color, texture, and product performance. He also explained how...

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Video09:28
Cargill: Why Dutch cocoa processing matters amid supply volatility
AGRANA Fruit webinar promotional graphic showing a shopper reading a label beside text about gaps in functional F&B
Webinars48:18
When Healthy Isn't Enough: What's Missing in Today's Functional F&B?
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Webinars37:33
New U.S. rules for color: how to win with nature-inspired colors
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