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Older consumer shopping for healthy food products.

Why healthy aging is moving beyond supplements into mainstream F&B

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.
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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.
young man in black shirt in lab
The Every Company CEO on cracking the scale challenge for animal-free egg protein
Alternative protein companies often struggle with scaling from the lab to reliable and cost-effective industrial production. Animal-free egg protein firm The Every Company is tackling that hurdle by partnering with biotechnology manufacturer Huvepharma to make use of its existing fermentation infrastructure.
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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.
Michiel van der Bom, Cargill
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 manufacturers are exploring recipe optimization and hybrid chocolate-compound innovation to navigate cocoa supply volatility.

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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.
Beyond “lab-grown”: Trust and terminology shape cultivated meat acceptance
scientists' hands with cultivated meat in petridishes
Consumers in the US and Germany are more likely to choose and pay more for cellular agriculture meat (CAM) when it is labeled “cultured” or “cultivated” rather than “lab-grown,” according to a new study. For cultivated meat companies, the findings mean branding and consumer trust are likely to be as important to business success as the technology itself.
HTBA to debut citrus-derived sweetener for sugar reduction at IFT First 2026
Woman eating chocolate paste in kitchen.
HealthTech Bio Actives (HTBA) has launched Citrose, a high-intensity sweetener designed to help F&B manufacturers improve sugar reduction while supporting cleaner labels and better-tasting formulations. The citrus-derived sweetener complex will make its debut at IFT First in Chicago, US, later this month. HTBA will showcase the ingredient to product developers, R&D teams, and procurement specialists seeking solutions for zero- and reduced-sugar innovation.
Industrial insect farming faces sustainability scrutiny as industry pushes back
four types of dried insects in square plates on blue table
Industrial insect farming in high-income, temperate countries — often framed as a sustainability solution — is falling short of its environmental promise, a new report from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) finds. The criticism is particularly pointed where insect protein is used in animal feed, aquaculture, or pet food rather than replacing meat. While SEI says the report reflects the best independent evidence available, the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) argues it “misrepresents” the sector by relying on outdated data.
Food science sector warns proposed US grant rules could weaken research...
Food science laboratory testing.
As the deadline for public comment approaches, a proposed overhaul of the rules governing federal financial assistance is drawing increasing attention from research institutions, universities, and industry organizations, with implications that could extend across the US F&B sector. The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on May 29, 2026, would make sweeping changes to the Uniform Guidance — the government-wide framework that governs how federal grants and other financial assistance are awarded and managed. 
Brain protein may be key link between obesity, aging & memory loss
obese woman looking out the window

Nutrition Insight

US researchers have received a US$410,000 grant from the National Institute on Aging to investigate whether obesity speeds up brain aging and its impact on memory loss and brain-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s. Nutrition Insight sits down with the study lead researcher, Timothy Jarome, professor at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech, to discuss what drove him to research this issue and its importance amid an increasingly obese population.
Highlighted features
Food industry news review June 2026.
Food Ingredients News
June in review: Tate & Lyle-Ingredion deal, IFF Food...
In June 2026, Tate & Lyle’s board recommended Ingredion’s £2.7 billion (US$3.6 billion) cash offer in a deal that would create a larger global ingredient solutions provider across texture, sweetening, sugar reduction, mouthfeel, and fortification. Meanwhile, IFF’s US$4.3 billion sale of its Food Ingredients business to CVC highlighted rising private equity interest, supplier portfolio simplification, and possible ripple effects for competitors, customers, and future M&A.
Cargill chocolate samples at Dutch facility.
Research & Development
Behind the scenes at Cargill’s Dutch cocoa operations as...
Cargill is positioning the Netherlands as a critical cocoa processing hub within its global supply chain, as heightened volatility and reliance on West African origins increase the need for resilient sourcing. Food Ingredients First takes you inside Cargill’s Dutch cocoa supply network to examine how the agribusiness giant is responding to cocoa supply and farming challenges after several years of price swings across the sector. 
Person using GLP-1 weight loss medication.
Food Ingredients News
When appetite returns: Designing foods for the post-GLP-1...
As GLP-1 adoption has accelerated, food manufacturers have increasingly focused on helping consumers maximize nutrition from smaller eating occasions. The result has been a wave of high-protein snacks, fiber-enriched products, fortified beverages, and portion-conscious meal solutions designed to address concerns around muscle preservation, nutrient intake, and satiety.

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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Product innovation

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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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