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Pregnant woman carefully checking the nutrition label on a packaged food product while grocery shopping in a supermarket.

Reformulated but still “ultra-processed”? Inside the UPF classification dilemma

F&B manufacturers are reducing sugar or sodium levels in products to improve their nutritional profiles, but that does not necessarily mean the process of reformulation will lead to a change in classification. Reformulating out of the “ultra-processed” (UPF) category is complicated, partly because there is no universally accepted understanding of what “ultra-processed” actually means. Moreover, different frameworks can classify the same food differently.
High protein milkshakes and sour cream products on refrigerated supermarket shelves.
“High protein no longer enough”: Industry targets nutrition, functionality and taste
Protein is moving beyond sports nutrition and high-protein claims to become a central pillar of everyday nutrition. As demand expands across health, healthy aging, weight management, and convenience, ingredient innovation, protein blending, and improved sensory performance are opening new opportunities for food and beverage manufacturers.
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Penn State scientist: Human oversight must evolve as AI speeds food R&D
Information on food properties that affect quality, sensory performance, and safety is crucial for NPD and increasingly for training AI models as digital tools become embedded in food and beverage R&D workflows. However, most data is “scattered in literature,” making the development of food property databases time-consuming and difficult to scale, according to The Pennsylvania State University, US.Researchers at the university have developed AgentXtract — a tool combining human expertise and AI — to automatically transform scientific papers into databases that could help scientists overcome these challenges.
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One Fibre across the Food Industry
Less fat. Less sugar. More fibre. Cleaner labels. Today's formulators must do more with less and one fibre answers the brief. Upcycled from citrus peel, CEAMFIBRE® binds, texturises and enriches. Explore how this single ingredient delivers proven performance across fruit snacks, bakery fillings, dairy and meat applications.This Technical Paper is brought to you by CEAMSA.
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Let's reveal the grain potential: Innovate
Clean label has become a formulation constraint. (Re)formulating without compromising texture, stability, or taste demands a deep understanding of ingredient functionality. This session moves past the trend headlines to the technical reality behind them. We'll break down where beverage innovation is actually heading, what "clean" really means when it hits the ingredient list, and how cereal technology delivers functional performance without the additives.
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Biolev Plus Wall Yeast Biofermented Solution for Egg Replacement
Discover Biolev PLUS WALL, the yeast-based solution for total egg replacement in bakery, sauces, and savory products. Improve crumb structure, stabilize emulsions, and maintain volume without compromising texture. Achieve 100% plant-based, cholesterol-free formulations that lower raw material volatility. Contact Biolev for samples today.This video is brought to you by Biolev by Levapan.

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Barry Callebaut eyes recovery with Mondelēz deal and factory overhaul as...
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Barry Callebaut has signed a 15-year cocoa farming agreement with Mondelēz International, starting in Brazil, while approving manufacturing investments in Indonesia and Canada and proposing two plant closures. The announcements accompany FY2025/26 results showing that the chocolate and cocoa supplier still has ground to recover.
Nutri-Score versus warning labels: Study highlights food reformulation...
man checking pasta label in supermarket
Consumers notice familiar nutrition labels on packaged foods faster, but judge products differently depending on how nutritional information is presented, a German-Israeli eye-tracking study has found. Its findings add to the debates in Europe and the US over how best to communicate nutrition information on supermarket shelves.
dsm-firmenich Q3 2026: Taste, Texture & Health grows 3% as sales outlook rises
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dsm-firmenich has raised its full-year sales growth forecast after delivering another quarter of positive performance. Its food-focused Taste, Texture & Health business was among the three divisions contributing to continued group momentum.
IFF Taste sales climb 6% as Greater Asia drives Q3 growth
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The Taste business of International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) recorded growth across all regions in the third quarter of 2026, led by a double-digit year-over-year sales increase in Greater Asia on a comparable, currency-neutral basis. Taste sales reached US$687 million in the quarter ended September 30, up 4% as reported and 6% on a comparable, currency-neutral basis. Adjusted operating EBITDA totaled US$128 million, with an 18.6% margin. On a comparable, currency-neutral basis, adjusted operating EBITDA increased 7%, driven by volume growth. 
Beyond cocoa prices: Why manufacturers are rethinking recipes for long-term...
Woman biting into chocolate bar.
Easing cocoa bean prices have not removed the incentive for food manufacturers to rethink their confectionery recipes. According to Kerry and Symrise, continuing uncertainty over costs and availability is making cocoa optimization a longer-term product development priority, with taste, functionality, and sourcing resilience determining which approaches can succeed. Speaking to Food Ingredients First, the companies describe complementary routes to reducing cocoa dependence, from targeted sensory solutions that support lower-cocoa recipes to fermentation technologies and alternative agricultural ingredients. For Anna Kosubski, category manager Sweet for EMEA at Symrise, weather events, crop disease, aging trees, and concentrated sourcing regions continue to complicate the outlook.
Creatine HCl may curb brain injury damage in sex-specific ways, mouse study...
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Nutrition Insight

A new rodent model study investigating Con-Crēt creatine hydrochloride (HCl) suggests that mice supplemented with the ingredient before and after a controlled brain injury exhibited less damage to their brain cells than a placebo group. The study on brain injuries and concussions has not yet been peer reviewed but is available in a preprint version on bioRxiv. The findings cannot be translated into claims regarding the incidence, severity, or prevention of concussions in humans.
Highlighted features
Slushie wall at ADM stand.
Food Ingredients News
SupplySide Global 2026 review: Slushies, occasion-led...
Beverage innovation was a showstopper on the SupplySide Global 2026 show floor in Las Vegas, US, last week (Oct 28–31). Everyday drinks, RTDs, and functional beverages demonstrated how brands are tailoring drinks for consumer lifestyles and specific consumption occasions. Food Ingredients First unpacks some of the key beverage highlights from the event. 
Variety of food on the table, cooked in the air fryer.
Food Ingredients News
How Unilever is targeting the air fryer boom as cooking...
Air fryers are reshaping at-home cooking habits and influencing food innovation, creating opportunities for manufacturers as consumers seek convenient, flavor-led meals. From adapting existing products to exploring new formats and flavor profiles, the appliance — widely regarded as one of the most significant shifts in home cooking technology in recent years — is becoming an increasingly important consideration for food brands.
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Food Ingredients News
Barry Callebaut rewrites the chocolate flavor playbook with...
Barry Callebaut is bringing fermentation deeper into chocolate NPD with Flavourcode — its latest innovation platform designed to give manufacturers greater control over flavor differentiation at scale. The approach targets distinctive cocoa profiles while opening opportunities across finished applications, supply chain scale-up, and higher-cocoa, lower-sugar reformulation.

Ingredient focus

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Unlocking protein opportunitiesNov2026

Innova Market Insights data shows protein ingredient use in food and beverage launches growing at a 5% CAGR from October 2021 to September 2025. Europe leads with 43% of launches, bakery is the top ca...

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Lallemand Bio-Ingredients

Product innovation

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Color solutions uncovered Nov 2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that 76% of consumers globally say that food and drinks can improve their mood. New product launches highlight how vibrant colors can enhance visual appeal, add a sense of fun, and make everyday eating experiences more enjoyable.

Trend analysis

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Natural preservation breakthroughsNov 2026

Innova Market Insights data shows F&B launches with natural preservatives growing at a 4% CAGR from October 2021 to September 2026. Consumers are driving this shift, with the majority saying they trust familiar natural ingredients over complex or synthetic ones. Europe leads with 47% of launches, while ready meals are the top category at 15%.

Multimedia

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SupplySide Global 2026 Beck Flavors video thumbnail: Smiling Beck Flavors representative in a white lab coat beside a Blueberry Açaí cotton candy flavor display and stainless steel equipment
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SupplySide Global 2026: Beck Flavors blends nostalgia with multisensory flavor innovation

Beck Flavors sensory scientist Megan Samson explains how the company’s Blueberry Açaí Cotton Candy concept combines familiar fruit notes with something unexpected, and why customization is especially important when nostalgic flavors are rooted in personal memories. She also introduces Beck...

June Lin, ADM
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SupplySide Global 2026: ADM advances microbiome innovation with postbiotics and phagebiotics
SupplySide Global 2026 Ingredion video thumbnail: Two smiling professionals at an Ingredion trade show booth featuring prebiotic supplements, gut health gummies, and carrot displays
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SupplySide Global 2026: Ingredion blends protein, fiber and sugar reduction for F&B innovation
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SupplySide Global 2026: Microdried brings dairy protein beyond the cold chain
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