Banner featuring chocolate cereals bars and company logo with learn more cta button
four types of dried insects in square plates on blue table

Industrial insect farming faces sustainability scrutiny as industry pushes back

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the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) argues it “misrepresents” the sector by relying on outdated data.
Gloved hands hold fresh cherry tomatoes in a smart food laboratory with blurred background and holographic AI data.
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.
colorful candies and hands in blue gloves
Functional confectionery: Beneo propels sugar-free candy innovation with Isomalt-based concepts
Beneo has unveiled sugar-free confectionery concepts to help manufacturers “reimagine” traditional sweet formats for modern consumer demands. The colorful innovations incorporate Isomalt — described as the only sugar replacer derived from natural sugar beet — in treats that are tooth-friendly, lower in calories, and visually vibrant.
Image featuring various meals and ICL company logo and new e-book announcement
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.
Image
New U.S. rules for color: how to win with nature-inspired colors
North American brands are entering a new era for food and beverage colors.Shifting consumer expectations, accelerating state level restrictions on certified colors, and a fast approaching reformulation window are raising the stakes—not only for regulatory compliance, but also for clean label communication, brand perception, and maintaining vibrant, consumer appealing products on shelf.Join dsm-firmenich on June 23rd for an in depth discussion with three distinctive experts in their field: Dirk Cremer, Tess Sansbury, and Natasha Nowak.Learn how to navigate the changing U.S. coloration landscape with our Vibelly™ Color Solutions.
Anka Golde, Ardent Mills
Ardent Mills: How “Fibermaxxing” is shaping food innovation

As the “fibermaxxing” trend gains momentum, Anke Golde, senior director at Ardent Mills Research and Development, shares how R&D teams are enhancing fiber in grain-based foods, while maintaining taste. Golde explains why fiber is central to today’s benefit-stacking nutrition trends.

Latest headlines

View more
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. 
Open-source AI lab aims to close taste and texture gaps in sustainable...
scientist in lab with futuristic blue light
US-based Food System Innovations (FSI) has launched its Food Intelligence Lab to build an open-source AI infrastructure that can accelerate more sustainable protein development. The initiative responds to a major challenge in the food system: while AI systems are increasingly used to speed up more sustainable F&B NPD, they can lack the integrated data needed to reliably predict key consumer outcomes like taste and texture. This can limit consumer adoption of these products.
EIT Food unveils 2026 accelerator cohort to advance agri-food technologies
EIT Food Accelerator program in progress.
Europe’s agri-food innovation ecosystem is entering a new phase focused on scaling and real-world impact. There is increasing emphasis on turning early-stage research and breakthrough ideas into commercially viable solutions.
RaboResearch warns energy crisis will reignite European food inflation
Man looking at food prices on a receipt in the grocery store.
European food prices are set to rise again, with inflation expected to reemerge in late 2026 and intensify throughout 2027, driven by persistently high energy costs linked to prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a new report from RaboResearch.
Behind the scenes at Cargill’s Dutch cocoa operations as manufacturers face...
Cargill chocolate samples at Dutch facility.
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. 
June in review: GLP-1s drive demand, gut-brain axis & EU vitamin limits warning
Nutrition Insight June in review 2026

Nutrition Insight

Metabolic health, mental well-being, EU vitamin limits, and protein differentiation were key topics driving product development in the nutrition industry in June. Meanwhile, policies aiming to drive healthier food choices and scientific research advances also shaped industry conversations. In our June review, Nutrition Insight explores some of the month’s biggest stories, such as weight loss needs driving the industry’s shift to support consumers on GLP-1s and when transitioning off them, alongside clinical research linking probiotics to reductions in geriatric depression. 
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.
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.
Drone point if view of palm oil plantation at the edge of tropical rainforest.
Policy & regulation news
UK deforestation rules raise traceability stakes for food...
The UK government is preparing mandatory due diligence rules to prevent food and consumer goods sold in the UK from being linked to illegal deforestation. The move could reshape sourcing expectations for ingredient suppliers handling cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, and rubber-derived inputs. Announced during London Climate Action Week, the proposals will use powers in the Environment Act alongside reforms to the UK Timber Regulation. Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) says the policy will require businesses trading in commodities sourced from rainforest regions to check that supply chains are not contributing to illegal forest clearance.

Ingredient focus

View more
Image

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...

Brought to you by:

Takasago

Product innovation

View more
Image

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

View more
Image

Dairy-free alternatives on the riseJul 2026

According to Innova Market Insights, consumers increasingly choose dairy alternatives for their perceived health benefits. From April 2021 to March 2026, high-protein dairy alternatives grew by 5%, reflecting strong interest in nutrient-rich options. Dairy alternative milks dominate new product launches and represent the fastest-growing subcategory, highlighting significant opportunities for innovation in this space.

Multimedia

View more
Image
Webinars37:33
New U.S. rules for color: how to win with nature-inspired colors

North American brands are entering a new era for food and beverage colors.

Shifting consumer expectations, accelerating state level restrictions on certified colors, and a fast approaching reformulation window are raising the stakes—not only for regulatory compliance, but also for clean...

Anka Golde, Ardent Mills
Video12:47
Ardent Mills: How “Fibermaxxing” is shaping food innovation
Oterra video thumbnail: Blue pancakes topped with blueberries beside a circular portrait of a man on a blue graphic background
Video09:00
Oterra: Navigating natural color innovation amid blue and white challenges
Vanessa Adamson, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
Video10:03
AHDB: GLP-1 weight loss drugs set to reshape UK meat demand
Subscribe to our newsletters
PlatformsFood Ingredients FirstNutrition InsightPackaging InsightsPersonal Care InsightsThe World of Food Ingredients
About usContact usAdvertisingPrivacy statementSitemapArchive
Follow us
Image