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GLP-1 medications accelerate frozen food’s shift toward nutrient-dense meals

As GLP-1 weight loss medications grow in use and visibility, they are accelerating a broader shift in how consumers think about food — not just in terms of calories, but nutritional output per bite. This concern is beginning to reshape expectations across the F&B industry, particularly in categories built around convenience and portion control.
Cereals.
Pioneering protein innovation: Inside the Nordic approach to next-generation F&B ingredients
Protein quality, bioavailability, and sensory performance are becoming the competitive frontier in F&B product development. Finnish dairy company Valio is creating high-protein, low-sugar application concepts targeting the fast-growing GLP-1 medication market, while compatriot Apetit Kasviöljy Oy is scaling its novel food-approved BlackGrain rapeseed ingredient to close the taste and texture gap in plant-based meat alternatives. Both companies are rooting their protein strategies in Nordic agricultural systems and circular economy principles. 
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Fonterra on why New Zealand’s grass-fed dairy standard is key to building consumer trust
The dairy industry is witnessing a rising demand for milk and dairy products from cows primarily fed on grass rather than grain-heavy diets, as consumer interest in transparency, regenerative agriculture, and minimally processed F&B grows. Amid heightened scrutiny around “grass-fed” claims, New Zealand uses a national standard to provide a clearer benchmark in a category consumers associate with health benefits, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare.
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Veriphyl® Greens: Credible source, incredible colour
Chlorophyll’s abundance in nature and vibrant green colour make it an ideal natural food colour. Extracted from edible sources and with a traceable supply chain, our Veriphyl® natural greens work well in a variety of applications. Download our Veriphyl® Greens white paper to learn more about these versatile and vibrant natural options.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Givaudan Sense Colour.
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Operating Through Uncertainty: Building Scalable Advantage in the Age of Ultra-Processed Foods
In this session, Innova Market Insights will share exclusive insights into consumer behavior, perceptions, and preferences around UPFs, as well as market insights and innovation opportunities within processed foods.      Frame & Flight will explore how leading manufacturers are responding by modernizing how product data flows across formulation, specifications, labeling, and compliance. Using connected digital workflows, teams can evaluate reformulation scenarios earlier, manage supplier change with confidence, and stay launch-ready — even as definitions, guidance, and expectations continue to evolve.      The result: less rework, faster decisions, and the ability to turn regulatory and nutritional uncertainty into a competitive advantage.    
Dr. Puja Kumari, Scottish Association of Marine Science
Scottish Association for Marine Science: Unlocking red seaweed for food flavor, color & hybrid proteins 

Scientists at the Scottish Association for Marine Science have developed a tank-based method to grow the valuable red seaweed Palmaria palmata (dulse). Dr. Puja Kumari explains how scalable cultivation creates opportunities to use the seaweed as a flavor enhancer, hybrid protein source, and functional ingredient offering bioactive peptides and natural colorants. She highlights how the method can support traceable, year-round sustainable seaweed supply for food manufacturers.

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Nestlé and Starbucks pursue cold coffee growth amid industry headwinds
Consumer pouring Starbucks Coffee Craft concentrate.
Nestlé and Starbucks have jointly launched Starbucks Coffee Craft concentrate, a premium concentrated coffee made with high-quality Arabica beans that is said to deliver Starbucks’ signature taste. The coffee industry giants aim to reach more consumers and drive sales growth in the growing cold coffee market with this new product. The launch comes at a time of flux for the coffee industry. Although the global coffee bean supply is currently strong, the Middle East conflict is making the commodity more expensive to transport and produce. Longer term, climate-related weather patterns are expected to push coffee prices higher across the supply chain.
AI as infrastructure: How Cargill is rewiring food innovation
Close-up of gloved scientist hands holding a wheat ear in a laboratory with AI holograms and digital data overlays.
Cargill has picked up a 2026 BIG Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award, presented by the Business Intelligence Group. The award recognizes the food corporation’s integration of AI across its value chain, from on-farm decision tools to supply chain optimization and customer co-creation. The award points to a structural shift in food and agriculture. Industry leaders like Cargill are no longer testing AI at the margins, but integrating it into their core workflows, from product development through to commercialization, in a sector defined by complexity, regulation, and tight margins.
Givaudan posts Q1 2026 sales growth but Taste & Wellbeing underperforms
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Givaudan’s Q1 2026 sales results show a slowdown in its Taste & Wellbeing division, with a -0.4% decline in like-for-like sales, compared to +5% growth in Q1 2025. However, the overall group recorded sales of CHF 1.875 billion (~US$2.04 billion), an increase of +2.8% on a like-for-like basis.
Vitafoods Europe 2026: Synergy Flavours taps into functional protein trends
High-protein products on supermarket shelf in Spain.
Healthy aging is an increasingly important consideration for many consumers, including younger cohorts. However, according to Synergy Flavours, the F&B industry is failing to fully capitalize on the growing demand for functional products that support healthy aging and other wellness outcomes. Synergy is set to present concepts that help manufacturers realize the potential in protein-enriched F&B at Vitafoods Europe 2026 (May 5–7) in Barcelona, Spain.
EU seed law reform: Can Europe balance modern breeding and crop diversity?
Seed breeding farmer.
As trilogue negotiations on the new EU seed law draw near (April 21), advocacy and seed preservation NGO Arche Noah warns the current draft risks creating a “de facto ban” on newly-bred, local conservation staple crop varieties, such as grains and potatoes, which could undermine agricultural biodiversity and F&B product variety. The EU’s Plant Reproductive Material (PRM) Regulation, initially proposed in July 2023, is a legislative overhaul aimed at unifying ten existing directives into a single regulation, governing the production and marketing of seeds, tubers, cuttings, and other plant reproductive materials.
Key trends shaping health and wellness acquisitions & growth in nutrition...
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Nutrition Insight

The nutrition industry is experiencing significant consolidations, driven by strong consumer demand for health and wellness solutions. H&H Group, an international health and nutrition company, says these products are remarkably resilient in today’s uncertain economic landscape. In response, companies are increasingly acquiring science-backed, successful brands to diversify their portfolios. Nutrition Insight explores the ongoing consolidation with Jason Wang, CFO & COO at H&H Group, which owns multiple health, human and pet nutrition, and personal care brands. 
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Food Ingredients News
RaboResearch predicts food price surge in Europe through...
Food price inflation in Europe is expected to build throughout 2026 and intensify next year, driven by surging energy costs from escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Energy markets have been shaken since the initial attack on Iran five weeks ago, according to a new RaboResearch report, which details the predicted impacts on the highly energy-dependent food supply chain — affecting food production, packaging, logistics, and agricultural inputs.
Valio high-protein dairy products.
New Product Development
Valio webinar preview: Turning wellness trends into...
Consumers globally are demanding more from their food, as wellness becomes a central lifestyle priority. GLP-1 medications, gut health, and high-protein consumer demands are transforming the food industry, but how can F&B brands capitalize on these fast-growing market opportunities? Finnish dairy and food leader Valio is set to explain how manufacturers can achieve nutrient-dense, multifunctional products that offer tangible benefits in compact formats in an upcoming webinar: “More per Bite: Turn wellness into market success.” You can register for free for the webinar here, which will broadcast on April 21, 2026, at 09:00 CEST/07:00 UTC and 15:00 CEST/13:00 UTC.
A woman holds oral GLP-1 medication pill.
Food Ingredients News
Formulating for GLP-1: Sensory solutions, compact nutrition...
The rise of GLP-1 medications and the transition to oral formats are doing more than shrinking waistlines — they could be set to dramatically impact the global food industry. With projections suggesting a structural drop in total food demand, manufacturers are facing a pivotal “once-in-a-generation” shift away from traditional volume-based growth toward a model of high-efficiency, “compact nourishment.”

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Salt Reduction Strategies: Meeting consumer demand for healthier indulgenceApr2026

According to Innova Market Insights, global consumers increasingly view reduced-salt claims as a vital element in making indulgent foods healthier and supporting healthy aging. This consumer shift is ...

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Pioneering protein innovation: Emerging trends and global launches Apr 2026

According to Innova Market Insights, more than half of consumers globally are actively seeking to increase their protein intake. In recent years, F&B product launches featuring protein ingredients have risen steadily. A variety of protein types are gaining traction, including milk protein crisp, yeast protein, cranberry protein, soy protein crisp, and tofu protein.

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Healthy beverage trends: A growing market for functional drinksApr 2026

Innova Market Insights has identified “Beverages with Purpose” as one of the top F&B trends for 2026. Consumers worldwide are increasingly prioritizing health-conscious beverages, driven by growing industry support and innovation. This shift is accelerating the demand for functional drinks, with protein and biotic benefits leading the charge as key trends in healthy beverage development.

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Dr. Puja Kumari, Scottish Association of Marine Science
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Scottish Association for Marine Science: Unlocking red seaweed for food flavor, color & hybrid proteins 

Scientists at the Scottish Association for Marine Science have developed a tank-based method to grow the valuable red seaweed Palmaria palmata (dulse). Dr. Puja Kumari explains how scalable cultivation creates opportunities to use the seaweed as a flavor enhancer, hybrid protein source,...

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