Glass of blackcurrant juice on a chopping board with blackcurrants.

Blackcurrant carves out premium niche in food and beverage innovation

Blackcurrant may not have the global scale of strawberry or raspberry, but its distinctive flavor, intense color, and premium positioning are creating new opportunities for food and beverage manufacturers. As brands and manufacturers seek ingredients that deliver multiple benefits — from flavor and visual appeal to clean label credentials — blackcurrant is gaining traction across beverages, confectionery, dairy and functional foods.
A woman eating a very sweet looking doughnut.
Beyond sugar swaps: Sweetener systems tackle taste, texture and GLP-1 nutrition needs
When producers pull sugar out of formulation, other things leave with it. Bulk and crystallization in confectionery, or body, mouthfeel, and flavor in beverages. In plant-based and high-protein products, sugar is often used to cover beany, earthy, and astringent notes. Sweetness is not the problem, it is all of the added benefits that sugar brings with it.
Adams Berzins, Ingredion’s senior manager for sugar reduction.
Ingredion sugar reduction expert: How stevia and sweet proteins close savory formulation gaps
Sugar appears in products consumers rarely associate with sweetness, including ready meals, sauces, and marinades. Modern shoppers recognize this and increasingly want the ingredient reduced. They also expect no loss of taste in return. Ingredion’s research finds that the majority of consumers in the US and Canada consider reduced-sugar claims important when selecting ready meals. 
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Case study: reformulate a sweet-and-sour marinade
For food professionals, product reformulation is often a complex challenge. How do you improve a product's nutritional composition without compromising on taste, functionality, consumer acceptance, or commercial results? Dutch Spices supports producers in addressing these issues and developed two case studies.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Dutch Spices.
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.
Erika Milczek, Curie Co.
IFT FIRST 2026: Curie Co boosts dairy yields with protein-stabilizing enzyme

Erika Milczek, founder and CEO of Curie Co, presents Curabind, a clean label enzyme designed to stabilize proteins by increasing the number of bonds. Milczek says the enzyme can improve cheese curd yields by up to 11% and strained yogurt mass by 25%, while supporting longer shelf life. She also highlights its potential to replace gums, hydrocolloids, and modified starches.

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Plant-grown myoglobin offers route to meat-like color and flavor amid scale-up...
Slices of plant based vegan meat steak on meat fork.
Researchers have successfully produced stable animal myoglobin in the chloroplasts of lettuce and tobacco plants. The results point to a potential new molecular farming route for ingredients that deliver the color, flavor, and nutritional properties associated with meat. The study, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, demonstrates what the researchers say is the first stable production of myoglobin in higher plants and the first reported expression of a foreign hemoprotein in lettuce.
Fermentation emerges as key flavor lever for premium Australian cocoa
Cocoa farming.
Research from the University of Queensland (UQ) suggests Australia’s unique cocoa fermentation environments could help local chocolate producers develop more distinctive flavor profiles and strengthen their position in the premium chocolate market.
WK Kellogg accelerates natural color shift across cereal portfolio
Kellogg's fruit loops on shelf.
WK Kellogg is moving up its timeline to eliminate all artificial colors and the preservative BHT across its full portfolio of cereals and cereal packaging by the end of this year. Production of cereals with the new recipes, including Kellogg’s Froot Loops and Kellogg’s Apple Jacks, will begin later this year, with products expected to reach retailers before year-end. The North American cereal manufacturer says the replacement colors will come from natural sources, including fruit and vegetable juices, and other plant-based ingredients. The company has invested in its manufacturing facilities to enable the transition at scale while maintaining product taste and quality. 
ADM reveals three trends reshaping non-alcoholic beverages
People playing games on television with drinks and snacks on table.
Beverage innovation is moving from product categories toward occasion-specific experiences, according to ADM. Its latest report shows that brands should design products around specific moments rather than assuming one beverage can satisfy every need equally. Sweetness and refreshment remain essential, but they are becoming basic expectations rather than sufficient points of differentiation. The report, “From Fizzy to Fulfilled: Today’s Non-Alcoholic Beverages Need to Do More Than Refresh,” finds that non-alcoholic beverages are no longer judged only by taste and refreshment. Consumers increasingly expect a drink to produce a particular emotional or physical outcome, offer a more interesting sensory experience, and suit a specific social occasion. 
Kraft Heinz raises R&D spending as functional foods gain traction
Kraft Heinz PowerMac in bowl.
Kraft Heinz is leaning harder on formulation-led innovation to restore growth, increasing R&D spending as protein, fiber, hydration, and lactose-free products begin to gain commercial traction. The food giant’s second-quarter results remain challenging. Organic net sales declined 1.3%, as a 1.3 percentage-point benefit from pricing was outweighed by a 2.6 percentage-point drop in volume and mix. Adjusted operating income fell 18.4% to US$1 billion, reflecting weaker volumes, higher advertising spending, and inflation in manufacturing and logistics.
ATNi urges food industry to prioritize nutrition for commercial success in...
Woman shopping in an African food market

Nutrition Insight

The Access to Nutrition initiative’s (ATNi) recent webinar explored the main drivers of consumer demands in Africa alongside the role of private-sector strategies and policy frameworks in encouraging the adoption of nutritious diets. Nutrition Insight speaks with the nonprofit to learn how retailers, brands, suppliers, and governments can help improve the food environment in the region.
Highlighted features
AI-enhanced food ingredient innovation lab.
Tech & Innovation
AI enters the food lab: The rise of predictive ingredient...
Artificial intelligence has moved beyond brainstorming and into the working infrastructure of F&B innovation. Ingredient suppliers, product developers, and major brands are using specialized systems to organize research, model formulations, predict ingredient behavior, interpret consumer signals, and reduce physical trials before commercialization. Before reaching the bench, developers can use AI to eliminate obvious dead ends, compare competing constraints, and decide which formulations are worth testing.
Chia seed pudding with mango in glass jars.
New Product Development
Mango innovation accelerates as ingredient variability...
Mango is moving beyond its traditional role as a familiar tropical flavor. Manufacturers are repositioning it across functional beverages, frozen desserts, pastries, and globally inspired flavor combinations. However, as demand expands into more technical applications, suppliers are challenged with delivering authentic mango character with the consistency industrial production requires. Innova Market Insights data suggests that global F&B launches featuring mango flavor recorded a 10% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. Juices and Nectars remain mango’s largest launch subcategory. However, some of the fastest growth is occurring elsewhere, including Frozen Desserts, Cakes and Pastries, Water-based Ice Lollies, Pops & Sorbets, and Iced Tea.
Rousselot booth at IFT FIRST 2026
Food Ingredients News
Protein under pressure: Solutions for rising whey costs
Whey demand is outpacing supply, pushing prices upward as consumer interest in protein continues to boom. As many as 80% of consumers said they “pay attention to protein” in their diet, according to a 2026 Innova Market Insights survey. Just over half said a “high in protein” claim was their most important consideration when choosing food and drinks as protein sources.

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Effective sweetener solutionsAug2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that consumers are actively reducing sugar to eat healthier. As demand for healthier F&B options grows, brands are reformulating products and exploring new sw...

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New frontiers in protein Aug 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates a 6% average annual growth in F&B launches with protein ingredients and high/source of protein claims between April 2021 and March 2026. The top subcategories were Cereal, Dairy, and Meat Substitutes. Soup and hot drinks with protein ingredients were emerging. The top protein ingredients were milk protein, pea protein, and soy protein isolate.

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What’s next in Desserts and Ice Cream?Aug 2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that flavor still plays a vital role in ice cream and dessert choices, with the category growing at a 4% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. While ice cream accounts for the largest share of these launches, toppings and flavor combinations are becoming more creative areas for NPD. Sour flavors are also gaining attention in desserts, growing by 132% over the past five years globally.

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Erika Milczek, Curie Co.
Video06:06
IFT FIRST 2026: Curie Co boosts dairy yields with protein-stabilizing enzyme

Erika Milczek, founder and CEO of Curie Co, presents Curabind, a clean label enzyme designed to stabilize proteins by increasing the number of bonds. Milczek says the enzyme can improve cheese curd yields by up to 11% and strained yogurt mass by 25%, while supporting longer shelf life. She also...

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IFT FIRST 2026: Nexira launches Eficacia Advanced to cut costs with lower dosage
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IFT FIRST 2026: AAK spotlights specialty fats in deconstructed Dubai-style chocolate
Hans Brand, Revyve
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IFT FIRST 2026: Revyve cuts sauce formulation costs with yeast protein
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