IFF banner showing woman drinking a red beverage with text: “Consumers want less sugar. But not less flavor.” FLAVORFIT improves taste, healthier formulations, and clean labels. IFF logo.
Hellmann's mayonnaise on supermarket shelf.

McCormick makes offer for Unilever food division in potential multibillion-dollar deal

Unilever has confirmed it received an offer from McCormick for its food division, which includes Hellmann’s, Knorr, Marmite, and Colman’s, in what could be one of the largest food industry deals in years. The companies issued separate statements on Friday confirming they are in discussions, though both cautioned there is no certainty a transaction will be agreed.
Chef cooking with oil.
What’s next for fats and oils? Exploring the future of functional food ingredients
Fat consumption remains a core pillar of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), which were released earlier this year. But the new guidelines explicitly move away from the old “low-fat” mindset and instead rethink recommendations for fats and oils. The updated guidelines now emphasize getting fats from whole, minimally processed foods, and position fats as part of an overall nutrient-dense dietary pattern.
Tate & Lyle food scientists combining ingredients.
Future Food-Tech San Francisco 2026: How Tate & Lyle leverages AI for healthy ingredient innovation
Following its acquisition of CP Kelco, Tate & Lyle has expanded its ability to tackle complex reformulation challenges across beverages and a wide range of food categories, including dairy, soups, sauces, dressings, bakery, and snacks. In 2024, Tate & Lyle acquired CP Kelco, a leading provider of pectin, specialty gums, and other nature-based ingredients, to create a leader in mouthfeel, and significantly enhance its solutions capabilities.
DuynieTP
DuyGrain®: Cost-efficient proteins & fibres
Protein and fibremaxxing are top trends among consumers. Incorporating them while keeping clean-label, taste and price in mind can be challenging. DuyGrain®, a plant-based protein and fibre-rich ingredient, offers a solution. Download the paper to learn how DuyGrain® enhances both nutrition and margins in bakery, meat and meat alternatives.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Duynie.
Expo West 2026: Kerry reveals flavor strategies for functional food innovation
Expo West 2026: Kerry reveals flavor strategies for functional food innovation

Shannon Coco, senior director of new sales development at Kerry, discusses how the company’s 2026 Taste Charts help brands pair functional nutrition with consumer-preferred flavors. She explains how the Taste Chart Companion combines flavor trends with consumer research to guide innovation around protein, fiber, collagen, and adaptogens. Coco also highlights KerryNow, the company’s digital platform that helps manufacturers accelerate prototype and NPD.

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Expo West 2026 review: Functional nutrition for GLP-1 support, gut health & women’s wellness
At the Natural Products Expo West 2026 trade show (Mar 3–6), the nutrition, food, and beverage industries showcased innovations in functional, tasty wellness products in consumer-friendly formats. In Anaheim, California, US, solutions supporting women’s health, gut microbiome, GLP-1 use, and weight management took center stage. Exhibitors spotlighted nutrient-dense products focusing on protein, postbiotics, probiotics, fiber, natural colors, and clean label solutions. We look back at some of the key innovations and companies at Expo West this year.

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Future Food-Tech San Francisco 2026: Roquette tackles protein taste and texture...
Scientist working on food in a lab.
GLP-1 therapies are reshaping the eating behaviors of millions of consumers, while the food ingredients industry looks to develop products that can provide “supportive nutrition.” At Future Food-Tech 2026 in San Francisco, California, US, Roquette is touting the benefits of plant-based proteins and soluble fibers delivered with the sensory qualities and tastes that can drive repeat purchase.
Future Food-Tech San Francisco 2026: SternMaid Ingredients on clean label...
man in formal suit speaking on stage
The alternative protein industry faces significant challenges when it comes to clean label attributes, as consumers increasingly favor ingredients they can recognize. Stricter regulatory scrutiny adds to these demands, which SternMaid Ingredients USA is navigating with clean label innovation and sustainable protein choices. The company is showcasing these solutions at Future Food-Tech in San Francisco, US (Mar 19-20).
Future Food-Tech San Francisco 2026: Samyang’s crystalline kestose targets...
Trade show.
South Korea’s Samyang is presenting crystalline kestose at a breakout session at Future Food-Tech in San Francisco, US (Mar 19–20), positioning the fructooligosaccharide as a differentiated soluble fiber for sugar reduction and metabolic health formulations. The session, led by Jung Sook Han, head of R&D at Samyang, comes as the company accelerates its push into the North American market with a portfolio spanning its Nexweet allulose and Fiberest resistant dextrin brands.GLP-1 medications and the consumer demand they are generating for nutrient-dense, metabolically functional foods were a central theme across this year’s summit program, with exhibitors including Roquette showcasing GLP-1 concept foods and main-stage sessions exploring how the drugs are reshaping food innovation. 
China’s dairy trends: Lactalis Ingredients highlights clean label, high-protein...
Woman buying dairy products in the grocery store.
At Food Ingredients China in Shanghai (Mar 17–19), Lactalis Ingredients is highlighting a range of dairy solutions that tap into the nation’s growing market, where demand for high-protein and functional foods continues to rise. From milk powders to proteins, including whey and dairy fats, Lactalis solutions are developed to meet the technical, nutritional, and functional requirements of its customers. Lactalis is using the trade show as a key touchpoint in China, a major growth market for dairy, sports nutrition, and infant and functional nutrition.
FI China 2026 live: Döhler’s advanced ingredient systems address growing clean...
busy trade show booth with people
China’s F&B landscape is evolving, fueled by shifting consumer demands and higher quality standards. Döhler is targeting these industry trends through its natural flavors, ingredient systems, and integrated solutions for beverages, bakery, and confectionery applications at the ongoing Food Ingredients China 2026 event in Shanghai (Mar 17–19).
Rethinking ready-to-eat meals from ultra-processed to real and nutritious food
woman shops food

Nutrition Insight

Ready-made meals have long been viewed as cheap in cost and poor in nutrients. However, product developments in this category are propelling quick solutions for busy lifestyles that deliver nutritious solutions, while addressing consumers’ increasing demand for transparency and clean ingredients. Nutrition Insight sits down with Kaylyn Tolzmann, managing director for Europe at Factor, a Hello Fresh company, to discuss how convenient meals have been made unnecessarily unhealthy, and how nutrition and ready-made meals do not need to be mutually exclusive.
Highlighted features
woman in supermarket choosing dairy products
Key interview
Breaking the taste barrier: How alt-dairy can capture...
Alt-dairy manufacturers can already achieve taste parity in some dairy categories — especially barista milk and creamers — but an R&D push is needed to close the taste gap in dairy-free ice cream and mozzarella, a sensory analysis of established and emerging alternative dairy companies by Nectar has revealed.
Cyber attack.
Business News
Asahi cyberattack exposes food industry’s growing...
Ransomware attacks on F&B companies surged in 2025, shutting down factories, halting distribution networks, and costing major players hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales. The trend poses direct risks to ingredient supply chains, food safety systems, and regulatory compliance — and most of the sector remains unprepared.Japanese beverage giant Asahi Group Holdings published its delayed third-quarter 2025 financial results on March 10 after a ransomware attack in September knocked out the company’s financial reporting systems for months. The attack, attributed to the Qilin ransomware group (a Russia-linked operation that uses double-extortion tactics, encrypting systems while threatening to publish stolen data), encrypted servers across Asahi’s data centers and disrupted ordering, shipment, and production systems at its 30 Japanese factories.  
Solar Foods Solein lab.
Key interview
“Air-grown” protein: Solar Foods reveals next steps at...
Finnish firm Solar Foods is gearing up for Future Food-Tech San Francisco 2026 in the US (Mar 19–20), where it will demonstrate how its nutritious and ultra-sustainable “air-grown” protein can be applied and scaled across various F&B applications, including meat alternatives, dairy substitutes, pasta, and snacks. Solar Foods produces Solein using microbes fed with carbon dioxide, water, nutrients, and renewable electricity. By relying on fermentation instead of agriculture, the company can create a high-protein ingredient without farmland, large water use, or dependence on weather. This approach allows food production to happen almost anywhere, marking a shift toward more controlled, resilient, and scalable systems.

Ingredient focus

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Fats & oils: New frontiersMar2026

Innova Market Insights data reveals that consumers increasingly link lighter textures with healthier indulgence, favoring smooth and crunchy formats that balance pleasure with perceived wellness. Thes...

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Product innovation

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Future of food processing Mar 2026

According to Innova Market Insights, attitudes toward ultra-processed foods are changing. Consumers increasingly associate ultra-processed foods with unhealthy indulgence, but their habits are shifting, particularly with a rise in cooking from scratch. This shift means many products require reformulation to deliver the fresh, authentic characteristics consumers seek.

Trend analysis

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Vanilla’s adaptive edge spurs NPDMar 2026

Vanilla is proving its adaptive edge in global F&B innovation. New product launches featuring vanilla ingredients witnessed a large annual growth rate globally between 2023 and 2025, signaling sustained cross-category demand. More than a third of global launches were from Europe.

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Expo West 2026: Kerry reveals flavor strategies for functional food innovation
Video09:30
Expo West 2026: Kerry reveals flavor strategies for functional food innovation

Shannon Coco, senior director of new sales development at Kerry, discusses how the company’s 2026 Taste Charts help brands pair functional nutrition with consumer-preferred flavors. She explains how the Taste Chart Companion combines flavor trends with consumer research to guide innovation...

Expo West 2026 GNT Video Thumbnail: Woman wearing glasses at a trade show booth for plant-based color solutions, with colorful ingredient samples, certification icons, and textured wall displays.
Video04:48
Expo West 2026: GNT explores technical challenges behind plant-based color performance
Pedro Goncalves, Tetra Pak
Video11:38
Expo West 2026: Tetra Pak’s aseptic processing tackles shelf life and food waste challenges
Santiago Vega, Givaudan
Video09:05
Expo West 2026: Givaudan drives flavor innovation to support better-for-you formulations
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