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Cargill pushes holistic sugar reduction as bakery reformulation challenges intensify

The pressure on F&B manufacturers to cut sugar continues to intensify. As sugar taxes, front-of-pack labeling, and nutrient profiling systems tighten across major markets, manufacturers are moving beyond simple sweetener swaps toward integrated formulation systems. According to Cargill, its beverage-led Eversweet stevia sweetener and broader portfolio of polyols, starches, and texturizers reflect a shift away from one-to-one substitution. The company points out that in bakery, especially, the loss of structure, browning, and shelf life makes single-ingredient solutions unworkable.
Couple shop for dairy products in the grocery store.
Dairy alternatives mature as protein and hybrid trends accelerate
A few years ago, much of the discussion around dairy alternatives was framed as plant-based versus dairy, but many companies are now taking a more flexible approach. This is happening against a backdrop of consumers increasingly identifying as flexitarian and seeking out a mix of dairy and plant-based products. Success in the alternative dairy space is no longer measured by replacing dairy entirely, as the market is evolving toward diversification of protein sources.
The Ingredion team spotlighting clean label solutions.
Ingredion talks clean label evolution and transparency-led strategies for F&B
Clean label has become one of the defining trends shaping F&B innovation across Europe. What was once a niche positioning focused on shorter ingredient lists has evolved into a broader consumer expectation centered on transparency, recognizable ingredients, nutrition, sustainability, and trust.
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Reduce Sugar, Not Functionality: SweetRight® Specialty Syrups
Are you ready to sweeten up your bottom line? ADM can help solve your complex reformulation challenges with SweetRight® Allulose, Reduced Sugar Glucose Syrup, and Agave. Read more about how our specialty syrups deliver reduced sugars and can help you optimize labels without compromising functionality.
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Nutrition solutions for healthy aging: Physical health & cognitive function
This science-driven webinar explores how targeted nutrition can support the evolving health needs of an aging population. Join industry experts as they discuss the role of advanced whey protein ingredients, including whey protein isolate, alpha-lactalbumin, glycomacropeptide, and other functional whey components, in supporting key aspects of healthy aging. Learn how these ingredients contribute to physical and cognitive health, including cardiovascular and metabolic health, cognitive function, sleep health, and gut health. The session will highlight emerging research behind these functional ingredients and their relevance across the aging lifecycle. Together, we will explore how this research can be translated into practical, evidence-based nutrition strategies aimed at maintaining strength, resilience, and overall wellbeing in the aging population.
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.

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Döhler acquires Nukoko to expand cocoa-free chocolate amid supply chain...
Chef making chocolate.
Global ingredients supplier Döhler has acquired UK food technology company Nukoko, strengthening its position in the rapidly emerging market for cocoa-free chocolate alternatives. The move comes as manufacturers continue to feel the impacts of the “cocoa crisis,” which has led to prolonged supply chain pressures in recent years.
Heat stress threatens dairy ingredient quality as Cornell study flags fat and...
female farmer pouring milk into steel bucket
Warming temperatures are creating a dual challenge for the dairy sector, reducing not only milk volumes but also the fat and protein content that underpins the value of dairy ingredients, according to new research from Cornell University.
Manus unveils fermentation-based monk fruit sweetener for scalable sugar...
Monk fruit on a table.
Bioalternatives company Manus has unveiled its fermentation-made monk fruit sweetener, calling it the first US-made monk fruit sweetener produced at a commercial scale through fermentation. The ingredient offers F&B brands a domestic alternative to a category long dependent on crops grown in China.
dsm-firmenich webinar preview: Navigating the shift to natural colors amid...
Colorful macaroons.
As US brands and manufacturers increasingly move away from artificial colors, natural alternatives are coming further into the spotlight as clean label alternatives amid a tightening regulatory landscape.
Kraft Heinz unveils plans to reorganize into three new regions
A Kraft Heinz semi-truck driving through the desert.
Kraft Heinz reveals it will revamp and reorganize its global operating structure into three areas. These will be North America (NA), Europe and Pacific Developed Markets (EPDM), and Emerging Markets (EM). The new structure combines the company’s Asia Emerging Markets and West and East Emerging Markets (WEEM) into one EM region. The European countries currently included in WEEM will transfer EPDM, and NA, which includes the US and Canada, will stay the same. At the same time, Procurement and Supply Chain will be combined.
Early clinical evidence shows probiotics ease geriatric depression symptoms
An elderly Asian woman is holding a brain symbol smile and looking at the camera while sitting at the table.

Nutrition Insight

A pilot clinical trial has found that administering probiotics to older adults with moderate depression, receiving standard care, had modest yet meaningful reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms compared to a placebo.Nutrition Insight speaks with the senior authors to learn more about the study involving 58 participants, 60 years or older. They were administered either Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum (~6 billion CFU daily) or a placebo for 12 weeks. The paper notes that these strains were chosen based on previous evidence of benefits on mood and anxiety. 
Highlighted features
The European Parliament building with flags in front.
Regulatory News
NGT update: European Parliament adopts deregulation rules...
Yesterday (June 17), the European Parliament adopted contested rules deregulating plants made with new genomic techniques (NGTs), and rejected amendments that would have curbed patents on seeds. Meanwhile, the organic sector and civil society groups continue to warn that the vote and soon-to-be law open the door to corporate control of Europe’s genetic resources.
FAO director-general Qu Dongyu at the 181st Session of the FAO Council.
Regulatory News
Strait of Hormuz crisis: UN FAO warns of “increasingly...
The greatest risk of the Strait of Hormuz closure for the agri-food industry is not an immediate food shortage, but a fertilizer and production shock. This was the opinion of the UN FAO’s director-general, Qu Dongyu, speaking at the 181st Session of the FAO Council (June 8–12). As the crisis hit its 100-day mark, he said the effects of the crisis on farmers globally are “increasingly visible.”
PepsiCo collaborates with local chefs.
Food Ingredients News
How PepsiCo is creating new consumption occasions beyond...
PepsiCo is increasingly exploring how its snack brands can move beyond the packaged foods aisle and into full culinary applications, using chef collaborations, restaurant concepts, and localized menu development to create new meal occasions for consumers. The global snacks and beverages giant highlights a series of restaurant and experiential dining initiatives across China, Spain, Mexico, and the US that position brands, such as Lay’s and Tostitos, as ingredients within chef-led dishes and foodservice formats, rather than standalone snacks.

Ingredient focus

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Sensory innovation spurs emulsifier demandJun2026

Innova Market Insights data show that consumers link rich sensory experiences, such as creamy textures, with indulgence in food and beverages. This perception is fueling growth in emulsifier launches,...

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Consumers prioritize health in F&B choices Jun 2026

Data from Innova Market Insights shows a growing global focus on health when selecting food and beverages. Consumers are increasingly seeking products fortified with health-supporting ingredients — such as added vitamins, omega-3s, minerals, fiber, and protein — underscoring the rising importance of nutrient-rich, wellness-focused offerings.

Trend analysis

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Dairy-free alternatives on the riseJun 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.

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Anka Golde, Ardent Mills
Video12:47
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.

Oterra video thumbnail: Blue pancakes topped with blueberries beside a circular portrait of a man on a blue graphic background
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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
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Video10:00
Cargill: Cocoa-free innovation to complement traditional chocolate portfolios
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