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Asia-Pacific flavor trends: Takasago on “digital natives” reshaping F&B innovation

Asia Pacific (APAC) has emerged as a flavor innovation hub for F&B manufacturers, as they work to navigate consumers’ fast-evolving taste expectations. Social media-driven curiosity for global cuisines is co-existing with local flavor demands, with companies advancing technical innovations around taste modulation, plant-based, and sustainable food systems, particularly to appeal to younger generations.
pink and red cupcakes and pastries on table
Natural color innovations approach synthetic-level performance as biotech reshapes F&B
Natural colors are no longer aimed at just being a clean label alternative for synthetic hues in F&B applications — they are being engineered to match artificial performance. The future of natural color solutions is not restricted to better plant extracts, but includes a combination of agriculture, biotechnology, and advanced formulation to revamp the F&B ecosystem.
Woman buying fruit and vegetables.
HowGood: Using data to navigate health and sustainability trade-offs in F&B
The US government’s push to remove petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the food supply signals a broader shift in how health is being regulated and communicated to consumers. Under the “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., policymakers are placing renewed scrutiny on ingredients long used across the food and beverage industry.
AmanoEnzymeTP
Plant-based Dairy Goes Mainstream
Amano Enzyme examines the consumer behaviors and market trends redefining the plant-based dairy category—projected to reach $28 billion by 2030. Explore how non-GM and organic-compliant enzyme solutions are helping manufacturers overcome formulation challenges to enhance taste, texture and performance in plant-based dairy—driving innovation and sustainable, long-term growth.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Amano Enzyme.
Valio webinar banner for More per Bite: Turn wellness into market success, with register link for 21 April sessions.
More per Bite: Turn wellness into market success
As wellness becomes a lifestyle driver, consumers expect more from every bite. Gut health, high protein and GLPI-1 medications are reshaping food choices – accelerating demand for nutrient-dense, multifunctional products that deliver tangible benefits in compact formats.

In this webinar Valio’s Consumer Insight Manager Sara Helminen explores the forces behind the “More per Bite” phenomenon and what they mean for product development. The presentation dives into why food is increasingly more than just food, how smaller portions must deliver higher value, and why the protein boom is shifting from quantity to quality. She also highlights how gut health is entering the mainstream and the resulting opportunities this creates for FMCG brands.

Win-win video thumbnail: Stack of cookies topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce on a plate, with a smiling man’s portrait in a blue circular graphic background
Win-Win: Fermentation unlocks cocoa-free, climate-friendly chocolate NPD
Mark Golder, CEO of Win-Win, explains how his team recreates chocolate’s signature taste, shine, and snap — without cocoa — amid supply pressures driven by climate change. Using patented fermentation and sustainable cereals and legumes, the UK-based firm delivers a convincing chocolate alternative for bakery and confectionery products. Golder also points to rising demand for cocoa-free options and stresses the need to scale production and educate consumers to build a more resilient, sustainable future for chocolate.

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EU’s two-tier crop rules could reshape food sourcing and labeling
Hand planting seeds in the soil.
For F&B companies already navigating cost pressures, climate risks, and shifting consumer expectations, New genomic techniques (NGTs) represent a new tool — and a new layer of complexity — in the future of food production. The NGT discussion has intensified following the EU Council’s adoption of the new rules.
Seafood sidestreams shift from waste to growth opportunity as consumer...
Seafood sidestreams upcycled into food for human consumption.
Consumer acceptance of seafood sidestreams in food is changing. A new study has revealed that most European consumers are now open to consuming sidestream-based products, pointing to growth opportunities for seafood processors and food manufacturers to repurpose these underutilized raw materials. However, transparency around how these ingredients are used in food products could be essential to their scalability. The study, undertaken by Consumer Compass for Hailia, a food-tech firm aiming to transform efficiency in the seafood industry, surveyed 1,512 people in March 2026 from the UK, Sweden, and Germany about their attitudes toward food products made from seafood sidestreams. Most (74%) respondents say they have a positive or neutral attitude toward eating food made from filleting sidestreams.
Kerry expands Irish biotech hub to meet lactose-free dairy boom
A scientist looks through a microscope at dairy products in a lab.
Kerry has unveiled its expanded biotechnology manufacturing hub in Carrigaline, County Cork, Ireland, which the company says will significantly increase its capacity to produce lactase enzymes at an industrial scale.According to the company, the move is a direct response to accelerating global demand for lactose-free and sugar-reduced dairy products — a category being driven by consumers who want digestive comfort and lower sugar intake without giving up taste or quality.
Aperol moves into RTD category as Campari targets younger consumers
Aperol Spritz On The Go.
Campari Group is entering the on-the-go segment with the launch of Aperol Spritz To Go, marking the brand’s first move into ready-to-drink (RTD) formats in its more than a century history.
Cargill upgrades hydrocolloids site to cut emissions and improve efficiency
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Rising energy costs, tightening environmental expectations, and ongoing supply chain pressures are forcing ingredient manufacturers to rethink how core products are made. Rather than large-scale transformation, many are turning to targeted process upgrades that deliver measurable gains in both efficiency and sustainability. A recent investment by Cargill at its Baupte facility in France illustrates this approach in practice.
Earth Day 2026: Agroecology and micronutrient supplements power food sovereignty
Senior hands giving a small planet earth to a child's hands

Nutrition Insight

For Earth Day 2026, we explore the importance of agroecological practices that drive enhanced nutrition through diverse diets while uplifting local and indigenous staples. With the theme of “Our Power, Our Planet,” we also examine the links between micronutrient supplementation in agriculture programs for healthy child growth and development. 
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Food made with traditional South African flavors.
Key interview
African flavors: How ADM localizes R&D to strengthen...
Taste preferences across Africa are highly diverse, but for years, the industry has developed flavors for African F&B markets from a distance, which meant missing the subtleties. ADM’s newest flavor creation facility in Johannesburg, South Africa, looks to overcome that gap by embedding innovation inside the markets it serves.
Strait Of Hormuz.
Regulatory News
“Global agri-food catastrophe”: FAO sounds alarm on Strait...
UN FAO chief economist, Maximo Torero, has warned that a prolonged Strait of Hormuz crisis could result in a “global agri-food catastrophe.” The US-Iran war in the Middle East, which began in late February 2026, remains unresolved, with Torero urging anticipatory policy actions to mitigate a price and supply crunch for key agri-food inputs. Although a delicate ceasefire has been agreed, major elements of the conflict — including naval blockades, sanctions, and military posturing — are still active, so the situation remains volatile rather than fully de-escalated.
african woman reading food label in supermarket
Food Ingredients News
Djazagro 2026: What’s driving innovation in North Africa’s...
North Africa’s F&B industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by rising consumer demand for affordable products that blend taste with a healthier, more natural profile. This shift is propelling innovation in sugar reduction, natural colors and flavors, shelf life extension, and local adaptation.

Ingredient focus

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Natural colors surge in F&B industryApr2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that consumers are actively reducing artificial ingredients in favor of natural alternatives. The use of natural colors in F&B launches is rising, with +9% growth...

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Plant-based F&B launches see steady growth Apr 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates a 3% CAGR in plant-based F&B launches between 2021 and 2025. Dairy and Meat Substitutes remain the key categories, while Fruit & Vegetables showed the fastest growth (36% CAGR) during the same period. Emerging ingredients in plant-based launches include sucralose, oat flake, and vegetable fats.

Trend analysis

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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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Win-win video thumbnail: Stack of cookies topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce on a plate, with a smiling man’s portrait in a blue circular graphic background
Video10:45
Win-Win: Fermentation unlocks cocoa-free, climate-friendly chocolate NPD

Mark Golder, CEO of Win-Win, explains how his team recreates chocolate’s signature taste, shine, and snap — without cocoa — amid supply pressures driven by climate change. Using patented fermentation and sustainable cereals and legumes, the UK-based firm delivers a convincing chocolate...

Valio webinar banner for More per Bite: Turn wellness into market success, with register link for 21 April sessions.
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More per Bite: Turn wellness into market success
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Video11:07
Melt&Marble: Enhancing flavor in alternative meats and dairy with precision-fermented fat
Dr. Puja Kumari, Scottish Association of Marine Science
Video09:21
Scottish Association for Marine Science: Unlocking red seaweed for food flavor, color & hybrid proteins 
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