2026 Innovative Trends: Geopolitical Impact

“Global trade feels very fluid at the moment, offering little certainty. For food and beverage, that uncertainty is real: tariffs, climate shocks, and shifting policy can change cost structures overnight,” David Gray, CEO of FedUp ...

GLP-1 Drugs Have Inspired Precision Eating: What F&B Leaders Need to Know

GLP-1 drugs are shrinking appetites and supercharging demand for nutrient-dense, snackable formats. Precision eating is rewriting menus and appears to be reshaping the future of food, drink, and wellness.

The Easiest Meals to Eat on the Go, According to Kelley Blue Book

Kelley Blue Book’s “Fork in the Road” guide spotlights the top car-friendly fast-food picks for mess-free mobile dining. Boneless bites are on the rise, highlighting shifting consumer preferences in QSR innovation.

The New America: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Political perceptions are shaping how Americans define value – and it’s not just about price. Today’s consumers demand empathy, convenience, and strategic engagement across life stages.

The Fresh Frontier: How Augmented Reality is Transforming Grocery Execution

GoSpotCheck by FORM brings real-time visibility and control to produce and meat departments – helping grocers reduce shrink, optimize labor, and improve margins through data-driven execution.

Beyond Meat Joins the Bizarre World of Meme Stocks

Beyond Meat’s financial struggles haven’t stopped retail traders from sending its stock soaring more than 600% in a week. As the plant-based pioneer swaps debt for equity, it’s become the latest unlikely star in the bizarre saga of meme stocks.

3 Lessons From Michelob Ultra’s Marketing Dominance

Michelob Ultra didn’t just sell beer, it sold a lifestyle, and now it’s America’s best-selling beer, by volume. Its secret, according to marketing experts? Relentless consistency, wellness-driven branding, and staying in its lane.

Emerging Brands as Content Studios: The Trend Your Ad Agency Wants You to Ignore

Emerging brands are ditching ad agencies and building in-house content studios to control speed, cost, and creativity. Owned media is no longer optional – it’s the new engine of consumer marketing and brand memorability.

Cafe Chain Launches Ice Cubes Made of Coffee

A coffee chain in Hawaii is turning stale brew into a brand asset with its new “Rescube” campaign – coffee ice cubes that fight dilution and waste. It’s a strategic play on quality, sustainability, and storytelling.

Gen Z, Millennial Consumers Leading ‘Anti-Algorithm’ Movement

Mintel’s 2026 forecast urges brands to embrace empowered aging, algorithm-free authenticity, and affection-driven design. Food leaders can tap into these shifts to craft experiences that nourish identity, connection, and purpose.

Value + Innovation: The Keys to Restaurant Growth in H2 2025

In the latter stages of 2025, restaurant growth hinges on pairing value with innovation. From Taylor Swift tie-ins to smart nostalgia, brands that deliver memorable experiences at fair prices are winning foot traffic across formats.

How the Pizza Industry Suddenly Turned Cold

Pizza’s delivery dominance is melting fast, as third-party platforms slice into its turf. With legacy chains stagnating and investor appetite waning, the industry must cook up a fresh edge.

2026 Innovative Trends: GLP-1

There’s an interesting thing happening in the grocery aisle: assortments are changing to meet the needs of the maturing GLP-1 consumer, but these assortments have a larger mass appeal. “We’re seeing… protein and ‘whole food’ ...

President Trump Eyes Argentine Beef to Solve Domestic Crisis

Beef prices are sizzling at $6.30/lb, and President Donald Trump’s fix – importing Argentine cattle – is sparking bipartisan backlash. Industry leaders warn the move may fuel geopolitical tensions without lowering consumer costs.

AI: The Fastest-Growing Ingredient in Food

AI is transforming food industry operations, marketing, and media fast and affordably. Brands that reinvest AI-driven savings into quality, transparency, and innovation will lead the next wave of consumer trust and growth.

Impossible Foods Founder Insists Plant-Based Meat Isn’t Dead; Here’s Why

Despite investor jitters and industry shakeouts, Impossible Foods founder Patrick Brown recently told FI he remains bullish on alt-meat’s future. With tech advancements and health-driven messaging, plant-based protein may yet win over skeptical consumers.

Gen X: The New MVP of Food Industry Spending

Gen Xers may represent the “forgotten generation,” but their loyalty, functionality-first mindset, and $39 trillion inheritance make them a retail force. Ignore their evolving wellness habits and omnichannel expectations at your brand’s peril.

3 Sustainability Ideas That Could be Widely Impactful

Green hydrogen, carbon removal, and circular design are reshaping sustainability – but not without hurdles. Experts urge food industry leaders to embrace regenerative models and rethink profitability through the lens of strong sustainability.

NACS Show Observations: Protein, Caffeine Everywhere

At the 2025 NACS Show, protein-packed innovation and caffeine reinvention stole the spotlight, catering to health-conscious and novelty-seeking consumers alike. More than anything, convenience retail is getting a functional facelift.

AWS Outages Continue, Affecting Web-Based Service

A major Amazon Web Services outage on Monday disrupted thousands of sites, including foodservice platforms, underscoring the industry’s digital dependence. Experts warn the cost could reach billions, as DNS errors rippled through operations and productivity worldwide.

Top 5 National Coffee Chains, Ranked by Craveability

Peet’s tops craveability rankings as consumers seek quality, innovation, and value in a $58.5 billion café market. From cardamom lattes to celebrity collabs, chains are brewing bold strategies to win loyalty amid rising prices.

Junior Size Me: 44% of U.S. Adults Now Order Kids Meals

Nearly half of U.S. adults now order kids’ meals, driven by inflation, smaller appetites, and a craving for comfort. Restaurants are responding with nostalgic offerings, downsized portions, and delivery deals to match.

Unprecedented Food Fraud Uncovered in Relabeling Probe

Organized crime members are infiltrating waste disposal sites to relabel expired food, reintroducing it into the supply chain at unprecedented scale. Europol’s recent $110M bust exposes a growing threat to safety, traceability, and brand integrity.

2026 Innovative Trends: Clean Label

Since the pandemic, the market has gradually shifted to empower consumers to consider the health and wellness implications of their food choices, with a “food as medicine” approach that has compelled many to consider ingredient ...

4 Key Takeaways From Transform Food & Agriculture USA

At this week’s Transform Food and Agriculture USA event, industry leaders tackled inflation, AI, and the protein boom with cautious optimism. From pineapple byproducts to predictive tech, the future of food appears to be leaner and considerably more sustainable.

Candy-flation Is No Match for Halloween Cravings

Despite soaring cocoa prices and shifting consumer budgets, Halloween candy sales are anything but scary. Non-chocolate confections and TikTok-fueled innovations are keeping the sweet season alive, even as chocolate feels the squeeze.

Poultry Industry Outlook: Rising Demand Challenged by Disease, Inflation

Wayne-Sanderson Farms CFO T.J. Wolfe discusses inflation, disease, and the tech transforming the poultry industry.

Precision Fermentation Redefines Animal-Free Dairy Production

Precision fermentation is transforming dairy, creating lactose-free milk made without cows. Strive Nutrition’s FREEMILK uses real dairy proteins – identical to those in cow’s milk but produced sustainably through fermentation – to offer the taste and nutrition of milk with fewer emissions and less sugar.

Upgraded Convenience, Thoughtfully Sweet Among 5 Whole Foods Trends for 2026

The Whole Foods Trend Council has been busy this year understanding the forces driving consumer behavior. They found that minimally processed foods that simplify the grocery experience while packing a punch will reach new heights in 2026.

Survey Reveals Restaurants Focused on AI, Employee Retention

In 2025, restaurants are battling inflation and labor woes with smarter tech and sharper marketing. Toast’s latest survey shows operators leaning into AI, efficiency, and guest experience to protect profitability.

Move Over Dirty Soda, Heavy Soda Goes Viral

Heavy soda — an ultra-sweet, syrup-heavy twist on fountain drinks — is gaining viral traction and nostalgic appeal. With minimal operational lift, it offers high-margin potential and Gen Z buzz for savvy beverage retailers.

LATAM Influence: Future Considerations

LATAM communities have become American tastemakers across all of culture, and as the demographic’s population grows, so will its impact. Hispanic consumers already represent a large portion of growth in the grocery space, and they’re ...

From SKUs to Ecosystems: The Future of Food Innovation

AI is fast becoming shoppers’ trusted assistant, especially in grocery. As a result, brands must now master AI algorithms, build trust, and optimize for voice-driven, chatbot-powered discovery.

A $4B Investment Aims for an Uncertain Turnaround at PepsiCo

Elliott Management just invested $4 billion in PepsiCo, betting it can fix what fizzled. The activist investor envisions a turnaround – assuming legacy brands can still thrive in a GLP-1 world.

Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr. Unite on Booze-less Buzz

Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. have fused star power with beverage innovation, launching coffee-beer crossovers that tap into Gen Z’s desire for a booze-less buzz. Their authentic friendship fuels a savvy play in functional, premium CPG.

For Tyson, Investors Worry About More Than Just the Industry

Tyson’s beef woes mask solid gains in chicken and prepared foods, and investors remain skeptical. With leadership shakeups and earnings volatility, the market’s appetite for Tyson stock is far from ravenous.