Online Grocery Booms 28% YoY, Headwinds Hamper Total Takeover

Online grocery sales jumped by an eye-opening 28% YoY in June. However, experts feel barriers like fees, low personalization, and loyalty gaps leave growth on the table.

3 Textures Gen Z Can’t Resist

For Gen Z, eating and drinking are multi-sensory experiences – and texture is just as important as taste. Here are three textures the demographic can’t seem to get enough of.

End to Mexico Tomato Pact Could Raise Prices, Cut Supplies

A 17% tariff on Mexican tomatoes may shake up a $3.1 billion import market, as domestic growers cheer and supply chain leaders brace for impact. The squeeze could spark opportunity – or send prices surging.

Michelob Ultra Rewrites Playbook in Era of Health-Conscious Drinking

Michelob Ultra is winning over wellness-minded drinkers by positioning beer as a lifestyle choice, not just a weekend indulgence. Its low-cal, fitness-friendly appeal offers a playbook for beer brands attempting to stay relevant.

Competitive Beverage Dynamics: Chinese Chains Vs. Starbucks

Chinese café disruptors Luckin and Cotti are muscling into the U.S. market with tech-driven formats and inventive drinks, challenging Starbucks’ experience-first playbook. Can hyper-local pricing and automation rewrite America’s morning routine?

Is Functional Chocolate as Healthy as Advertised?

Functional chocolate is on the rise, boasting add-ins like mushrooms and collagen. Experts weigh in on the science, the strategy, and whether it’s more hype than health.

Tariffs Trigger Operational Overhauls: F&B Leaders Forecast Unrest Into 2026

Amid deepening tariff fatigue, F&B leaders brace for prolonged disruption while rethinking sourcing and private-label strategy. With costs rising and margins thinning, industry players are innovating, deploying strategies like alternative sourcing. FI recently gleaned business tips from dozens of industry leaders regarding tariffs.

Gen Z Wants to Turn Everything into a Sauce, Including Soda

When asked which foods and drinks Gen Zers wanted to experience in sauce form, 10% of survey respondents referenced a soda – some by its brand name; others by its flavor profile. Here are their top flavor choices.

For Retail and Delivery, Advertising is Becoming Big Business

Retail media is booming, with CPGs pouring billions into data-driven platforms like Walmart Connect, Instacart, and DoorDash. The result: high-margin ad revenue is reshaping profit models and investor expectations across grocery and delivery.

Are Consumers in a ‘Spending Recession’ for Food Items?

RBC’s Nik Modi breaks down how inflation, debt, and economic pressures are shaping grocery shopping habits and consumer behavior in the food industry.

Amazon Prime Day 2025 Inspires Nearly 155K Orders

Amazon Prime Day 2025 smashed records with over $24 billion in sales, fueled by influencer-led campaigns and F&B category dominance. Grocery deals drove traffic, while Premier Protein Shakes emerged as the event’s MVP.

Halloween in July? Gen Z Drives ‘Summerween’ Movement

Gen Z and Millennials are fueling “Summerween,” sparking early seasonal candy sales and viral Halloween-themed celebrations. Brands tapping into this cultural moment are winning attention with creative campaigns and shareable experiences.

How AI is Disrupting Food Innovation – Here’s Why You Should be Paying Attention

AI is now the sous-chef behind food innovation, reshaping R&D from lab bench to market shelf. As illustrated by this week’s IFT FIRST event in Chicago, platforms like Tastewise are accelerating product timelines, predicting consumer trends, and leveling the playing field for brands big and small.

The Sauces Star at KFC’s Saucy

KFC’s Saucy spinoff flips fast food on its head, making sauce the star with various flavor combos and a vibe-forward experience. Gen Z diners, after all, are chasing chicken these days.

New US Listing Creates Clear Mission for JBS

JBS says its stock could quadruple if markets re-rate it closer to peers like Tyson and Hormel – but a history of scandals still weighs heavily. With ESG scrutiny fading, JBS bets low drama could mean high returns.

Protein: An Essential but Overhyped Macronutrient

While protein remains a top nutrition trend, health experts argue it’s often overhyped. Many Americans already get enough, and whole food sources may be healthier than processed protein products.

Your Brand’s Website: Your Hub for Engagement and Retail Discovery

Even in a retail-first world, a brand’s website serves as its frontline storyteller. Smart, intentional updates of a brand’s website – not perfection – keep customers engaged and connected across the digital shelf, according to the CEO of BARREL.

After Trying Everything Else, Kraft Heinz Eyes Breakup

Kraft Heinz is considering splitting into separate companies to unlock shareholder value following a series of unsuccessful strategies. While the move follows the successful Kellogg split, skeptics argue it may not fix the deeper issues of weak execution and an underperforming brand portfolio.

Mid-Year Update: The State of the Specialty Food Industry

At the recent Summer Fancy Food Show, industry leaders discussed the promising future for specialty food makers. Despite economic headwinds, consumers are expected to largely increase or maintain their consumption in many key categories.

Beef Prices Hit Record High, Restaurants Rethink Menus

Facing record-high beef prices, restaurants are reworking menus and investing in vertical supply chains to stay afloat. Some are rebranding leaner protein choices as “wellness-driven,” while giants like Walmart cut out the middleman entirely.

A US Foods-PFG Tie-Up is Surprising, Logical, and Far From Guaranteed

US Foods is eyeing a blockbuster merger with Performance Food Group, aiming to dominate the independent restaurant channel and outpace Sysco. But with steep costs and FTC hurdles, the deal’s anything but a sure thing.

Cracker Barrel Straddles the Fence Between the Past and Future

Cracker Barrel is attempting to modernize its brand with sleeker decor, streamlined retail, and booze on the menu. CEO Julie Felss Masino faces the challenge of evolution without eroding identity.

Peeling Back the Layers of the Banana Coffee Trend

Banana milk is swinging into the coffee scene, turning nostalgic flavor into a retail phenomenon. Fueled by K-pop, global influence, and social media buzz, it’s reshaping what “comfort coffee” means for consumers.

Ferrero Group to Acquire Kellogg

Ferrero’s $3.1B bid for WK Kellogg Co. signals bold ambition amid cereal’s slump and health backlash. As big brands consolidate, legacy CPGs chase reinvention and reformulation in a shifting consumer wellness landscape.

Feel the Burn: Nuanced, Functional Spice Experiences on the Rise

Today’s consumers are seeking more nuanced, complex spice experiences – and brands are delivering them. For example, Arkay Beverages leverages capsaicin in its non-alcoholic spirits to replicate the kick of standard liquor, adding sensory thrills and functional perks to zero-proof cocktails in the process.

Meat-ish, Dairy-ish: Is There a Market for Hybrid Plant-Based?

Recently, the F&B industry has seen an uptick in hybrid plant-based products, which blend standard meat and dairy with meatless and dairy-free versions. But will consumers embrace them?

Specialty Grocers Sprouts and NGVC Display Market Strength

Amid inflation’s shake-up, niche grocers like Sprouts and Natural Grocers have defied expectations with explosive growth. Turns out, health-conscious loyalty and savvy execution are worth their weight in organic chia seeds.

Texas Floods: H-E-B, Whataburger Display Community in Wake of Tragedy

Texas grocery chain H-E-B mobilized swiftly after deadly Texas floods, delivering supplies and meals to devastated communities. Their boots-on-the-ground relief shows how brand loyalty and corporate responsibility often go hand in hand.

10 Trends on Display at the 2025 Summer Fancy Food Show

From protein-packed desserts to gourmet tallow chips, the 2025 Summer Fancy Food Show dished out indulgence with purpose. Tradition and global ingredients were also notably in the spotlight at the event.

Crops Rotting in Fields With Undocumented Farmworkers Gone

Tough immigration enforcement is squeezing farms as migrant workers fear ICE raids – meaning some crops are going unpicked overnight. With labor shortages surging, industry insiders warn of price hikes, food waste, and a looming agricultural breaking point.

How Venus Wafers Cracked the Smart Manufacturing Code

Venus Wafers is modernizing food manufacturing with automation to boost efficiency, enhance safety, and maintain product quality—all while investing in its workforce and long-standing legacy.

Beyond Vertical Farming Hype: Lessons Learned From 300 Global Projects

Vertical farming isn’t dead – rather, the wheat is being separated from the chaff. As hype fades, smart capital is shifting, and survival now hinges on strategy, scale discipline, and true consumer alignment.

Calculating the True Cost of Tariffs

Tariffs are reshaping supply chains, squeezing margins, and testing consumer loyalty. In the weeks ahead, food industry leaders will need to pivot quickly, CEOs note.

SFFS Trendspotters: The Trends Commanding Attention

At the recent Summer Fancy Food Show (SFFS) in NYC, protein candy, international convenience, and beverage innovations were among key trends. Learn about the cutting-edge brands supporting the future of food.

Investors Are Getting Worried About Big Beverage Names

Beverage giants appear to be losing their buzz. Investors are signaling deeper concerns despite steady profits. As GLP-1s and shifting health sentiments rise, the sector’s long-term resilience may be entering a new taste test.

Senate Approves Bill Expanding Students’ Access to Plant-Based Milk

A new bipartisan bill approved by the Senate Ag Committee aims to expand access to plant-based milk in schools, offering relief to millions of lactose-intolerant students. If passed, it would require schools to provide non-dairy alternatives to students when requested by a parent, no doctor’s note needed.