3 Secrets to Attract Gen Z Consumers

Gen Zers crave brands that speak their cultural language, not just sell products. From Oreo’s meme creativity to Doritos’ gamer-friendly tech, authenticity and co-creation are the new path to loyalty.

The Rise of Dirty Soda: A Trend Taking the Beverage Industry by Storm

The “dirty soda” trend continues to be a phenomenon in the beverage industry, driven by social media and the desire for customization and unique experiences, particularly among Gen Z consumers. This trend has seen a 270% increase in social conversations over the past year.

Brands Are Dying to Work with Liquid Death

Despite its ghoulish aesthetics, Liquid Death’s community is surprisingly wide: “people drink things and they like to laugh,” adroitly summarized Liquid Death creative VP Andy Pearson in an interview with The Food Institute. This has …

Creatine Has Become the Billion-Dollar Darling of the Wellness Aisle

Creatine’s comeback isn’t just for athletes – the supplement is now a $1.1 billion wellness juggernaut. With aging consumers and GLP-1 users fueling demand, food brands are giving the supplement a long look.

Dubai Chocolate Trend Gains Momentum Despite Ongoing Cocoa Crisis

Dubai chocolate’s viral rise is influencing menus worldwide with its craveable crunch and flair. However, climate-driven cocoa and pistachio shortages hint at deeper disruptions for the confectionery industry.

The Top 3 Flavors Influencing Product Launches

Flavors like matcha, hot honey, and pickles are surging in 2025, driven by viral trends and nostalgic cravings. Social media-savvy consumers are rewriting the flavor playbook – and retailers are hustling to keep pace.

The 10 Best Snacks for Brain Health

Post-pandemic consumers crave mental clarity, but trendy snacks often miss the mark. Experts urge F&B brands to spotlight whole foods, omega-3s, and gut-friendly nutrients to support brain health.

Lights, Camera, Snackin’: The Psychology of ‘Performative Snacking’

Millennials and Gen Z are snacking with style – treating pantry items as identity statements and status symbols. Brands that blend bold packaging with shared values are seizing this flavorful form of modern self-expression.

CPG Giants Pledge to Remove Food Dyes

Over the past few weeks, CPG giants have pledged their support in removing select artificial food dyes in an apparent bid to align their practices with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and …

Purple Craze: Ube Moves from Filipino Tradition to Viral Trend

Once rooted in Filipino comfort food, ube is now infusing menus and retail shelves with color and cultural depth. F&B leaders are embracing it as both a flavor trend and storytelling vehicle.

Tariff Tactics: How Food Brands Are Battling Rising Costs

Food and beverage businesses have begun to feel the impact of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Some have absorbed the blow. Others were left staggering. When the U.S. raised steel and aluminum tariffs to …

The New Rules of Customer Retention: Winning Over Increasingly Disloyal Consumers

Consumers are ditching brand loyalty in favor of value, leaving food businesses scrambling to win repeat visits. Upside’s latest report reveals that personalized incentives – not traditional marketing – are the key to turning uncommitted customers into habitual buyers.

The Future Is Swalty: 3 TikTok Trends Reshaping Food Retail

Viral social media trends can often translate to real-time impacts for brands – and TikTok’s algorithmic pull is particularly strong.

Canadian Cuisine is Gaining Acclaim, from Top Chef to Award-Winning Restaurants

Canadian cuisine is gaining international acclaim, with chefs showcasing The Great White North’s diverse food culture – from Indigenous influences to locally sourced seafood. As culinary innovators tap into Canada’s vast, untapped gastronomic potential, the world is finally taking note.

7-Eleven, Live Nation Partnership Exemplifies Experiential Marketing

7-Eleven is redefining experiential marketing by embedding its brand into live music culture as it works to appeal to to younger consumers.

NGA Takes Aim at Proposed SNAP Cuts, Industry Concerned

The National Grocers Association recently led efforts to urge Congress to reject a proposal that will slash SNAP funding by 20%.

Grocers’ Gen Z Digital Playbook

Grocers are rethinking the shopping experience to engage with Gen Z, which wields $984 billion in spending power and demands digital-infused interactions.

People’s Union USA Kicks Off 7-Day Economic Blackout of General Mills

Recently, People’s Union USA began calling on consumers to boycott products from various businesses in protest of alleged social, economic, and environmental offenses. Monday, participating consumers kicked off a seven-day economic blackout of General Mills.

The True Anti-Inflammation Diet, According to Research

Chronic inflammation has been associated with health issues ranging from anxiety and depression to heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Research reveals that the Mediterranean diet, which includes a large quantity of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like fish and olive oil, shows substantial promise in lowering inflammation markers.

Sticker Shock: 44% of Companies Plan to Pass Tariff Costs to Customers

A new survey by Zilliant reveals that nearly half of businesses plan to pass tariff-related costs onto consumers. As companies navigate tariff-related challenges, transparency with consumers will be critical to maintaining trust and avoiding backlash.

Open Sesame: Tahini Latte Searches Surge 900% on Yelp

After the Maman Salted Tahini Honeycomb Latte and Edith’s Tahini Frozen Cold Brew went viral on social media, Yelp searches for tahini coffee drinks soared. While the plant-based sesame seed paste has been a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries, lately tahini has been carving out a space for itself within the coffee category.

Hot is Hot: Spicy Beverage Flavors Taking Center Stage

The spicy flavor trend is setting the F&B world ablaze, with bold innovations such as hot honey sausage for pizzas and chili-infused ice cream captivating adventurous consumers. These days, the innovation even extends into drink aisles.

Survey Unveils Teens’ Brand Choices in 2025 – From Crunchy Snacks to Impactful Influencers

The latest Taking Stock with Teens survey by Piper Sandler reveals a generation of U.S. teenagers with rising annual spending (up 6% from last year). Chick-fil-A and energy drinks currently dominate teen preferences, highlighting opportunities for targeted marketing strategies.

Top 5 Dealbreakers for Modern Diners

The 2025 American Diner Trends Report uncovered the top dealbreakers that deter diners, such as negative word-of-mouth, health inspection warnings, and long wait times. With distinct preferences emerging among Gen Z and older cohorts, the report illustrated how restaurants can win over consumers.

Grubhub Resuscitates Seamless, Bets Big on NYC

Grubhub recently announced it is bringing Seamless back as a standalone brand specifically for the NYC community. The strategy endeavors to target the market as part of the “next chapter” in its partnership with Wonder.

Policy Heats Up: Hot Foods Act Poised to Modernize SNAP

The bipartisan reintroduction of the Hot Foods Act aims to modernize SNAP policies by allowing participants to purchase hot, prepared meals. This legislative change, strongly backed by industry leaders, could open new avenues for the food sector to meet the evolving needs of over 42 million Americans.

Airlines Look to F&B to Up Their Customer Experience

If you’ve flown in the past few years, you’ve likely run into a poor customer experience on an airline: albeit from overworked staff trying their best, delayed and canceled flights, more turbulence, and smaller seats. …

Violife’s Plant-Based Marketing and Influencer Playbook

Dairy-free cheese maker Violife debuted a line of lentil-based coffee creamers, Violife Supreme Coffee Creamers. To spread the word, the brand launched Creamy Confessions, a nationwide ad campaign featuring a series of reality TV stars, social media influencers, and online content creators.

Coming Clean: Consumers Prioritize Ingredient Transparency

The global clean-label ingredients market is expected to reach $212 billion by 2035, driven by increased consumer awareness of the health risks associated with artificial preservatives. The demand for minimally processed foods is prompting companies to prioritize ingredient transparency.

The Rise of Churrasco: A Tasty TikTok Sensation

Churrasco, a South American grilling tradition, involves cooking cuts of meat over an open flame, often seasoned with coarse salt. Its popularity on TikTok is driven by its visually appealing grilling process and cultural authenticity.

Healthy by Association: How Alt-Meat Brands Are Earning Trust

Alt-meat brands like Beyond and Impossible are launching new and reformulated products to earn the trust of health-conscious consumers and national health organizations. These innovations have enabled the meat alternatives to quality for the nutrition initiatives of both the American Heart and American Diabetes Associations.

Instacart, Mountain Dew Among Super Bowl 59 Ad Winners

Super Bowl 59’s commercials leaned on humor and star power, featuring celebrities like Martha Stewart to promote F&B brands.

2025 Trends and Opportunities for Plant-Based Brands

Despite recent challenges, the plant-based sector is primed for growth in some respects, with opportunities to innovate through functional ingredients, whole-food formulations, and clean-label transparency.

Consumers Fall in Love with Hawaiian Eats

Hawaiian cuisine is getting more popular on the mainland, with searches for Hawaiian barbecue up 88% from last year and Hawaiian Mac Salad up 523% over the same period. What’s behind this boom?

Regional Grocers Win in Value-First World

A recent report from dunnhumby found consumers continue to prefer regional grocers with H-E-B holding firm as the most preferred. Kroger and Albertsons, however, fell out of favor, likely due to the ongoing post-merger turmoil.

Value 2.0: Catering to Shoppers’ Personal Priorities

In 2025, consumers will redefine “value,” prioritizing brands that align with their personal values, according to Acosta Group. Retailers must embrace this shift by enhancing experiences through personalized retail media, leveraging social commerce, and addressing health-conscious demands with transparency.