Mars joins Hershey and Ferrero in race for the digital impulse purchases
Mars taps into Instagram Shop in time for Halloween to reach billions of global users, following its predictions on digital commerce’s influence on product discovery.
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M&M’s at 85: How Mars built a billion-dollar confectionery icon
From flavour innovation to space exploration, M&M’s has spent 85 years securing its place in confectionery history
Are food and beverage brands stuck on repeat?
Another flavour. Another collaboration. Another limited edition. Line extensions are booming, but are brands delivering genuine innovation or simply more of the same?
Top 10 food and beverage trends set to shape 2027
What’s next for food and beverage? Explore the consumer trends powering the next wave of innovation and new product development
Ube exports have been suspended – why and what happens now?
Ube is everywhere. But as demand surges, the Philippines is taking steps to keep the value and authenticity of its purple yam at home
Big Food’s C-suite shake-up signals new era
From Nestlé to Ferrero, Big Food’s leadership structure is changing, as boards search for executives who can do more than just manage a business
Mars predicts a future of automated and immersive retail
Agentic technology is increasingly shaping what consumers expect from their shopping experience as household staples are relegated to automated replenishment while immersive spaces are designed to drive discovery and spotlight viral trends
Hershey appoints new international president as CPG sets industry standard
Amanda Almond joins Hershey as international president, strengthening confectionery giant’s female-led leadership team
Growth by acquisition: 5 megadeals transforming food and drink
From Mars’ blockbuster buyout of Kellanova to Danone’s move into functional nutrition, Big Food is using M&A to accelerate growth
Hershey bets a ‘little extra’ can make candy feel like more as it courts premium shoppers
From sensory-driven Creme bars to a Katseye collaboration and Cadbury’s push beyond Easter, Hershey is using products, culture and experiences to make affordable indulgence feel like something more
Lawsuit claiming Hershey misled consumers dismissed
Judge dismisses lawsuit accusing Hershey of misleading shoppers with packaging
The race to reinvent confectionery is on
From multisensory experiences to AI-powered product development, innovation is reshaping the confectionery industry
Gut health and the $71bn question: What comes next?
From personalised nutrition to GLP-1-friendly foods, gut health is entering a new era
General Mills, Kellanova, Mars and McKee Foods sue sugar producers over alleged price-fixing
The food companies’ lawsuit alleges sugar producers used nonpublic competitor data to fix, raise and maintain granulated-sugar prices for years
Food’s fight for the evening snack gets serious
From game nights to movie marathons, evening snacking has become one of food and drink’s most valuable occasions
From aspartame to allulose: The future of sweeteners takes shape
The sweetener landscape is becoming increasingly diverse, but what does the future hold?
What Mars’ latest food-tech cohort says about the future of food
Mars’ food-tech ventures suggest big food is headed towards technologies rooted in food production rather than finished products
The future will be fun-sized: Why small indulgence beats shrinkflation for consumers
Consumers may accept smaller formats when they deliver a clear value proposition, according to o9 Solutions
Cloetta launches multisensory treats as texture trend grows
Cloetta raises multisensory confectionery standard with new foamy, crunchy, sour sweets
Food and beverage’s collaboration craze gains momentum
From confectionery tie-ups to sustainability partnerships, brand collaborations are reshaping the food and beverage industry. But why has the trend exploded, and where will it go next?
Big Food’s Big Reset: Why the industry’s changing faster than ever
From C-suite shake-ups to targeted acquisitions, Big Food is rethinking how to win in a rapidly changing market
Hershey names new CFO as expansion strategy accelerates
Hershey names longtime executive Dave Hulays as CFO, betting on leadership continuity to drive growth in a rapidly evolving market
Xylitol linked to heart attacks and strokes in major study
A large new study has thrown xylitol into the spotlight after scrutinising its long-term health effects
Big Food’s colour promises are colliding with supply chain reality
The dye deadlines are closing in, but the alternatives aren’t ready
Global Top 100 Most Valuable Food Brands 2026 announced
Which food brands are leading the way in 2026? Brand Finance’s latest ranking reveals the biggest names, fastest risers and strongest brands across the global food sector
The Gen Z Effect: Rewriting the rules of confectionery
From TikTok-fuelled product discovery to the rise of wellness, sustainability and authenticity, Gen Z is redefining what it means to indulge
Confectionery’s biggest trend? Looking back
From retro packaging to the return of familiar favourites, nostalgia has become one of confectionery’s most powerful growth drivers
Rizz, 6-7 and brainrot: Can food and drink speak internet without sounding cringe?
A viral buzzword can capture attention, but research suggests brands risk losing credibility when borrowed slang jars with the personality consumers already know
Hershey goes beyond confectionery with biggest ever Halloween push
Hershey goes all-in on Halloween with its largest seasonal range to date, spanning confectionery, savoury snacks and better-for-you
Confectionery fraud surges as manufacturers struggle to stay ahead
Fraudsters target high-value ingredients and premium claims, leaving confectionery manufacturers battling risks from farm to finished product
FDA considers new natural food color petitions as synthetic dye phaseout looms
Petitions seek approval for safflower yellow, expanded uses for gardenia blue and changes to carrot oil production as food makers move away from synthetic dyes
Xanthan gum linked to gut inflammation, putting manufacturers on alert
Study suggests long-term xanthan gum consumption could impact gut health, raising formulation questions for food and beverage
Private label goes premium as brands fight to keep up
Premium ingredients, sophisticated branding and growing consumer trust fuel private label’s rise across food and beverage
Global Top 100 confectionery companies announced
Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery’s 2026 Global Top 100 confectionery list has been revealed
Hershey’s push for premiumisation picks up pace
Hershey’s stepping up its premium ambitions with elevated products, strategic acquisitions and a growing focus on affordable indulgence
Mars at 115: Shaping the future of confectionery
From a small-town America to the world’s biggest confectionery company, Mars mark 115 years of family ownership and industry influence
Mars-Kellanova: What Brussels really decided about brand power
The EU cleared Mars’ $36bn Kellanova deal without conditions and its reasoning reveals how much bargaining power a brand really has left.
Hollywood snack collabs: Why movie tie-ins keep winning for CPG brands
Snacks are the biggest beneficiary of Hollywood-powered marketing, with 60% of consumers noticing brand collabs “often or always” and 68% saying they’ve purchased a co-branded or special edition product
The seasonal launch is dead. What comes next?
Faster trend cycles, retailer demands and shrinking product lifecycles are reshaping food and beverage innovation
From Mars to Intersnack: Are family dynasties becoming food’s new dealmakers?
As public markets keep discounting listed food companies, family-controlled giants are stepping in with the patience – and the premiums – to buy them
From Nestlé to Mars: Why Big Food is embracing contract manufacturing
Outsourcing becomes a priority as CPGs seek greater flexibility, speed and resilience
Mars turns mint supply risk into sustainability success
Mars shows how sustainable sourcing can strengthen supply chains with Shubh Mint programme
Cyberattacks surge as food and beverage becomes prime target
From suppliers to retailers, no part of the food and beverage industry is safe as cyber attacks escalate
Hershey backs Summerween as Halloween arrives early
Halloween starts in summer with the growth of spooky trend, Summerween
Hershey raises 2026 forecast following blockbuster Q2
Hershey posts strong second-quarter results, with sales and earnings growth driving an optimistic outlook
How heritage brands can break free from category stereotypes
Pulling from real-life cases studies, Ed Hayes, chief strategy officer at branding agency Bloom, sets out key tactics to successfully broadening a brand’s audience without jeopardising its original market appeal.
Mars invests $3m to empower women cocoa farmers
Mars and Save the Children launch major new project to support women in cocoa farming
From Nestlé to Ferrero: Big Food’s consolidation boom
Big Food’s biggest players are using acquisitions and strategic investments to fuel growth and expand their influence, and it’s reshaping the future of the industry
Mars bets on Summerween as Halloween becomes a season
The confectionery giant is producing Halloween candy in the spring and bringing products to shelves in summer as consumers increasingly treat Halloween as a multi-month occasion
Mars cuts jobs as confectionery giant consolidates operations
Mars to close Newark headquarters as it consolidates corporate functions in Chicago