
The raisin squeeze: Iran tensions expose a fragile ingredient supply chain
Raisins sit quietly inside thousands of everyday foods, but the global trade behind them is far more concentrated than most manufacturers realise
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Raisins sit quietly inside thousands of everyday foods, but the global trade behind them is far more concentrated than most manufacturers realise

As appetite-suppressing drugs take hold, the real shift in snacking may not be how much people eat but how deliberately they choose to indulge

PepsiCo’s Lay’s restaurant in Madrid highlights a growing strategy among snack giants to extend blockbuster brands beyond the supermarket shelf and into cafés, retail attractions and immersive consumer experiences

From cacao cells grown in bioreactors to fermentation-built chocolate flavours, scientists and startups are experimenting with ways to produce cocoa ingredients without growing cacao trees

Up the food chain
Ahead of International Women’s Day, the manufacturing leader behind millions of Jammie Dodgers reflects on sexism on the factory floor and why emotional intelligence matters more than bravado

The market has swung from historic shortage to surplus projections for 2025/26 in under two years

Reformulation may steady margins, but unless manufacturers tackle cocoa’s income gap at source, volatility will keep coming back

Expo West lands in Anaheim this March, and protein isn’t just a trend – it’s the baseline. The real fight is over taste, texture and who can make functionality feel effortless

Ingredients Compendium No 2: Trehalose
As manufacturers grapple with sugar reduction, texture loss and longer shelf-life demands, trehalose is emerging as a functional ingredient to watch in 2026

Soaring cocoa prices are quietly reshaping how chocolate is formulated, where it’s used and how far the industry can stretch expectations without losing trust