Apetit Horizontal Banner February 2026
Young consumers drinking alcohol-free beer at party.

How the alcohol industry is rethinking R&D amid falling global consumption

The global alcohol industry is in structural retreat as global consumers continue to drink less. Producers are scrambling to reformulate beverage R&D and regain their falling profits. Core beer fell below half of Carlsberg’s revenue for the first time in 2025. Pernod Ricard offloaded the bulk of its international wine portfolio to concentrate on premium spirits and non-alcoholic alternatives. Diageo’s operating profit dropped 27.8% in the fiscal year to June 2025, yet its alcohol-free portfolio grew roughly 40% over the same period.
man wearing black gloves holding a glass jar of brown protein chunks
Plant-based innovation: Ingredient leaders drive shift from meat replacements to nutrient-rich solutions
The bar for plant-based innovation has risen over the past few years. Consumers now expect more than meat-free substitutes — they want high-protein, nutritionally optimized products that align with evolving health trends, such as GLP-1 use, while also addressing growing environmental concerns. For manufacturers, the challenge is delivering both consumer and planetary health without compromising product taste and enjoyment.
teenage boy with energy drink can in supermarket
Hydrogen water: Is 2026 the breakout year for a new functional beverage category?
As interest in functional beverages continues to grow, hydrogen water is moving from elite athletic and recovery circles into the mainstream, prompting a wave of curiosity (and some skepticism) among consumers. Several peer-reviewed and pilot studies have explored hydrogen-rich water in controlled settings, including reductions in post-exercise blood lactate, improvements in perceived exertion and ventilatory efficiency, increases in antioxidant enzyme activity, and early findings related to alcohol related outcomes. While the research is still developing, consumer interest is accelerating quickly.
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Sweetener trends & insights: Opportunities for calorie-conscious innovation
Innova Market Insights reveals that nearly half of consumers globally are turning to sweeteners to satisfy their sweet cravings while aiming to reduce their calorie intake. This growing demand for lower-calorie options is fueling innovation in the sweetener market, presenting new opportunities for the development of novel sweetener solutions in F&B products.
MeelunieTP
“Whey + Fava: A Hybrid Protein Innovation for Sports Nutrition”
Amino Power represents a meaningful innovation in functional sports nutrition, combining three distinct value drivers: enhanced amino acid composition, cost competitiveness relative to whey-only protein concentrates, and superior organoleptic characteristics compared to plant-only alternatives. This hybrid dairy-plant formulation addresses key market gaps.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Meelunie.
Guillaume Blancher, Kerry
Kerry: Addressing bitterness, mouthfeel & GLP-1 taste shifts in sugar reduction

Sugar taxes and front-of-pack labeling rules are accelerating sweetener innovation. Guillaume Blancher, global portfolio director for Sweetness at Kerry, explains why removing sugar is not simple, and how “sweetness optimization” can help overcome bitterness exposure and thin mouthfeel challenges. He also discusses how GLP-1s are reshaping taste expectations and beverage formulation strategies.

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Puratos poised to launch “world’s first” chocolate with cultured cocoa for...
Young woman eating chocolate.
Highly concentrated in West African countries, such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, cocoa production is particularly vulnerable to climate change, crop diseases, and extreme weather. It’s been these markers that have driven up cocoa prices in recent years, leading to an ongoing cocoa crisis and a wave of alternative innovation, with major chocolate brands using less cocoa in formulations.
Arla Foods reveals largest-ever investment in Swedish cheese dairy as protein...
Arla’s Götene production site.
Arla Foods has made its largest-ever investment in Swedish cheese dairy, citing rising global demand for protein and the country’s commitment to increasing food production as key factors. The Danish-Swedish multinational dairy cooperative has committed approximately €300 million (~US$354 million) to a new production site in Götene, intended to boost capacity and supply chain resilience, and accelerate product innovation.
Expo West 2026: How dairy ingredient leaders enhance nutrition and overcome...
big building with natural products expo west banner and crowd of people outside
F&B ingredient suppliers are moving beyond single-claim fortification toward fully integrated, lifestyle-ready solutions, as consumer demand for nutritional products that do not sacrifice flavor and texture grows. Ahead of Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, California, US (Mar 3–6), we speak to dairy ingredient giants FrieslandCampina Ingredients and Kerry about their latest innovations combining nutrition and enjoyment.
Expo West 2026: Ingredient suppliers navigate reformulation, supply chain &...
NPEW 2026.
Natural Products Expo West returns to Anaheim, California, US, next week (March 3–6) for its 45th edition, with ingredient suppliers arriving amid converging political and economic pressures that are reshaping product development across the natural and organic F&B segments. The show brings together more than 3,300 exhibitors and 60,000 professional buyers from major retailers like Whole Foods Market, Costco, Kroger, and Amazon, to major producers and suppliers like ADM and Tradin Organic, as well as start-ups and new enterprises.  
US Supreme Court strikes down Trump tariffs amid fresh uncertainty for F&B trade
Trump.
The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs are illegal, striking down import duties that had collected more than US$130 billion and reshaped transatlantic trade over the past year.The 6–3 decision invalidates tariffs Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 emergency powers law that the court ruled does not authorize the president to impose import taxes. 
Expo West 2026: Key nutrition innovations in gut microbiome, GLP-1 and longevity
Expo West 2025 building

Nutrition Insight

At the 45th annual edition of Natural Products Expo West, nutraceutical, food, and beverage companies are set to unveil the latest solutions in health and wellness. The trade show in Anaheim, California, US (Mar 3–6), will spotlight products with benefits ranging from digestion and weight management to longevity and skin health. Ahead of the show, Nutrition Insight discusses innovations on display and technology advances with exhibitors Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Nexira, and Now Health Group. 
Highlighted features
Danone.
Business News
Danone’s high-protein bet pays off as dairy giant posts...
Danone has reported full-year 2025 sales of €27.3 billion (US$28.6 billion), up 4.5% on a like-for-like basis — a measure that strips out currency swings and acquisitions to show underlying business performance — with double-digit growth in its high-protein portfolio and strong performance in Specialized Nutrition underpinning the French dairy giant’s continued recovery. Volume and mix contributed 2.7% to growth, with pricing adding 1.8% — a balance CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique frames as “broad-based, quality growth” driven by the company’s “health-focused portfolio.” 
Tractor fertilizing field.
Regulatory News
EU restrictions on Russian fertilizer threaten to drive up...
Europe is making it significantly harder and more expensive to import fertilizer from Russia, through a combination of new carbon levies, escalating tariffs, and fresh sanctions. Farm groups say fertilizer imports have already collapsed by more than 80%, and warn of a repeat of the 2022 price shock — when fertilizer costs surged globally, and food prices followed. For the food ingredients sector, one of the most exposed downstream markets is palm oil. Since January 1, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) — a carbon levy on imports of emissions-heavy products — has applied to fertilizers entering the bloc. At the same time, tariffs on Russian and Belarusian fertilizer that took effect in July 2025 are set to rise sharply.
Nestlé.
Business News
Nestlé posts steady organic growth as infant formula recall...
Nestlé has reported full-year 2025 sales of CHF 89.5 billion (US$101.5 billion) with 3.5% organic growth, driven by a second-half acceleration in real internal growth (RIG) from 0.2% to 1.4%. However, net profit dropped 17% to CHF 9.0 billion (US$10.2 billion) and the company’s 2026 outlook is clouded by the financial and reputational fallout from the recent global infant formula recall that triggered criminal complaints in France and product withdrawals across more than 60 countries.“I am encouraged by our performance during 2025, which reflects the targeted actions we have taken in a difficult external environment,” says Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil. The underlying trading operating profit (UTOP) margin came in at 16.1%, down 110 basis points year on year, while free cash flow reached CHF 9.2 billion (US$10.4 billion). Navratil says improving organic growth, RIG, and market share trends in the second half “show that our actions are working.” 

Ingredient focus

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Consumers crave enhanced mouthfeel experiencesFeb2026

Data from Innova Market Insights shows that consumers are increasingly curious about texture when purchasing indulgent F&B products. They are drawn to smooth, creamy textures while also exploring ...

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Sweetener trends & insights: Opportunities for calorie-conscious innovation Feb 2026

Innova Market Insights reveals that nearly half of consumers globally are turning to sweeteners to satisfy their sweet cravings while aiming to reduce their calorie intake. This growing demand for lower-calorie options is fueling innovation in the sweetener market, presenting new opportunities for the development of novel sweetener solutions in F&B products.

Trend analysis

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Plant-based innovation: Beyond dairy and meat alternativesFeb 2026

Plant-based products now extend beyond dairy and meat alternatives, including both category replicas and standalone or hybrid products. Innova Market Insights data shows plant-based F&B launches have seen steady growth globally over the past five years, with Europe leading the way. Dairy remains the top category in these launches.

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Guillaume Blancher, Kerry
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Kerry: Addressing bitterness, mouthfeel & GLP-1 taste shifts in sugar reduction

Sugar taxes and front-of-pack labeling rules are accelerating sweetener innovation. Guillaume Blancher, global portfolio director for Sweetness at Kerry, explains why removing sugar is not simple, and how “sweetness optimization” can help overcome bitterness exposure and thin mouthfeel...

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