The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

Mars Snacking is expanding the EXTRA Gum portfolio with the launch of SOURS by EXTRA, a bold innovation targeting the high-growth sweet-and-sour flavour segment. Supported by a social-first "Cheworkout" campaign with dancer Hailey Bills, the launch aims to drive category relevance among Gen Z and Millennial consumers through experiential and interactive marketing.

Celleste Bio has produced the first milk chocolate bars using cell-cultured cocoa butter in partnership with Mondelēz International, marking a significant step toward a scalable and sustainable cocoa supply by 2027.

Lucky Energy is transitioning from a direct-to-consumer (DTC) beverage brand to a multi-format energy platform with the retail launch of its energy gummies at Sheetz and Walmart. By combining 128mg of caffeine with 7g of fibre, the brand is targeting the high-growth gummy supplement market, projected to exceed $25 billion by 2028.

Rice Krispies Treats® is expanding its snack bar portfolio with "Confetti Cake," a flavour innovation specifically engineered to capitalise on the "small wins" cultural phenomenon. This movement saw a 43% increase in social video engagement last year.

Nestlé UK and Ireland is expanding its Aero brand with a new Pistachio variant, timed to coincide with a high-profile partnership with the film The Devil Wears Prada 2. The launch leverages the global pistachio flavour trend and utilises a major on-pack promotion to drive cross-portfolio sales, targeting fashion-conscious consumers through high-value lifestyle prizes.

Mars Snacking is diversifying its TWIX brand with "TWIX Bits," a poppable format designed to capitalise on the high-growth bitesize snacking segment, supported by a "Two-Way Contract" campaign featuring LiAngelo Ball.

Nestlé UK and Ireland has appointed Purina veteran Ben Duncan as Managing Director for Food, leveraging his two decades of commercial and category expertise to lead iconic brands like Maggi and Carnation.

Unilever has signed an agreement to acquire Grüns, a leading U.S. greens supplement brand, as part of its strategic focus on premium high-growth segments within the Beauty and Wellbeing sector.