The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

McVitie’s has expanded its iconic Jaffa Cakes portfolio with a new Mango flavour, targeting the growing consumer demand for exotic and tropical profiles in the UK biscuit and ambient snacking category.

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.

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.

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.

Planet Doughnut is entering the automated retail sector with a 24/7 vending machine at its Shrewsbury bakery, signalling a strategic shift toward unattended retail to drive round-the-clock sales and geographic expansion.

Nestlé Toll House has introduced a limited-edition soccer-themed duo, Milk Chocolatey Flavoured Soccer Ball Morsels and Ready-to-Bake Cookie Dough, leveraging shape-retention technology to capture the high-engagement "Summer of Soccer" and game-day viewing occasions.

The Reese’s brand has launched a limited-time "childhood lunch" collection featuring the new Marshmallow Cup and the returning Strawberry PB&J Cup, utilising social media sentiment data and nostalgia-led R&D to drive seasonal velocity across standard and king-size formats.