How AI Became Unilever’s Catalyst for Food Supply Innovation?
With over 500 active AI projects globally, Unilever demonstrates that AI in food supply chains represents a fundamental business transformation rather than incremental improvement. It has made strategic investments of over $8 million through partnerships with institutions like Mitacs. This AI-driven approach has delivered results such as sales increases through smart freezers in various markets, […]
Beyond Tempering: 5 Ways To Prevent Fat Bloom in Your Chocolate To Win in Hot Markets
Even your perfectly tempered chocolate blooms under supply-chain temperature swings in hot, humid markets like the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Most commercial fixes come with drawbacks. Barrier coatings crack under thermal stress, while emulsifiers increase the E-numbers. Cocoa butter equivalents and substitutes improve thermal tolerance, but compromise mouthfeel. However, formulators at companies such as Hershey […]
Scaling Natural Cocoa Production Without Sacrificing Flavor or Bioactives
Natural cocoa production has become a critical research priority as manufacturers face mounting pressure to deliver dark, flavorful chocolate products while preserving the health-promoting compounds consumers now expect. Traditional alkalization, the Dutch process that darkens cocoa and mellows bitterness, strips up to 60% of beneficial polyphenols, creating a fundamental trade-off between appearance and nutritional value. […]
What R&D Heads Must Do Now to Prevent 2025’s Food Recall Surge?
The direct expenses of food recalls, including product retrieval, lost sales, root cause investigations, and legal costs, amount to approximately $10 million per incident, some exceeding far more. With the rising food recalls in 2025, are your development pipelines resilient to this financial threat? This article discusses emerging innovations that can help you minimize these […]
Latest Coffee Upcycling Methods to Explore in 2025
According to sustainability researcher Gunter Pauli, coffee production generates more than 23 million tonnes of waste annually. However, these byproducts can have valuable applications that create new products! Companies and researchers are upcycling coffee byproducts into cosmetics, feedstock, and other food products to engage in the circular economy. One specific company, Kawa Project, found a […]
Is Chocolate Really Evolving Into A Superfood?
Cocoa prices have been rapidly rising since 2024 due to global supply shortages. The main reasons are climate adversities in key regions like West Africa and structural farming vulnerabilities. JP Morgan’s analysis shows that these price pressures will remain high through 2025 as well. Brands are rethinking pricing strategies to manage costs while appealing to […]
Cocoa-Free Chocolate Is Out Of R&D Labs And Ready To Fool Your Taste Buds
Cocoa is at a breaking point. Climate change, crop diseases like the black pod, and supply chain instability have driven cocoa prices to an all-time high of $12,906 per metric ton. At the same time, aging cocoa trees, concerns about forced labor, and looming regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) are reshaping sourcing […]
Can Functional GLP-1 Chocolate Deliver the Same Indulgence? How Chinese R&D Teams Made It Work
When GLP-1 drugs first entered the market, many expected a sharp decline in indulgence categories like chocolate. “The top reason to eat chocolate is to satisfy a craving. And if GLP-1s do quell ‘food noise’ and therefore cravings, that could pose a threat.” – Kiti Soininen, category director for UK food and drink research at […]