The Hershey Company has launched a unified US commercial operating model, bringing its sweet, salty and protein portfolios together under a single structure branded ‘ONE Hershey’. The move combines commercial execution across all three categories while centralising global brand marketing, marking the first time the company has integrated its brand strategy, category insights and go-to-market approach under one model. Under the new structure, Hershey will scale its confectionery business alongside its faster-growing salty snacks and protein segments, with the aim of improving speed to market and coordination across its portfolio. Kirk Tanner, president and CEO of The Hershey Company, said: “Our brightest moments come from talented people working together across functions to deliver bold thinking. By activating our full portfolio as ONE Hershey, we’re better positioned to meet consumers wherever they are, create more moments of goodness and lead next generation snacking with speed and purpose.” The company has also introduced leadership changes to support the model, effective 16 March. Andrew Archambault will expand his remit as president, US, to oversee the full portfolio, including commercial planning, category leadership and retail execution. Nitin Jain joins the executive leadership team as chief strategy and transformation officer, overseeing enterprise strategy and resource allocation. Stacy Taffet, chief growth and marketing officer, will take on additional responsibility for demand creation, portfolio strategy and innovation, while Vero Villasenor has been appointed chief brand officer, leading global brand activation within the growth and marketing team. Hershey said the integrated model will enable more coordinated category management and retail execution, while supporting investment in omnichannel capabilities, R&D and innovation. The company expects the new structure to improve decision-making speed, strengthen retail partnerships and support the development of new snacking formats across its portfolio.

Since becoming a stand-alone business within the Nestlé group last year, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages has been charting a bold new course in premium and ‘better4you’ beverages.  On a visit to the company’s Product & Technology Centre (NPTC) in Vittel, France, FoodBev’s Rafaela Sousa gets a rare behind-the-scenes look at the people, processes and cutting-edge technologies driving innovation, sustainability and consumer-led product development. Tucked away in a spa town in northeastern France, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages’ Product & Technology Centre in Vittel combines cutting-edge research and innovation with state-of-the-art production and bottling technology. Walking into the facility, we get a sense of how business, planning and technical teams operate alongside the pilot production facility. The focus of our visit is an insight into innovation; particularly relevant as the ‘better4you’ category accelerates. Market research from Fact.MR valued it at $197.3 million in 2023, with projections to more than double to $484 million by 2034. For Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, this is an opportunity to combine decades of expertise with a forward-looking, consumer-centric approach that shapes the beverages of tomorrow. Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages R&D leadership team members (L-R): Sandrine Lescoffier, global R&D head, Nikhil Patil, packaging development lead and Virginie Fohrer, flavour and product development lead. R&D as the engine of growth Every year, new beverage launches flood the market, yet few sustain momentum, often because they are built around short-term novelty rather than a clear consumer need or a proposition that can scale. For Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, the challenge is not how quickly to launch, but how to build products that are designed to last. That thinking is rooted in long-term R&D investment, sensory science and consumer insight, rather than speed to market alone. Innovations like Sanpellegrino CIAO! sparkling flavoured water demonstrate the company’s ability to balance their R&D process with speed, with the product being recognised as the #1 launch in the sparkling flavoured water category despite being launched just 12 months after its inception, according to Global Data from 2025. As the visit gets underway, Sandrine Lescoffier, global R&D head at Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, sums up the approach: “Innovation is our heartbeat. We’re not just creating products; we’re shaping what consumers expect from their beverages.” This approach is not new to the company. In 1932, long before flavoured waters became a global category, Sanpellegrino introduced Aranciata, combining mineral water with real orange juice in a move that would help define the brand’s future. The brand’s longevity, Lescoffier notes, comes from a deep understanding of taste, quality and occasion; principles that continue to guide development today. That same philosophy underpins newer launches including Sanpellegrino CIAO!, a flavoured sparkling water developed with real fruit juices, and the Maison Perrier Chic range of sophisticated mocktails developed in collaboration with real mixologists. Rather than chasing trends, both brands have been developed to respond to evolving expectations around flavour, permissibility and functionality, while remaining grounded in sensory performance and consistency at scale. Maison Perrier’s latest campaign for its Chic line-up of mocktails, designed with mixologists to meet consumers’  growing demand for alcohol-free choices. Consumer insights in action Before a single ingredient is tested or a bottle designed, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages listens to emerging trends and the subtle signals that reveal what consumers will want next. “Consumer centricity is not a buzzword here; it’s our compass,” says Leila Clemaron, international head of innovation. “It lets us anticipate cultural shifts, work closely with global marketing, and translate early signals into innovations that succeed.” For Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, putting consumers first means observing lifestyle habits, shopping behaviours and emotional connections across global markets. The rise of Gen Z is shaping these trends, driving demand for authenticity, hybrid experiences and beverages that combine indulgence with guilt-free pleasure. “They want emotional connections and values from the brands they choose,” Clemaron points out. “Our role is to detect these weak signals early, so we can respond with products that resonate now and in the long term.” The company’s approach goes beyond simple trend-following. Every new product begins with deep consumer insights, feeding into a clear brief that guides R&D. AI is a key tool here, predictive modelling and social listening allow the team to analyse vast datasets quickly, identifying gaps and optimising concepts before they reach the pilot plant. “AI helps us move faster,” says Clemaron, “but it never replaces real consumer feedback. We still meet them where they live, shop and work to understand what truly matters.” Sensory mapping is another cornerstone of the strategy. Global panels assess flavours and ingredients, while expert evaluators measure sweetness, acidity and aroma, ensuring consistency across markets. This allows Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages to strike the delicate balance between global appeal and subtle local adaptation, from the zesty peel of a lemon in Italy to the sweeter profiles preferred in the US. Later in the tour, we get a closer look at how these sensory insights shape product development. By embedding consumers at the heart of every step, from insight gathering and recipe development to sensory testing and global roll-out, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages ensures innovation is both meaningful and memorable. Innovation powered by cross-site expertise A look inside the lab where the Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages product flavours are perfected . The company’s Vittel site serves as the scientific R&D hub for the group, bringing together expertise in product, process, packaging and sensory science. Teams in Madone, Italy, complement these efforts, with a particular focus on flavour and product development. “Our Madone facility is where the magic happens,” Virginie Fohrer, flavour and product development lead, tells me. She notes that the site plays a pivotal role in the group’s capabilities across flavours, juice compounds and botanical extracts, and is equipped with advanced technologies including extraction, infusion and aseptic compounding. “Drawing on nearly a century of taste development, we combine heritage knowledge with cutting-edge extraction, infusion and aseptic compounding technologies to create flavour systems that are hard to replicate,” Fohrer adds. Madone is designed not to produce generic flavours, but to craft unique, proprietary formulations, from citrus and herbal top notes to complex botanical extracts, that give Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages a clear competitive advantage. The team uses a range of techniques, from solid-liquid and liquid-liquid extraction to steam distillation and hot or cold infusions, carefully selecting the best method for each ingredient to preserve authenticity, stability and clarity. The site’s structure also integrates applied R&D with sensory-driven product development, a combination that is rare among large beverage companies. This dual approach allows teams to rapidly translate scientific insights into formulations that are ready for production while maintaining premium quality and uniqueness. Inside the tasting room Inside Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages’ dedicated tasting room at its R&D hub in Vittel, France. No innovation is complete without understanding how it will be experienced. Sensory science sits at the heart of Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages’ development, and the Vittel site’s tasting room is a perfect example of that commitment. We see the dedicated tasting room where trained expert panels work in 12 individual booths, each carefully designed to minimise bias. Neutral colours, precise lighting and temperature, and specially treated air to remove odours ensure panellists can focus entirely on the liquid in front of them. Fohrer conducts many of these sessions. “Even the smallest details – glass shape, colour or the time of day – can influence perception,” she explains. Tastings are typically held in the morning, when experts’ senses are at their sharpest. Results from panel tastings are then cross-checked with consumer data to identify which sensory attributes drive preference across different markets. This ensures that new products are not only technically sound but genuinely enjoyable to drink. We quickly realise it is trickier than it looks. Each sample is coded with different colours and letters, and our task is to guess the flavours and jot down our impressions. The exercise brings home the subtlety and precision behind Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages’ approach to product development. For Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, these sessions are far more than a quality check, they are a key part of translating long-term R&D and consumer insight into flavours and experiences that resonate. It’s a reminder that innovation is grounded in understanding the consumer, not just in creating something new.   From lab to pilot plant Nikhil shows Rafaela inside Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages’ pilot plant where R&D replicates every stage of production. “This isn’t just about scaling up,” explains Nikhil Patil, packaging development lead and our tour guide for the pilot plant. “It’s about refining every detail to ensure products perform in real-world conditions. We can replicate every stage of production here without disrupting our live lines, which protects innovation and lets us experiment safely.” The plant houses small-scale processing units and analytical tools, enabling the team to adjust recipes in real time. Packaging development is equally precise: injection and blowing machines expand PET preforms into their final bottle shapes, optimising designs for lightweighting and energy efficiency. “Every bottle is tested and optimised from material use to energy efficiency, so when it hits the production line, we know it will perform,” Patil notes. For example, a patented bottle base can reduce material use and be suitable to rPET content. Innovation built to last The clear takeaway is that the company’s secret sauce isn’t just in the water. Long-term, consumer-led innovation rests on three pillars: technology, expertise and sustainability. Sensory science ensures products actually hit the mark, pilot-scale trials cut down the guesswork, and clever packaging and process tweaks serve both planet and profit. But at the heart of it all are the people, engineers, scientists, quality teams turning bright ideas into beverages. For Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, real innovation comes from careful, measured experimentation, guided by consumer insight and balanced with a dose of creativity. Vittel shows how this mix produces products that don’t just make a splash but resonate for the long-term. And for those hoping to master the art of premium beverages? The Vittel site offers a blueprint: put consumers first, lean on expertise, experiment and never forget that innovation tastes best when it’s as thoughtful as it is bold. As Patil put it: “Our goal isn’t just to make a product that works, it’s to make a product that excels. In Vittel we test, refine and innovate so that when ideas leave this facility, they’re ready to succeed in the real world.”

Swizzels has expanded its popular Squashies range with the launch of two new products, Squashies Tropical and Squashies Sour Shooting Stars, aimed at capturing demand for bold flavours and HFSS-compliant treats in the UK confectionery market. Landing in stores ahead of the summer season, the new additions to the Squashies line-up introduce playful shapes and flavour combinations designed to stand out on shelf and drive impulse purchases. Squashies Tropical features parrot, pineapple and watermelon-shaped sweets in mango & passionfruit, pineapple and watermelon flavours, while Squashies Sour Shooting Stars combines tangy profiles such as pink lemonade, starfruit & peach and cola lime in shooting star shapes. Both products are HFSS-compliant, reflecting rising consumer demand for lower-sugar confectionery options that still deliver on taste and texture. The brand’s signature soft and foamy format remains central to the new variants, which aim to provide a permissible treat without compromising on flavour. According to the company, the launch aligns with two major flavour trends in the confectionery sector, sour and tropical, while also offering retailers a visually distinctive product that can attract shopper attention. The sweets are packaged in bright hanging bags with an RRP of £1.15, with Squashies Tropical also available in price-marked packs to support value perception and impulse sales. Clare Newton, trade and shopper marketing manager at Swizzels, said the new products bring “bold new shapes and flavours” to the brand while maintaining the familiar texture and taste that consumers expect from Squashies.

Global Brands is aiming to reinvigorate the UK’s underperforming sambuca category with the launch of a new Italian liqueur range, Nottari Sambuca, tailored for the on-trade. Set to debut at Northern Restaurant and Bar 2026, the new range introduces two variants: Nottari Bianca, a clear and aromatic expression, and Nottari Nero, a darker style with a more intense liquorice profile. Both products are bottled at 38% ABV and positioned to appeal to a broad adult demographic, particularly younger consumers seeking more engaging shot experiences. The launch comes at a time when the UK sambuca segment is facing declining interest, with operators reporting a lack of innovation and consumer engagement. Global Brands is positioning Nottari as a tool for pubs, bars and clubs to refresh their spirits offering and drive incremental sales. Craig Chapman, head of brand at Global Brands, said the category has become stagnant, with limited differentiation between existing products. He noted that Nottari has been developed to inject “attitude and energy” into the segment, supported by point-of-sale materials designed to boost visibility and conversion at the bar. From a food and beverage industry perspective, the move reflects a broader trend of suppliers seeking to revitalise legacy categories through branding, flavour variation and experiential drinking occasions. Sambuca, traditionally associated with after-dinner serves and shot rituals, has struggled to compete with newer, more dynamic categories such as tequila and flavoured liqueurs. With both on-trade visibility and experiential consumption central to the strategy, Nottari is intended to encourage new rituals and social drinking moments, helping venues differentiate their offer in a competitive late-night market. Nottari Bianca and Nottari Nero are now available to the UK on-trade via GoodTimeIn at a recommended retail price of £20.50, with Global Brands supporting rollout through targeted marketing and in-venue activation.

Shinkei Systems is scaling its operations in the Pacific Northwest with the acquisition of a 16,000-square-foot seafood processing facility in Tacoma, Washington. The new Seremoni Grade Plant more than doubles the company’s operational footprint and establishes a strategic West Coast hub close to key fisheries in Alaska, Washington and California. The facility will support the production and distribution of the company’s Seremoni Grade fish, which is positioned as a high-quality, traceable seafood offering for chefs and consumers. By owning and operating the site, Shinkei gains end-to-end control of its supply chain, from harvest through to processing, enabling tighter quality assurance and improved consistency. The company currently focuses on black cod, with plans to expand into additional species later this year. Co-founder and CTO Reed Ginsberg said the investment allows the business to scale while maintaining the defining characteristics of its product, including flavour, texture and shelf life. The vertically integrated model is also expected to enhance traceability, an increasingly important factor for foodservice operators and retailers navigating sustainability and provenance requirements. The facility is expected to be fully operational this spring, initially employing more than 50 staff, with additional seasonal hiring anticipated during peak fishing periods. Alongside increased processing capacity, the Tacoma site will serve as a launchpad for Shinkei’s next-generation quality control platform, NERA. The system analyses biological data from each fish in real time to generate objective assessments of freshness and shelf life, capabilities that could address long-standing challenges in seafood distribution, where standardised expiry metrics are often lacking. The facility was acquired from FATHOM Seafood, a well-established processor in the Seattle area, and will act as a central hub for national expansion across both restaurant and retail channels. Founder and CEO Saif Khawaja said the technology provides supply chain partners with greater visibility into product quality, helping buyers make more informed purchasing decisions and reduce waste.

Nescafé has expanded its Espresso Concentrated range in the UK with the launch of two new variants: mocha and decaf. The additions join the existing classic, caramel and vanilla flavours, extending the brand’s portfolio of liquid coffee concentrates designed for at-home iced coffee preparation. Developed by Nestlé’s R&D teams, the range is positioned as a format enabling consumers to create barista-style iced coffees using a concentrated liquid base. Each bottle contains 16 servings and is intended to be mixed with milk or plant-based alternatives. The mocha variant introduces a chocolate-flavoured option, while the decaf offering targets consumers seeking caffeine-free alternatives without changing preparation methods. Ingrid Hayes, marketing director for Nescafé UK and Ireland, said: "Following the huge success of our Nescafé Espresso Concentrated launch last spring, we’re thrilled to welcome two new variants to the range". “Iced coffee fans in the UK and Ireland can now enjoy both mocha and decaf versions for a quality, 'coffee shop at home' experience. Whether you're taking a well-deserved break or catching up with friends and loved ones, it's never been easier to enjoy an iced coffee from the comfort of your home that is both affordable and convenient." The full Nescafé Espresso Concentrated range will be available nationwide from mid-March.

General Mills has agreed to sell its Brazil business to 3corações, as part of efforts to streamline its portfolio and focus on higher-growth categories. The transaction includes local brands Yoki and Kitano, along with manufacturing facilities in Pouso Alegre and Campo Novo do Parecis. General Mills said the divestment supports its ‘Accelerate’ strategy, aimed at improving margins and concentrating its international operations on priority platforms such as super premium ice cream, Mexican food, snack bars and pet food. Since fiscal 2018, the company has reshaped nearly one-third of its portfolio through acquisitions and divestitures. The Brazil business generated approximately $350 million in net sales in fiscal 2025. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary conditions. Top image: © General Mills

Amyris has completed construction of a new production line at its flagship precision fermentation facility in Barra Bonita, Brazil. The expansion adds a fourth production line to the site, complementing three existing large-scale fermentation lines. The new installation features a 2x80-cubic-metre configuration, designed to accelerate scale-up and improve flexibility in producing high-value speciality molecules used across industries, including food and beverage, flavour and fragrance, and health. Chief executive officer Kathy Fortmann described the investment as a key step in meeting growing customer demand for sustainable and customisable ingredients. She noted that the additional capacity will enable the company to support more partners while maintaining performance, quality and sustainability standards expected by global brands. The Barra Bonita facility plays a central role in Amyris’s strategy to deliver renewable alternatives to traditionally petrochemical- or agriculturally derived ingredients. The new line is equipped with advanced automation, process controls and data-driven monitoring systems, aimed at improving efficiency, reliability and production precision. According to chief operations officer Adam Blaziak, the enhanced automation capabilities allow the company to produce molecules with greater consistency and control, an increasingly important factor for food and beverage manufacturers seeking scalable, clean label and sustainable ingredient solutions. For the food and beverage industry, the expansion comes amid heightened demand for resilient supply chains and environmentally responsible sourcing. Precision fermentation is gaining traction as a viable route to produce flavours, sweeteners, lipids and other functional ingredients with reduced environmental impact compared to conventional methods. With the new line now operational, Amyris said it is better positioned to support customers at various stages of product development and commercialisation, from early innovation through to full-scale production. Founded in 2003, Amyris has built its business around renewable biological chemistry, using fermentation to create speciality ingredients designed to improve product performance while reducing reliance on finite resources. The latest capacity expansion signals continued momentum in scaling biomanufacturing solutions for mainstream food and beverage applications.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the global food system, a strategic engine that can reduce waste and accelerate decision-making. Far beyond chatbots, AI now informs ingredient design, regulatory compliance, R&D workflows, supply chain resilience and personal health. As adoption accelerates, food leaders are grappling with questions: What can AI genuinely deliver? Where are its limitations? And how can food leaders apply it responsibly? These questions are rising to the forefront ahead of Future Food-Tech San Francisco, where AI is one of the core pillars shaping this year’s programme. The summit will gather experts exploring grounded, practical applications of AI that can support more resilient, efficient and sustainable food systems. To understand the current state of AI in food-tech, we asked six leaders driving the transformation to share where AI is making the biggest impact, which fears are unfounded and what capabilities they hope to see emerge over the next decade. A common thread emerged: the most powerful AI is not replacing experts, it is amplifying them.   AI as the new orchestrator of nutrition, health and food systems For Thomas van den Boezem, partner at PeakBridge, one of the biggest misunderstandings is the assumption that AI is merely a tracking tool. In reality, it is becoming an integrator – connecting data streams that were previously impossible to analyze together at scale. “AI is not just for tracking, it is an orchestrator," he says. "Think about nutrition and health: we can now measure everything including glucose, ketones, hormones, sleep and DNA. But that data alone does not mean much. The breakthrough is through AI platforms that can integrate all of it into electronic health records, pharmacy systems and physician data.” The same principle applies to food and beverage companies, he notes. AI must support existing systems, not disrupt them. “Food and beverage companies operate in heavily regulated environments with fixed processes. AI tools have to fit into existing workflows and show measurable ROI,” he adds. Across the industry, this theme is echoed: AI works best when it becomes part of the fabric of daily operations.   Inside the AI-driven innovation cycle At CJ CheilJedang Foods, AI is already reshaping the end-to-end innovation journey. Auroni Majumdar, VP of global open innovation R&D, emphasises that AI is interwoven across insights, prototyping and manufacturing – not as a replacement but as a productivity multiplier. “We use AI across the full end to end innovation cycle, from insights generation and concept development to product development and operations,” he explains. On the consumer insights side, CJ uses AI-driven intelligence platforms to interpret global flavour trends, category disruptions and micro level textural preferences. AI also supports technical R&D: “We leverage AI for technology landscaping, strategy development and iterative hypothesis generation, which is then validated in the lab. Those results feed back into the system for ongoing optimisation.” The biggest takeaway? Efficiency. Cycles are faster, bottlenecks disappear and experimentation becomes more targeted. But success depends on expertise. “The key constraint is the need for internal super users who understand both the tools and the context of large scale food innovation.” Without that dual fluency, he warns, models risk hallucinations or misuse. AI is powerful, but only in the right hands. Designing molecules with AI: A new era of food R&D Many food companies still rely on trial and error. Schrödinger brings a radically different model to the industry: physics-informed AI that predicts ingredient interactions at the molecular level. Product manager Jeff Sanders argues that this shift is long overdue. “Roughly 20,000 new products launch every year, yet the failure rate exceeds 80 percent. This massive waste stems from the industry’s reliance on blind trial and error,” he explains. “We do not replace the lab. We make it smarter.” Schrödinger’s system predicts instability and incompatibility before formulation reaches the bench, saving resources and reducing failure rates. Sanders stresses that not all AI is equal. Trust is essential. “Many tools are black boxes that generate statistical guesses without explaining the underlying mechanism. Schrödinger is different. We offer a glass box view that combines the speed of AI with the rigor of physics.” He points to emerging successes like NotCo to prove the science works. However, achieving widespread adoption requires cultural change. “Capturing the full value of next-generation toolsets requires people to do things in new ways. Transitioning from trial and error to hypothesis-driven design demands a shift in mindset.” Looking ahead, Sanders imagines a future where food is intentionally designed at the molecular level, not discovered by accident.   AI for compliance, quality and risk reduction While much of AI’s publicity centers on R&D, regulatory compliance remains one of the industry’s most complex pain points. Federico Fontanella, head of strategic innovation and product partnerships at Trace One, believes this is where AI’s real power lies. “AI is most powerful when it works with trusted data and domain expertise. In food, the value is not flashy automation but continuous control,” he says. Trace One Copilot is embedded directly inside PLM and compliance systems, supporting R&D, packaging, quality and regulatory teams. “A common fear is that AI replaces human expertise. In practice, the best systems keep humans in control and use AI to surface insights faster and more reliably.” Fontanella identifies the main hurdles as data quality, governance and integration. Without clean product data, no AI system can deliver safe results. He hopes the next decade brings proactive AI systems that monitor regulatory changes in real time, simulate formulas and design compliance into products from the start.   AI as a force multiplier for food science For Camilo Castro, AI corporate director at Alianza, the conversation starts and ends with lipids. Lipidia, the company’s AI platform, is purpose-built for lipid science and already delivers measurable value. “When we combine our clients’ needs with Lipidia, weeks of trial and error become days or even hours of focused iteration,” he says. “The value is tangible: faster time to market, fewer lab runs, reduced saturated fat, lower cost and measurable CO2 savings.” But Castro emphasises that AI enhances – not substitutes – expertise. “AI does not replace experts. It amplifies them. Our lipid scientists remain at the center and are the owners and developers of Lipidia.” With strong guardrails like private deployments and audit trails, the team is focusing on the next evolution. “Our vision is a comprehensive AI framework that integrates physics-informed formulation, closed-loop plant connectivity and regulatory-by-design protocols.” Ultimately, Castro describes a future where AI transforms inconsistent raw materials into predictable nutrition, boosting resilience and sustainability.   Connecting the global innovation ecosystem Halo takes a different approach by focusing on matching. Founder and CEO Kevin Leland explains that food innovation is increasingly multidisciplinary, yet discovery often remains slow and fragmented. “AI’s highest leverage in food is speed to clarity. It reduces the time between a question and a set of options worth testing,” he says. Halo enables researchers, suppliers and start-ups to showcase capabilities while AI matches needs to solutions. But trust is essential. “The biggest hurdles are adoption and trust. Teams need transparency in why something is recommended and confidence that results are reproducible.” Leland’s vision is for AI that companies can rely on in high-stakes settings. “I want AI that is measurably trustworthy. That means clear uncertainty, traceable reasoning and learning from real-world feedback.” He also hopes to see stronger system optimization across forecasting, handling and logistics, as well as privacy-preserving collaboration so companies can learn from shared patterns without compromising IP.   What’s next: Precision, trust and proactive design Across these six expert perspectives, several themes emerge: AI will not replace experts – it will transform their work. Data quality determines AI performance. Transparent AI will become essential in regulated environments. The future is proactive rather than reactive. The next decade will be defined by intentional design, not accidental discovery.   Conclusion: AI is becoming the infrastructure of food innovation AI in food tech is no longer experimental. It is embedded, operational and accelerating some of the industry’s most complex challenges – from formulation to compliance to partnership discovery. Across every insight shared, one message stands out: AI delivers its greatest value when it is paired with strong expertise, reliable data and responsible governance. With scientists, regulators and innovators guiding the process, AI becomes the infrastructure that supports faster innovation, greater resilience and more sustainable food systems. These themes will come into sharp focus at Future Food-Tech San Francisco on 19-20 March, with a dedicated AI Innovation Lab workshop on day two of the summit. Experts will lead exploration of the tools, use cases and practical frameworks shaping the next chapter of AI-driven food innovation. Secure your ticket   now to join the action.

US-based flavours company OSF Flavors had added Peach Vanilla Cobbler to its portfolio, a new ‘comfort flavour’ inspired by the classic American dessert. The flavour solution combines the ‘fruity brightness’ of sun-ripened peaches with biscuit-like, buttery and caramelised notes of cobbler pie, and hints of creamy vanilla ice cream. OSF said it designed the flavour for cross-category innovation, with the solution suitable for a wide range of applications. In beverages, it can brighten the woody and slightly tannic notes of black tea, or add smoothness, warmth and sweetness to reduced-sugar formulations. Dairy applications are also suitable, with the natural peach flavour ideal for indulgent products such as ice cream. Additionally, bakery and pastries can benefit from the sweet peach and vanilla flavour profile. Pierre Battu, managing director for Asia at OSF Flavors, commented: “This profile taps directly into the strong resurgence of comfort-driven dessert nostalgia currently trending across TikTok, Instagram Reels and Pinterest. Peach cobbler content is generating high engagement, particularly around indulgent bakery, ice cream and seasonal beverage concepts.”

Tilray Brands has confirmed its latest agreement to acquire certain BrewDog assets in the US, following its purchase of the craft beer group’s UK, Ireland and Australia operations earlier this month. The deal includes BrewDog’s manufacturing and brewing operations in Colombus, Ohio, as well as three pubs in Ohio (Colombus, New Albany and Cleveland), one hotel in Colombus, and the flagship brewpub in Las Vegas, Nevada. It also includes a franchised BrewDog location in Denver, Colorado, and a licensed location in Colombus airport. Once the transaction is complete, New York-headquartered Tilray will incorporate the BrewDog brand into its US craft beer portfolio. The acquisition aligns with Tilray’s ‘regional jewel’ craft strategy, which centres around developing strong local craft brands in their primary markets and strengthening relationships with regional craft beer consumers. BrewDog’s US assets will provide flexible production capabilities for Tilray, enhancing its beverage network in the Midwest and Southwest regions and creating opportunities for innovation in both craft beer and emerging beverage categories. Tilray announced its £33 million acquisition of BrewDog’s UK and Ireland assets in early March , after the Scottish craft brewer appointed administrators in February following a period of sustained losses and commercial challenges. BrewDog’s struggle reflects a decline in the craft beer and broader alcohol market, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, due to factors such as changing consumer drinking habits and economic pressures. The company has also faced considerable controversy in recent years over alleged mistreatment of staff. Its deal with Tilray resulted in the loss of nearly 500 jobs in the UK, with workers’ union Unite describing the management of the sale’s impact on staff as a “national disgrace”. Tilray followed up with the purchase of BrewDog’s Australia business last week , including two BrewDog bars in Brisbane and three franchised locations in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. Commenting on the US deal, Tilray’s chairman and CEO, Irwin D Simon, said: “BrewDog has built a strong following in Ohio and established a highly visible presence in Las Vegas, including a flagship brewpub located on a premier stretch of the Las Vegas Strip”. He added: “These assets fit squarely within our brewpub model, creating destination led venues that deepen consumer engagement while providing new opportunities to introduce and sell our broader portfolio of Tilray beverage brands”. Tilray’s F&B platform includes craft beers and spirits as well as functional beverages, alcohol-free drinks and cannabis products. The deal is anticipated to close in Q4 2026, pending customary regulatory approvals. The transaction amount for the US business was not disclosed.

Ask any brewer, no matter how seasoned, what keeps them humble: fermentation is always on that list, says Jared Resnick, founder and CEO at Sennos. In this exclusive opinion piece, he delves into how fermentation is the living engine of brewing, the one phase of production that refuses to be tamed by tradition alone. For centuries, brewers compensated with manual checks, hydrometers, notebooks and tools that give us glimpses but not clarity. We built density curves from isolated snapshots. We made great beer, but too often we relied on intuition and experience to fill the gaps between data points. Today, the tools have finally caught up with the craft. Modern sensing and AI-driven analysis enable us to understand yeast behaviour with a level of precision that was previously impossible. What used to be guesswork is now insight. What used to be reactive is becoming predictive. Why fermentation no longer needs to defy control Yeast is alive. It responds to everything around it: temperature, pressure, oxygen exposure, wort composition and microbial competitors. Even the slightest shift can change the trajectory of a batch: alcohol development, ester formation, clarity, attenuation and aroma. That biological chaos is part of what makes brewing so beautiful. But it also means variation is inevitable. Manual sampling lets brewers look back at a moment that has already passed. It’s a static snapshot of a dynamic process. Today’s breweries need more than hindsight. They need context. They need continuity. They need the full picture. With continuous in-tank monitoring of pH, temperature, internal and external pressure, gravity, density and dissolved oxygen, brewers finally gain real-time visibility into everything that drives fermentation outcomes. For the first time, we’re not just seeing what happened. We’re seeing what’s happening. The data living inside the tank Continuous monitoring changes brewing in the same way that microscopes changed biology; it reveals an entire world that always existed but was not previously visible. As yeast metabolises, the tank is alive with thermal, chemical and acoustic patterns. Using modern signal processing, we can translate those signatures into a real-time understanding of fermentation activity. We watch density fall as sugars convert to ethanol. We detect oxygen uptake and yeast stress as they emerge, not after they’ve already caused a deviation. AI and predictive analytics take this even further. Trends that once required decades of intuition now surface instantly. With early warnings, brewers can catch sluggish starts, stalled kinetics, or unusual pH behaviour before they threaten consistency. This isn’t replacing craft. It’s strengthening it. When data fuels creativity The great misconception is that data-driven brewing makes beer more sterile or less artful. The reality is actually the opposite. When brewers trust their fermentation profiles, they gain more creative freedom, not less. Because uncertainty is no longer the cost of experimentation, every batch becomes part of an evolving knowledge system. With auto-benchmarking, real-time deviation detection, and intelligent alerting, brewers will refine with confidence. They can push boundaries with new yeasts, dry-hop regimes or biotransformation strategies, knowing that if anything strays off-course, the system will alert them long before quality is at risk. Brewing shifts from managing issues to chasing possibilities. The future: Less fighting variability, more harnessing it Fermentation will always be alive, and it will always surprise us. That’s part of why we love this work. With the right technology, unpredictability stops being the enemy and starts becoming an advantage. AI-powered fermentation doesn’t replace the brewer. It amplifies the brewer. It removes the blind spots, and it preserves the craft. And it unlocks a level of consistency, creativity, and control that defines the future of our industry. We want a world where every tank becomes a source of clarity, not concern, and where the art of brewing is supported, not constrained, by intelligence.