Articles by Prepared Foods Editorial Staff

Shaklee introduces Sparkling Protein, a first-of-its-kind beverage clinically shown to support lean muscle, satiety, and recovery. With 40g of protein, zero sugar, and natural GLP-1 activation, it redefines functional wellness.

A fresh screwworm case just 70 miles from Texas has pushed the outbreak to its closest point to the US yet—putting cattle, trade and biosecurity on high alert. USDA is escalating its five-pronged response as livestock imports from Mexico remain halted and border surveillance intensifies.

Under the terms of the partnership, CaliBagels will bring Thomas' trusted name and signature bagel flavor profiles to the snack aisle in 2026 with a lineup of bold, crispy bagel chips. 

Smithfield’s Smoke’NFast brand is adding three trend-forward offerings — Shredded Beef Birria, Chopped Beef Brisket and Pork Shoulder Burnt Ends — to help operators menu global flavors and smokehouse classics with ease. The fully cooked meats allow foodservice teams to deliver authentic taste without added equipment or labor.

The company's booth also will feature the popular PLT Experience Zone with a broad range of formulated samples in convenient formats such as gummies, powders, and ready-to-drink beverages. 

Smart Taste represents the next evolution of Kerry’s leadership in taste. It combines deep market insights, world-class flavor creation, and unique food science expertise to meet the growing challenges facing the food industry. 

Junkless is entering the protein bar space with a lineup designed for “functional indulgence,” offering 15g of protein, 3–5g of sugar and no artificial ingredients. Flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter, Birthday Cake and Cookies & Cream aim to merge candy-bar taste with better-for-you nutrition.

Banza has become one of the first US brands to receive The Detox Project’s CleanScan certification, confirming non-detectable levels of glyphosate and 400+ pesticides across its finished products. New packaging features QR codes linking directly to lab results, raising the bar for safety, sourcing and consumer trust.

With a new name and Purely Better positioning, Vibrant Ingredients is signaling bigger ambitions in natural flavor, preservation, and functional ingredient platforms. The rebrand reflects a push to accelerate innovation, speed commercialization and meet rising demand for clean label formulation tools.

Walmart is stripping out dyes and dozens of additives from its private brands—will your products be next? As the nation’s largest retailer raises the clean-label bar, suppliers and competitors may be forced to follow or risk being left behind.