Prepared Foods Editorial Staff

Honey Bunches of Oats is expanding its cereal portfolio with a protein-forward offering designed to support everyday wellness. The launch reflects how legacy brands are adapting core products to meet sustained demand for added protein at breakfast.

A new spray-drying and microencapsulation platform preserves probiotic viability at industrial scale, overcoming a major barrier to agricultural use. The shelf-stable powder could reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers while opening doors to animal and human health applications.

Developed with Fire Brands, AIRHEADS Soda translates the brand’s playful candy DNA into a ready-to-drink format. The launch highlights how confectionery brands are leveraging licensing to tap new consumption occasions and retail channels.

From globally inspired wraps to sweet-heat flavors and plant-forward comfort foods, students are reshaping what school dining looks like. The result is a new era of cafeteria menus built around experience, energy and purpose.

SNAX-Sational Brands and Chiquita are launching a new line of plantain chips that highlight Ecuadorian sourcing, rapid farm-to-bag processing and simple ingredients. Available in five flavors starting January 2026, the clean-label lineup taps growing consumer demand for global, better-for-you snacking options.

Dialed Moods has expanded its wellness portfolio with the introduction of sea moss and shilajit gummies. The new products tap into growing consumer interest in functional, plant-based supplements designed to support daily health, energy and mental clarity.

ICL has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bartek Ingredients, a global supplier of food-grade malic and fumaric acid used across food, beverage and personal care applications. The phased transaction positions ICL to expand capacity and capitalize on a functional ingredients market projected to top $45 billion by 2030.

Jensen Meat Company is consolidating Before the Butcher, Cool Beans and its co-manufacturing operations under a single plant-based division to accelerate flavor innovation and operational efficiency. The unified structure enhances support for emerging brands while expanding high-quality, plant-based options for consumers across lifestyles and dietary needs.

The federal government is moving to formally recognize marijuana’s accepted medical use and accelerate its rescheduling from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This shift is based on FDA, HHS and NIH findings showing credible scientific support for marijuana’s use in treating pain, nausea, vomiting and anorexia related to medical conditions.

Brands that balance nostalgia with innovation will win. Consumers are craving foods that feel familiar but deliver something new. Brands that help people reconnect with the past—while creating products future generations will remember—are best positioned to lead.