Ingredient innovation and supply.
Tart, bright sumac is replacing lemon zest in everything from chip seasonings to chain-restaurant rubs. McCormick, Trader Joe's, and Sweetgreen all made big sumac bets in 2026.
May 28, 2026
Smoky, tart, almost fermented-tasting black lime is the 2026 dark-horse spice. Chefs are dusting it on everything, and the first mainstream CPG bottles are landing on shelves now.
May 27, 2026
A new generation of seaweed snacks — kelp chips, dulse jerky, sea-moss puffs — is breaking out of the Korean snack section and competing for mainstream salty-snack share.
May 21, 2026
Kelp and other macroalgae move from snacks into protein-forward CPG: pasta, burgers, even sports nutrition.
May 20, 2026
As supply tightens, regulators are finally catching the adulteration that has propped up cheap 'EVOO' for years.
May 20, 2026
What was a vegan category is becoming a price-driven mainstream one as egg volatility refuses to end.
May 20, 2026
Hot honey is being disrupted by its own next generation: fermented, koji-aged, and chili-crisp-infused honeys taking premium shelf space.
May 20, 2026
Once a chef-only ingredient, yuzu has become CPG's go-to differentiator for 2026 flavor launches.
May 20, 2026
The avian flu egg shock is finally unwinding, but the price drop is moving faster than supply contracts can adjust.
May 13, 2026
West African crop failures have pushed cocoa futures past $11,000/ton. Chocolate makers are cutting bar weights, reformulating with compound coatings, and raising prices.
May 13, 2026
Wellness influencers turned 'seed oils' into a culture-war ingredient. CPG brands are quietly reformulating to tallow, avocado, and olive — even when the science is contested.
May 13, 2026
Spent grain flour, okara, fruit pulp powders, and whey isolates are showing up in mainstream CPG. The supply is finally there. The consumer story is still confusing.
May 13, 2026
Wholesale olive oil prices have fallen roughly 40% from their 2024 peak, but premium single-origin EVOO is holding price — and capturing the trade-up shopper for good.
May 9, 2026