This free resource, based on a Nombase podcast with MOSH, Cognizin by Kyowa Hakko, and others, explores how the future will be shaped by cognitive-support products that are both effective and market-ready. The future of Brain-boosting foods, beverages, & tech can all be found inside. https://win.bevnet.com/co-publishing/kyowa-hakko-resource-2

It may only be the first full week of October, but the new year will be here before we know it, and Whole Foods Market is ready – this week unveiling its annual Food and Beverage Trend forecast for 2026. 

“This year’s trends highlight how curiosity, creativity and conscious choices are shaping the way people eat and shop,” said Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, chief merchandising and marketing officer at Whole Foods Market, in the report. Here’s a taste of what Whole Foods thinks will steer purchasing behavior in 2026: 

Tallow Takeover: Go ahead and call it a comeback. The anti-seed oil movement keeps gaining traction, and beef tallow has become a favorite of alternative-seeking consumers “who value ancestral ingredients.” 

• Items like Jesse & Ben’s Tallow & Sea Salt House Cut Fries, Epic Provisions jars of Beef Tallow and South Chicago Packing Wagyu Beef Tallow Cooking Spray are leading the charge, per the report. 

Focus on Fiber: Protein may have defined F&B in 2025 (and we don’t expect it to disappear anytime soon), but the new year is expected to be fiber’s time to shine. Consumers continue to prioritize gut health, holistic digestive wellness and find ways to feel fuller longer (especially amid the ‘“Ozempic Era”). 

• As fiber’s prominence extends beyond the “modern soda” set, it is making its way into soft-baked bars (Olyra), pasta (Three Farm Daughters) and kids pouches (Happy Family Organics). 

Freezer Fine Dining: Home cooking is rebounding to pandemic-level highs, but convenience is still king. A wave of new frozen meals, appetizers and sides – from Flour + Water’s Cacio e Pepe Pizza to Laoban’s Crab Rangoon – have cornered the market of high-quality ingredients, globally-inspired flavors and time-saving hacks. 

What Else? Whole Foods’ trend council also highlighted mindful sweets (see Harken Sweets’ date-sweetened candy bars and Hu’s chocolate bites), vinegar’s premium, small-batch “modern renaissance”  and dopamine-inducing packaging that signal “an extension of little luxuries.” 

Check out the full report rundown for more trends.

In this reviews roundup, we nosh on Pocket’s Chocolates’ riff on the Dubai chocolate trend, Porta’s line of premium pizzas and Siete’s new potato chip flavors.

We are sharing our takes on taste and texture, packaging and positioning and opportunities for improvement.

Check out this week’s review roundup on Nosh.

Want your product reviewed? Send an email to mwatrous@nosh.com.

Gluten-free bread baker Pacha is betting on sprouted buckwheat sourdough to reach more consumers.

The brand began as a passion project for CEO Adam Hiner (who is the co-founder of hard kombucha brand Boochcraft) but turned into a business when he realized there was a demand for more allergen- and gluten-free bread options.

The new tortillas were a happy accident Hiner stumbled on as he was experimenting with making crackers (which would require new equipment to make properly). 

“Our tortillas have a conventional appeal, where our bread is a little bit more niche,” he said.

Read the full story to learn more.

After once touting plans to become the “General Mills of Asian food,” it seems DayDayCook (owner of Nona Lim, Yai’s Thai and Omson) has abandoned that ambition. 

This week’s announcement it has raised $124 million in equity financing to support its Bitcoin treasury strategy appears to be the latest nail in the coffin of its CPG aspirations. 

The company first announced its Bitcoin reserve initiative this past May, with Chu calling it “a cornerstone of our long-term value creation plan.” 

But since the pivot there’s been little mention of DDC’s previous value creation plan: to corner the global Asian food category with next-generation, better-for-you brands.

Read the full story to understand what’s gone down.

A2 dairy-based ice cream maker Alec’s told Nosh that its 2022 switch to the easier-to-digest milk has been “transformative” for the business. 

That switch has proven fruitful (the brand grew 350% YoY in 2023 and was projected to grow 124% YoY in 2024), but an innovation that pushed it even deeper into the gut health space ultimately helped Alec’s secure its latest $11 million investment.

In March, Alec’s debuted Culture Cups: a line of single-serve, chocolate-topped, grass-fed organic ice cream cups made with A2 dairy and infused with probiotics that immediately hit Whole Foods stores nationwide, and sold out almost as fast. 

Now the self-manufactured company is working to build its own A2 dairy sourcing network while growing its team and portfolio. 

Read the full story for all the insight. 

Meat snack brand Archer is opening up its new 140,000 sq. ft. meat processing plant today after announcing its intention to beef up its production power in May. 

• The Vernon, Calif., facility will employ about 200 people and have the capacity to make over 36 million pounds of meat sticks a year.
• Archer also launched its first national ad campaign over the summer and became a sponsor of hometown baseball team, the L.A. Dodgers.

Catch Up: 'Category Is On Fire': Meat Snack Makers Go Deeper In Sticks

This week on the podcast, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard dig into Walmart’s decision to remove synthetic dyes from its store-brand products. The team goes on to discuss how certain brands are repositioning in the plant-based cheese category, the abrupt closure of Nor-Cal Beverage and the data behind the high-protein craze.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode. Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Like what you are listening to? Please don’t hesitate to rate our show and leave a review on your podcast platform of choice.