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What changed in food & beverage regulation and policy this week?
Government decisions, new rules and policy shifts reported this week.
02
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued show-cause notices to BigBasket, Flipkart, and Gemini Edibles & Fats India on October 16, 2026.
Read at inc42.com ↗03
The EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo), which became applicable in September 2026, establishes strict standards to prevent vague environmental claims.
Read at foodnavigator.com ↗04
The German government has approved a draft sugar tax on soft drinks, scheduled for implementation on July 1, 2027.
Read at beveragedaily.com ↗05
Israel has halted commercial shipments into Gaza for five consecutive days as of October 18, 2026, leading to sharp price increases for basic food staples.
Read at aljazeera.com ↗06
British food and drink exports to the EU have declined by more than one-third since 2019, according to National Farmers’ Union analysis of HMRC data.
Read at theguardian.com ↗07
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) mandates that products like cocoa, coffee, and soy must be traceable to their source by December 30, 2026.
Read at foodnavigator.com ↗08
The Russian government has imposed external management on Nestlé's Russian operations, a move that has raised concerns for other Western food companies like PepsiCo, Mondelēz, and Mars.
Read at foodnavigator.com ↗8 of 14 regulation and policy events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What funding rounds and acquisitions happened in food & beverage this week?
The week’s notable investments, financing rounds, acquisitions and strategic deals.
09
Mars, Incorporated has awarded a $3 million grant through its Mars Impact Fund to the National 4-H Council in the United States.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗10
Italian company Morato Group has acquired CEA Italia and Jaus Bakery to create a European packaged baked-goods hub.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗11
Canadian dairy company Saputo is divesting its UK dairy division to its rival Lactalis, including brands such as Cathedral City, Davidstow, and Clover.
Read at foodmanufacture.co.uk ↗12
Huel CEO James McMaster discussed the acquisition of the UK-based company Huel by Danone for approximately $1.2 billion.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗What products launched in food & beverage this week?
Notable product launches, releases and platform updates from the week.
13
Apple has introduced the HomeView smart display, which features a hands-free cooking assistant capable of extracting and simplifying recipes from online sources.
Read at theverge.com ↗14
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company has launched a new version of its signature Squares, adapted to feature the viral Dubai-style chocolate filling of pistachio and crispy kataifi.
Read at confectionerynews.com ↗15
Salad dressing brand All Dressed Up has secured a listing in 306 Sainsbury's stores across the UK as of October 2026.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗16
Date Lady, a Springfield, Missouri-based company founded by Colleen Sundlie, has expanded its retail presence by launching products at Erewhon and Sprouts Farmers Market in late 2026.
Read at fastcompany.com ↗17
Taco Bell is expanding its Live Más Café concept with four new horchata-inspired beverages launching on October 15, 2026.
Read at qsrmagazine.com ↗18
Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona has initiated a comprehensive redesign of its private-label product packaging to improve legibility and information clarity.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗19
Bel Group has launched a digital twin for its The Laughing Cow cheese brand in collaboration with Dassault Systèmes.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗20
Abra-ca-Debora has reformulated its entire chilled pancake portfolio to be HFSS-compliant by reducing salt, fat, and calories, and replacing buttermilk with oat milk.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗8 of 35 product launches events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What financial results were reported in food & beverage this week?
Earnings, guidance and other financial results reported this week.
21
Starbucks reported a 7.9% increase in global comparable sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, driven by higher transaction volume and average ticket size.
Read at thestreet.com ↗22
The Hain Celestial Group Inc. is considering a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing due to a significant debt burden and declining demand for its natural and organic food products.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗23
Smithfield Foods is facing financial pressure due to a sharp decline in wholesale pork prices in the United States.
Read at thestreet.com ↗24
Cocoa processing data for the third quarter of 2026 in Europe and Asia exceeded market expectations.
Read at bloomberg.com ↗25
U.S. grocery unit sales remained nearly flat, declining 0.1% year-over-year for the four-week period ending September 27, 2026.
Read at supermarketnews.com ↗26
According to NielsenIQ data cited by Bank of America, chocolate candy prices rose 9.5% year-over-year for the four weeks ending September 19, 2026, while sales volume fell 8.6%.
Read at thestreet.com ↗27
UK-based nut and dried fruit supplier Whitworths reported a 16.6% revenue increase to £173.1m for the fiscal year ending January 3, 2026.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗28
Birds Eye reported a 3.3% decline in annual revenue to £788m for the year ending December 31, 2025, alongside a 17% drop in operating profits to £89.4m. The company, operating in the UK, attributed these results to a highly promotional retail environment and consumer shifts toward own-label products.
Read at thegrocer.co.uk ↗8 of 10 financial results events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What court rulings and legal actions hit food & beverage this week?
Court rulings, filings and legal actions reported this week.
29
Luxury brand Louis Vuitton has won a legal dispute against a Chinese tea chain, resulting in a $1.5 million judgment.
Read at fortune.com ↗30
WH Group, a major Chinese pork company, announced that two of its directors were fined following an investigation into food safety violations.
Read at foodsafetynews.com ↗31
Humm Kombucha is facing a lawsuit alleging that its product labels are misleading regarding sugar content.
Read at inc.com ↗32
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Corley granted partial summary judgment to baby food manufacturers including Gerber, Whole Foods, Nestle, and Walmart, dismissing claims that their products caused autism and ADHD in children.
Read at courthousenews.com ↗33
Tyson Foods, Cargill, and National Beef Packing have filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to challenge a July 16, 2026, ruling by Judge John Tunheim that granted class-action status to cattle producers.
Read at pymnts.com ↗34
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) is investigating the four largest beer companies and six ice cream companies in Japan for suspected price-fixing between 2022 and 2025.
Read at thediplomat.com ↗What research was published in food & beverage this week?
New research findings and studies published this week.
35
Researchers at the University of Cambridge tested 39 sweeteners against 25 species of gut bacteria in a laboratory setting.
Read at sciencedaily.com ↗36
A study by Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, led by researcher Sait Durgun, found that shopping purpose is a stronger driver of impulse purchases than hunger.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗37
DeltaTrak analyzed over 8,000 strawberry shipments and found that 31.5% of loads lost at least half a day of shelf life before reaching distribution centers.
Read at supermarketnews.com ↗38
A two-year weight loss study conducted on adults found that those who consumed artificially sweetened beverages lost an equivalent amount of weight compared to those who drank water.
Read at inc.com ↗39
The Datassential 2027 Trends Report, based on 20 years of US menu data, identifies emerging global food and flavor trends for 2027.
Read at foodnavigator.com ↗40
A study published in the journal Science involving 171 young adults found that gut microbiome composition, influenced by diet, correlates with the severity of fever symptoms following mRNA Covid-19 vaccination.
Read at foodnavigator.com ↗41
A survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by LEK Consulting, published on October 5, 2026, indicates that 71% of consumers prioritize familiar ingredients.
Read at foodnavigator.com ↗42
A study by Worldpanel by Numerator covering the 52-week period ending September 6, 2026, reveals that potatoes, tomatoes, and bananas are the most purchased fresh produce in France.
Read at esmmagazine.com ↗8 of 11 research events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.
What incidents and outages hit food & beverage this week?
Incidents, outages and safety events reported this week.
43
Russian military strikes across nine regions of Ukraine on October 16, 2026, resulted in at least 8 deaths and 60 injuries.
Read at aljazeera.com ↗44
Hundreds of French grocery stores suffered cyberattacks on October 12, 2026, where hackers manipulated refrigeration controllers to raise temperatures, causing food spoilage and minor fires.
Read at darkreading.com ↗45
A cyber-attack targeted digital thermostats in approximately 700 supermarkets across France, including chains like Intermarché, Carrefour, and Coopérative U. Hackers remotely increased temperatures in refrigeration units to as high as 80C, causing widespread food spoilage and some fires.
Read at theguardian.com ↗3 of 15 incidents and safety events are listed; the rest were ranked lower by importance and multi-source corroboration and are not shown.