SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal

On Sept. 2, President Donald Trump signed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government until December. This funding measure also included an extension to the ban on hemp-derived THC in food and beverage products, delaying the final deadline until Dec. 11. At that time, the ban will still go into effect, closing a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that created a billion-dollar category almost overnight.

The functional food and beverage revolution is here — and it's rewriting the rules of product development. Today's consumers expect more than basic nutrition from their snacks and drinks. They want real, science-backed health benefits delivered in formats they actually enjoy — and will repurchase. This comprehensive guide reveals how innovative bioactives are making it possible.

The most consequential disruption facing food and beverage brands currently originated not in food but in pharmacy. Global analytics firm Gallup put current use of GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptides) at 11% of U.S. adults in mid-2026, up from 3% in 2024. Accounting giant KPMG estimated these users consume 21% fewer calories and spend almost a third (31%) less on groceries.

At a Glance Creatine monohydrate is chemically unstable and can lose efficacy in liquid and high-moisture environments. Confections and chews may offer the best near-term path to stable, compliant creatine formats. The 2024-2025 wave of reports on low- or no-creatine gummies has left lingering consumer skepticism about the category. Think creatine-enriched foods, beverages and snacks are a new addition to the menu? Not quite.

Kantha Shelke, Ph.D., CFS, IFT fellow, teaches food safety regulations at Johns Hopkins University, and is a principal at Corvus Blue LLC, a food science and research firm that expedites development and commercialization of new food products and technologies with regulatory compliance, science and sensibility.

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Each year, across hundreds of industry events, creative minds and brands receive accolades for transmuting the trends into exceptional products. Although not all carry the prestige of a name like James Beard, these smaller awards nonetheless add more voices to the zeitgeist and hint at the ingredients, products and developers worth watching.

At 3 p.m., many families face a familiar collision: hungry kids, packed schedules and several hours until dinner. Parents want something convenient and satisfying — but it also needs to be affordable and, most importantly, something their children will actually eat. That tension may define one of protein's next opportunities. Mattson's proprietary 2026 protein research suggested consumers aren't simply looking for more grams of protein.

When a now-popular natural products brand launched two years ago, it snagged enviable press, social media virality and loads of retailer interest. Currently the company is readying to bring another line to market, just in time for a national retailer’s spring reset. But the brand’s packaging supplier won’t budge from a minimum order of 30,000 units per SKU. The partner also quoted $6,000 for a plate charge and required an eight-week lead time. Big problem.

Ten years ago, few consumers would have paid a premium for a soda containing prebiotic fiber, probiotics or protein. Yet today, some of the fastest-growing innovations in beverages — modern sodas — are built around that very premise. Now a distinct segment in the beverage aisle, modern soda emerged from a simple idea: Consumers shouldn't have to choose between enjoyment and wellness. Meeting consumers in the middle That evolution started with a rethink on traditional soda offerings.