‘It’s not going to be easy’: Food industry faces uphill growth battle in 2026

This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter. Higher costs and slowing consumer spending are setting up a challenging 2026 for food manufacturers, leaving them with little choice but to downsize, cut prices, or rethink their approach to innovation to remain relevant. The gloomy outlook for the new year comes after a bruising 2025 pushed many food and beverage companies to cut jobs, close manufacturing plants or sell ...