Donna is deputy editor of FoodNavigator. With over 15 years' experience in journalism, she's covered everything from financial news to travel and tourism. She joined FoodNavigator in January 2024 and has since reported on a wide range of subjects, including food and beverage regulation, innovation, and nutrition. She's travelled across Europe, meeting major stakeholders in the industry, including Mondelēz International, Nestlé, and Flora Food Group. Donna regularly hosts and moderates high-level discussions at industry events and has been central to planning and execution of FoodNavigator’s webinar series. Prior to joining FoodNavigator, Donna worked at Business Wire, Chelsea Magazines, PR Newswire, and The Writer.\n\nAs sugar reduction reshapes sweets and snacks, are brands keeping pace with what consumers want?\n\nManufacturers brace for tighter ingredient supplies, rising costs, and supply chain disruption by Q4\n\nNestlé is under fire in France over claims it used banned filtration to hide contamination in its mineral water\n\nFunctional coffee market growing fast as clean label and consumer wellness trends drive demand\n\nMars teams up with biotech firm Pairwise to futureproof cocoa crops using gene editing\n\nIs Kraft Heinz the latest casualty of flawed food mergers? As the company reportedly prepares to split, experts warn brand strategy and culture matter more than ever\n\nBread producers Hovis and Kingsmill close in on historic merger\n\nGluten-free is no longer niche. With the market growing fast, brands are racing to overcome production hurdles for new product development\n\nWho’s rising, who’s falling, and who didn’t make the cut\n\nGlobal plant-based food market thriving, with plant-based eggs emerging as fast-growing sector

Kraft Heinz Ramps Up Consumer-Facing Spend

Kraft Heinz is increasing its consumer-facing marketing and spending as it navigates challenges related to food mergers, brand strategy, and consumer demand shifts. The company is under scrutiny as experts warn that flawed mergers may have impacted its performance, with concerns that brand identity and cultural alignment are more critical than financial integration. Meanwhile, other food industry developments include Nestlé facing controversy in France over filtration practices, Mars partnering with a biotech firm to improve cocoa crops, and growing trends in functional coffee, gluten-free products, and plant-based foods. Bread producers Hovis and Kingsmill are advancing a historic merger, and the global plant-based food market, particularly plant-based eggs, is expanding rapidly.