Whole Foods Market’s Top Food Trends to Watch in 2026

Whole Foods Market has released its annual forecast of the top food and beverage trends expected to shape shopping carts, kitchens, and consumer preferences in 2026. Developed by the retailer’s Trends Council, a group of buyers, culinary experts, and industry scouts, the list reflects emerging patterns in health, convenience, sustainability, and food culture.

One notable shift is the resurgence of beef tallow, a traditional cooking fat prized for its rich flavor and high smoke point. Once a staple of classic kitchens, tallow is being rediscovered by consumers interested in...

ANALYSIS: Disease Outbreaks Deepen Crisis in Polish Poultry Sector in 2025

In Poland, infectious disease outbreaks emerged as one of the most pressing challenges facing the poultry industry in 2025, as millions of birds were culled following widespread cases of avian influenza and Newcastle disease. Against a backdrop of potential export restrictions, record-high poultry prices, and intensifying regulatory pressures, the past year has ranked among the most difficult periods for the Polish poultry sector in recent years.

As of December 29, 2025, Polish veterinary authorities had confirmed 116 outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), affecting...

ANALYSIS: EU Shell Egg Market Eases Amid Holiday Slowdown and AI Risk

As 2025 comes to a close, feedback from market participants points to a gradually loosening EU shell egg market, with holiday-related slowdown and additional imports contributing to a more comfortable supply picture. Reduced trading activity around Christmas and New Year has translated into slower order placement, allowing stocks to build across several member states despite underlying structural tightness.

Market participants report that offers of shell eggs from Ukraine have increased, with quotations generally undercutting EU-origin product and adding to the sense...

USDA Announces Commodity Payment Rates for Farmer Bridge Assistance Program

Eligible producers to receive pre-filled program applications and payments in February

Today [December 31, 2025], U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the next phase in the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program (FBA), the eligible commodity per-acre payment rates. As announced earlier this month by President Trump and Secretary Rollins, $12 billion will be paid to American farmers in 2026. Of that amount, $11 billion consists of one-time FBA program payments. This is in response to four years of disastrous Biden administration policies that created record-high input and production costs...

Expana to Observe New Year Holiday on January 1, 2026

Expana will be observing the New Year holiday on Thursday, January 1, 2026.

As previously announced, Market Insights and Market Updates were suspended beginning December 22 through January 2 with normal publishing to resume Monday January 5, 2026.

See the publication schedule for the 2025 Holiday Period here. 

Additionally, the Editorial Department will not be publishing news on Thursday, January 1 and will resume normal publishing on Friday, January 2, 2026. 

Happy New Year to all from everyone at Expana.

ANALYSIS: Frozen Whole Toms Rise From Five-Year Low to Near-Record Highs in 2025

The 16 lbs. frozen whole tom market started 2025 with the lowest value of the past 5-years. Starting in February though, it rose over the course of the year until it now sits at the second highest value ever recorded. This year’s December quotations fall only behind 2022 when the current outbreak of HPAI started. The value of frozen whole turkeys increased through much of 2022 before stabilizing in November. Prices then plateaued through April of 2023 before rapidly falling through the rest of the year. Quotations maintained a sideways trend through...

ANALYSIS: Chicken Inventories Hold Steady Amid Category Divergence

The USDA’s most recent cold storage release presents a mixed backdrop for the chicken complex as November came to a close, with key categories moving in notably different directions. Even so, inventory levels remained tightly clustered around both last November’s close and October’s ending stocks. At 814.9 million pounds, November’s total frozen chicken inventories ranked as the ninth-highest seasonal level in at least the past three decades. This figure reflects a 0.7% year-over-year (YOY) increase and a modest 0.4% rise from October. For context, month-over-month (MOM)...

ANALYSIS: Tighter Cattle Supplies and Rising Costs Set to Shape Irish Beef Prices in 2026

The Expana price for cattle steer in Ireland stood at €7.27/kg in the week ending December 10, 2025, representing a 2.9% decline month-over-month (MOM), while remaining sharply higher on an annual basis, up 31.2% year-over-year (YOY). Despite the recent monthly easing, prices continue to reflect tight supply conditions and strong underlying market fundamentals. 

Ireland exports approximately 90% of its beef production, meaning global market conditions play a decisive role in shaping domestic cattle prices. While short-term fluctuations in local supply can influence prices temporarily, export market trends remain...

Secretary Rollins Announces New Priorities for Research and Development in 2026

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, signed a Secretary’s Memorandum (PDF, 909 KB) that puts forth a focused effort to establish new priorities for future research and development activities funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to strengthen national security, protect U.S. agriculture, and support American farmers and consumers.

The American farm economy suffered under failed Biden-Harris Administration policies that drove up inflation, created a weak trade agenda that resulted in no new trade deals for American commodities, and propagated crippling overregulation. Further, misguided policies focused on DEI and environmental justice in agricultural research, extension, and education programs diverted...

USDA Advances Farm Security Action Plan to Protect US Farmland and Federal Programs from Foreign Adversaries

As committed to under USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced a number of coordinated actions to continue to emphasize American agricultural research and innovation by ensuring ideas stay in America or among our allies, not with hostile nations and that we are putting American farmers and ranchers first in every USDA program, period.

These historic actions strengthen transparency around foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land and ensure federal programs and purchasing preferences do not support supply chains controlled by...

China Imposes Additional 55% Tariffs on Imported Beef

China today (December 31) imposed additional 55% tariffs on beef imports from countries ⁠including Brazil, Australia and the US when shipments exceed certain quotas, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

The tariffs will apply to imported beef, effective January 1, 2026, according to the ministry.

The measures take effect ahead of the investigation’s revised January 26 deadline, marking a sharp shift in the pace of the case, with many of the most affected suppliers caught during the year-end Christmas and New Year closures.

A Chinese importer told Expana today

ANALYSIS: Bone-In Ham Market Transitions Post-Holiday 

According to Circana retail data, retail bone-in half ham activity has softened following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday demand period, with prices and sales pulling back in line with typical seasonal patterns. Discounted retail prices moved lower into mid-December, settling in the $1.30–1.55/lb range, roughly 50% below late-November and early-December holiday highs near $2.80–3.00/lb, while non-discounted prices eased to the $1.85–1.95/lb range, about 38% below peak holiday levels...

Burger King® and Popeyes® Announce New Head Chefs

Burger King® and Popeyes® have each announced a new Head Chef – promoting existing top talent within Restaurant Brands International (RBI).

Amy Alarcon has been appointed Head Chef for Burger King, U.S. & Canada, following 18 years as a culinary leader and Head Chef at Popeyes. Amy previously led Popeyes’ success in shaping the brand’s culinary identity and driving category-defining menu innovation, including the iconic Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.

In her new role, Chef Amy will lead the Burger King culinary strategy...

Long John Silver’s Brings Back $6 Fish & Chicken Basket

Long John Silver’s is bringing back its popular fish baskets, harmonizing flavors from both sea and land while delivering the value customers seek. This revival features the $6 Fish & Chicken Basket for a limited time. 

"Guests have been telling us for years that our chicken is a best-kept secret," said Christopher Caudill, Long John Silver's senior vice president of marketing and innovation. "Our hand-battered chicken strips—known as Chicken Planks—are every bit as crave-worthy as our legendary fish. It's time we let that secret...

Crayola Launches Global McDonald's Happy Meal® Experience That's Out-of-This-World

Crayola has teamed up with McDonald's for the first time on a global scale with a new Happy Meal experience to propel kids' imagination into orbit and transform the universe into a canvas for creativity.

The Happy Meal features an exclusive lineup of co-branded, space-themed activity kits and toys designed to encourage hands-on creative moments that the whole family can share. The limited-edition Planet McDonald's Happy Meal is rolling out at participating McDonald's...