January 8, 2025 – Innova Market Insights has been a specialist in consumer-packaged goods trends for 30 years. The company now uses an AI-enhanced platform to analyze insights and observations and generate reports like its report on global flavor trends. Innova’s 360 perspective on insights considers many facets of CPG trends, including consumers, categories, packaging, flavors, ingredients, and products. The company takes a top-down and bottom-up approach to identify trends and drivers, including flavor trends. Top-down factors include megatrends and shifts in lifestyle and attitudes. Bottom-up factors incorporate insights from global trend-spotters, as well as category trends. This comprehensive collection of intelligence can be synthesized into reports such as Innova’s Top Trends in Flavors for 2025.
Global Flavor Trend #1 – Sensory Therapy
Global flavor trends show that today’s world is highly uncertain, and consumers feel the stress. They look for various paths to mental and emotional wellness, including flavor experiences, that can be uplifting or calming. In fact, consumers participating in global consumer flavor trends research say that the most important feature of flavors is that they can enhance mood. Innova describes sensory therapy as leading to euphoric wellness. Flavor trends indicate that manufacturers offer flavor choices to meet consumers’ emotional needs. Flavors can be cheerful and happy, energized, healthy, or relaxed and calm. Familiar flavors and comforting flavors most impact consumer food and beverage choices, with coffee flavor and brown flavors as favorites, especially paired with products that have a creamy or smooth texture.
Global Flavor Trend #2 – Authentic & Rooted
Authentic & Rooted is Innova’s #2 global flavor trend for 2025. In global consumer trends research, consumers say that they look for authenticity, connection with others, and comfort through real experiences that are rooted in culture. In fact, nearly half of the consumers researched globally say that honoring food traditions with food choices that reflect their heritage is a very to extremely important factor in their diet. Participants in a global consumer trends research report want to see products on supermarket shelves that reflect old and traditional recipes. Furthermore, timeless traditional flavors are nostalgic. A world of flavors is available in all types of products, from ready meals to beverages, snacks, and coffees.
Global Flavor Trend #3 – Imaginative Taste Adventures
Innova’s #3 global flavor trend for 2025 – Imaginative Taste Adventures – describes consumer pursuit of experiences with flavor adventures and unique flavor combinations. Taste discoveries provide consumers with enjoyment and pleasure in food and beverages. One example of a global food trend is “swicy,” that is, sweet plus spicy. This food and beverage trend in food and beverage generates positive buzz in the form of social media mentions and sentiment trends across social media and online platforms. Taste experiences are highly important to consumers, and consumers looking for taste experiences will seek out creative flavors.
Global Flavor Trend #4 – Healthier Enjoyment
The #4 Global Flavor Trend, Healthier Enjoyment, stresses the importance of combining health with flavor. By boosting the taste, texture, and healthiness of food and beverage choices, manufacturers make them more enjoyable, as well as satisfying and better for you. In a global consumer trends survey, participants noted the importance of taste and texture – after price – in food and beverage products that are nutritious. Features that improve nutrition include “light” versions that have less sugar, salt, fat, and/or calories, products that are sugar-free, and products with low or no alcohol claims. Consumers have taste expectations for sustainable products too. Consumers report that taste and texture are barriers to choosing sustainable food and beverage products, including plant-based products that they say need better taste and texture.
Global Flavor Trend #5 – Quality & Enrichment
Consumers globally tell Innova Market Insights that luxurious flavors feel indulgent and enhance a product’s perceived value. While price is important to consumers, the quality of a product relates to its value for money. When consumers were asked about attributes other than price that make a product a good value, premium quality was their top answer. Furthermore, consumers say that they remain brand loyal only if the products are good quality. Flavor is an important conveyor of quality, and indulgent flavors help satisfy consumer cravings.
What’s Next in Global Flavor Trends?
Brands are expected to continue evolving flavor to boost the sensory experience for consumers. AI can help them identify exciting new flavors and flavor combinations. Fermentation technology allows for production of specialized ingredients. The restaurant trend of molecular gastronomy will heighten the sensory experience around flavor.
This article is based on Innova’s Now & Next in Global Flavor Trends report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
