October 17, 2024 – According to the latest consumer trends research by Innova Market Insights, a striking 58% of consumers worldwide prioritize quality in ingredients and products when making food and beverage purchases. As the demand for added value becomes the new norm, brands must elevate quality beyond just ingredients to thrive in 2025. Innova’s research highlights key trend drivers for 2025, including personalized nutrition, a renewed focus on gut health, naturalness in plant-based products, flavor mashups, and the tangible effects of climate change on the F&B industry and consumer choices.
Every year, Innova compiles its Top Ten Food & Beverage Trends, based on direct consumer trends research to identify shifts in behavior and preference, as well as on product launches and on-pack information from the market.
Trend 1: Ingredients and Beyond
Lu Ann Williams, Global Insights Director at Innova, emphasizes the critical role of ingredient quality in consumer purchasing decisions. “Our top trend for 2025, ‘Ingredients and Beyond,’ underscores the necessity for companies to captivate consumers by enhancing the quality attributes of their ingredients,” she explains. “Freshness, nutrition, health benefits, and ingredient sourcing are paramount to consumers. Brands can distinguish themselves in the market by offering superior quality ingredients.” Williams also notes the positive consumer perception of store brands, highlighting the impact of increased private label focus on ingredient quality.
Trend 2: Health – Precision Wellness
Nearly 60% of consumers say they are proactive about their health, with over half planning their nutrition intake based on health issues. Innova’s #2 trend, ‘Health – Precision Wellness,’ describes consumers seeking balanced nutrition through easy-to-consume functional food and beverage products tailored to their life stage, lifestyle, and health needs. Personalized nutrition plans are seen as more effective, with key focus areas including women’s health, weight management, mood, and performance.
Trend 3: Flavors – Wildly Inventive
Creativity and excitement in product innovation take center stage with the #3 trend, ‘Flavors – Wildly Inventive.’ Consumers are eager to explore unexpected flavors, fusion cuisines, cobranding, unusual formats, cross-category mashups, and limited editions. Over half of global consumers are interested in trying flavor fusions, and 37% follow viral food and beverage trends on social media. In a crowded market, brands can stand out by delivering the “wow” factor and surprising consumers with fun and indulgent experiences.
Trend 4: Gut Health – Flourish from Within
Post-pandemic, there’s a renewed focus on gut health. Innova’s #4 trend, ‘Gut Health – Flourish from Within,’ highlights the growing consumer interest in digestive health, driven by key ingredients like fiber and probiotics. Digestive health is the top physical health aspect for which consumers purchase functional food and beverages, with an 8% year-over-year growth in products with digestive health claims. Consumers are increasingly seeking fiber and probiotics to optimize their microbiome for better gut health.
Trend 5: Plant-based – Rethinking Plants
Innova’s #5 trend, ‘Plant-based – Rethinking Plants,’ reflects the evolving landscape of plant-based products. Companies are focusing on improving taste and texture while meeting consumer demands for naturalness, health, and environmental benefits. With a 23% average annual growth in vegan/plant-based products with natural claims over the past five years, 55% of consumers believe plant-based products should be standalone items rather than meat and dairy alternatives. Addressing concerns about ultra-processing, natural standalones could appeal to the 25% of consumers hesitant to buy overly processed plant-based products.
Trend 6: Sustainability – Climate Adaption
Sustainability remains a key focus for consumers and the industry alike. Innova’s #6 trend, ‘Sustainability – Climate Adaptation,’ showcases how the industry is responding to climate change impacts and consumer sentiment. Nearly half of global consumers are highly aware of climate change’s effects on F&B, with increased prices being the most noticeable impact. This climate uncertainty presents opportunities for innovation, such as developing alternatives to climate-sensitive crops like cocoa, coffee, and olive oil.
The final four trends in Innova’s Top Ten for 2025 are:
7. Beauty Food – Taste the Glow
8. Food Culture – Tradition Reinvented
9. Mood Food – Mindful Choices
10. AI – Bytes to Bites.
More detail about these – and the first six – trends will be available in a free webinar on November 7 from 3PM CET / 9 AM ET . Lu Ann Williams will deliver a full presentation of Innova’s Top Ten Trends for 2025, including background, examples, and information on the research. For the more information click banner below!
