4 Key Food And Drink Trends For 2025

What will we be eating and drinking in 2025? And how will brands be adapting to meet current needs? Market research company Mintel has highlighted the four key trends set to dominate the industry next year. From diversified ingredient sourcing to humanising technology and nutrient-dense product innovations, these are the big food trends for 2025.

Mintel Reveals Top Global Food Trends For 2025

Fundamentally Nutritious

The notion of food as medicine will continue to gain traction in 2025 – spurred on by increased concern about the impact of ultra-processed foods. Mintel also points out the effect of weight loss injections like Ozempic and Wegovy, which it argues is encouraging an increased focus on the critical nutrients of foods.

Alex Beckett, Mintel’s Food & Drink Director, says: ‘Simplified claims that highlight protein, fibre, vitamins and mineral content will appeal to people who are using weight-loss drugs, as well as the majority of consumers who define their diets based on their individual needs and how food makes them feel,’ he says. ‘Expect to see an increase in nutrient-dense product innovations to improve short- and long-term health.’

We’re also seeing a surge in interest in the two metrics associated with weight-loss drugs: blood sugar and hormone health, which will trigger key 2025 food trends. Blood sugar tracking has been one of 2024’s hottest topics, led by brands like Zoe, and this is increasing the demand for low-glycemic formulas (foods less likely to raise blood sugar levels). Discussions surrounding hormone health will continue to dominate the conversation in 2025, too. We’ve seen a surge in hormone-balancing products recently, particularly supplements related to menopause support, but next year there will be a big focus on the relationship between diet and hormones.

Rule Rebellion

Next year we’ll be throwing out the food rulebook, according to Mintel, who has noticed a shift in the way we consume food. ‘As society increasingly accepts imperfections, food and drink brands can target these “perfectly imperfect” consumers with innovation that breaks the invisible rules around food and drink consumption,’ says Beckett. 

He adds: ‘Brands can lean into how consumers want to, or actually, consume food and drink rather than how they feel they “should”. By supporting these rebellious tendencies, brands can help consumers feel more represented by the outside-the-norm food and drink choices available to them.’ 

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This rule-breaking mentality is also encouraging brands and chefs to utilise unfamiliar, eco-conscious ingredients, such as lemna and seaweed. Silo founder Douglas McMaster is a pioneer in this area, having launched a supper club series dedicated to invasive species.

The role of food and drink in mental health will also be a big topic in 2025, says Beckett. ‘In the near future, brands will seek to break down continued social stigmas surrounding lesser-talked-about health issues. For example, currently less-seen on-pack and marketing messaging that directly mentions the role of food and drink in mental health management will become more commonplace.’

Chain Reaction

Food and drink production is increasingly being impacted by both climate change and geopolitical events. The UK was sent into a frenzy earlier this year following reports of a tea shortage – a result of the Red Sea crisis. Rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions, meanwhile, are affecting the production (and consequently, the price) of everything from pumpkins to olive oil to coffee.

‘In an increasingly volatile world, food and drink brands must clearly communicate how adjustments from local to global sourcing were made to benefit consumers,’ notes Beckett. ‘Cross-industry, multinational collaboration and scalable tech solutions will be required, but they are not without complications. More importantly, consumers will feel the consequences of these challenges personally, and brands must be ready with solutions.’

We’ll see continued innovation in this area in 2025, says Mintel’s report. Ingredients will be sourced from regions that are potentially more reliable, such as olive oil from Algeria or Peru, which will likely create more nuanced flavour variations for staple products.

Hybrid Harvests

Technology is increasingly being used in food and drink production to meet current food supply challenges – although many of us aren’t ready to embrace it, says Mintel. However, as we’re seeing across the board, the savvy brands will be looking for ways to humanise AI. ‘Over the next few years, food and drink brands must prioritise how these technological advancements benefit the consumer first through better taste, greater nutrition or consistent supply – and the environment second,’ Beckett predicts.