The consumer trends change at a breakneck pace. Even the popular Dubai chocolate that dominated the spring of 2025 has seen its day.
What’s coming up, and what is going away as we head into Autumn 2025.
The Going Up. F&B Functional
The demand from consumers for functional food and beverage is out of control. Functionality is a big trend in everything from coffee to confectionery.
Statista, a stats specialist firm, estimates that by 2028 the market for functional foods and beverages will reach half a billion dollars.
Alon Chen is the CEO of Tastewise, a food analytics company. He says that “Functionality” has now become the consumer’s default expectation.
This trend is so widespread that now 57.3% non-alcoholic drink sales are driven by health needs.
Sales of live yogurt and kefir are on the rise.
Social mentions for adaptogens such as ashwagandha or turmeric have increased by 15.2% in the last year, demonstrating how consumers feel about them.
The functional trend has taken over the world of confectionery and coffee. (Image: Getty/Martin Barraud)
The Going Up. Snacking
Main meals have been replaced by snacks.
The snack food industry will reach a value of $269.45bn by 2025, as consumers are more likely to opt for a little and often approach to meals.
The average portion size for meals is decreasing while the frequency of snacking has increased by 11,2% YoY. Sales of snack foods that replace meals, such as protein bars or smoothies are up 10.8% year-over-year (Tastewise).
Tastewise also shows that breakfast skips are up 7.1% year-over-year, and all day snacking has risen by 6.6%.
Convenience is one of the megatrends of 2018.
The convenience factor is up 9.01% year-over-year, and satiety has risen 6.5%, which highlights the increasing interest in mini meals that are nutrient dense over traditional sit down meals.
The data from restaurant menus shows that snack menu items have increased by an average of 8.4% yoy.
(Image: Getty/4kodiak) Sales of snack foods like smoothies and protein bars are up 10.8% year-over-year. (Image: Getty/4kodiak)
The Going Up. Enjoy the flavours of our delicious products
Even in categories that are primarily health-oriented, flavour is a major purchase factor.
Grand View Research says that a major trend in the food industry is the growing demand for regional and ethnic flavours. This has been driven by increased travel and globalisation.
The ‘intense flavor’ drives consumer spending to increase by 53.4% YoY in baking, snacking, and condiments.
Social mentions for ‘rich,’ ‘fudgy,’ and ‘zesty,’ however, have increased by 9.6%.
As bold flavors dominate, social media mentions are increasingly referring to zesty, rich and fudgy. (Image: Getty/sameer chogale)
The Going Down: The Sustainability of the Economy
The food and beverage industry is making a concerted effort to adopt more sustainable practices. The industry is making efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and food waste.
Tastewise Chen says that sustainability is no longer a slogan, but increasingly incorporated into ingredient selections.
While the industry has been moving towards a greener environment, consumer disillusionment is on the rise.
Recent research by the EIT Food Consumer Observatory has confirmed concerns that consumers’ interest in sustainability may be waning. Results showed that only 9% of Europeans prioritize sustainability.
Since 2020, consumers are less likely to consider the sustainability of their purchases. This number has dropped from 51% down to 46%.
Klaus Grunert is a professor of Aarhus University in Denmark and the director of EIT Food Consumer Observatory.
There are many reasons why this is the case. Cost is the first reason, as 31% of respondents said that budget was their biggest barrier.
The Dutch consultancy Kearny conducted a study that found the average price of non-sustainable goods is 75-80% more than sustainable ones.
Confusion is another major problem that consumers face, one which comes up repeatedly in the context of food and beverages.
Grunert explains that “while sustainability is important, many consumers don’t know what it means to eat sustainably.”
The phenomenon of ‘crisis-fatigue’ has a negative effect on the attitudes and behaviors of consumers towards sustainability.
Since years, the negative messages about the future are being pumped into the minds of consumers. As the issue grows, the negative talk also increases. The opposite of what the environmentalists had hoped, especially among younger consumers.
Aditi Kooli, Senior Vice President APAC of market research experts GWI says that consumers are tired from the crisis. Gen Z is becoming inward-looking, and focusing more on themself and their close friends. The interest they have in current events and environmental concerns is decreasing. “It’s not that they aren’t interested, it’s just a matter of prioritizing and having enough mental bandwidth.”
Sustainability is important for the future of the food and drink industry, even if consumers are not interested in the topic.
(Image: Getty/Alex Potemkin) As consumers become ‘crisis-fatigued’, their interest in sustainability has waned. (Image: Getty/Alex Potemkin)
The Going Down: Alcohol consumption
Since centuries, alcohol has dominated the beverage market. Sales of wines, spirits, beers and cocktail have all been high and loyal consumers.
The trend of falling consumption since mid-2000s is no longer ignorable. It seems that alcohol is no longer popular.
The shift from alcohol to other beverages is a product of many societal changes. However, it can be mostly attributed the the growing health and wellness movement.
Freya Twigden, the founder of Fix8 Kombucha, and Fibe Prebiotic Soda, says that “the world has become more health-conscious, particularly since 2020.”
The entertainment industry has changed significantly. Social media has replaced pubs and clubs with gyms, fitness events and hashtags like #fitness and #fitfam.
The cost of drinking alcohol is another major factor in reducing consumption.
Eurostat, an arm of the European Commission that tracks statistics, reports that the price of alcohol is up by over 95%.
(Image: Getty/Kesu01) Alcohol sales have declined as consumers choose healthier alternatives and try to avoid higher prices. (Image: Getty/Kesu01)
The Going Down: Restrictive diets
Since decades, restrictive diets such as keto have been a dominant force in food and drink. Recent figures by Tastewise indicate that interest in extreme weight loss methods is declining.
The interest in keto has fallen by 4.6% YoY.
Emily Vencat, of the protein brand YouBar says that this decline isn’t necessarily due to lack of efficacy, but more so because it can be difficult to maintain such an restrictive eating style over time.
Vencat says that as the keto diet trend is declining, more people are looking for nutritionally balanced and sustainable solutions.
Diets based on wholefoods such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrains are gaining in popularity. They are more flexible and easier to maintain. This makes them appealing to a wider audience.
Restrictive diets like keto are declining in popularity. (Image: Getty/emyerson)
The food and beverage industries must be agile as consumer preferences continue to change. They need to adapt to new trends such as functionality, snacks, and bold flavors, but also rethink strategies regarding sustainability, alcohol consumption, and restricted diets.
Listening carefully, innovating quickly and delivering what consumers want today will win.