November 3, 2025 – In the global food and beverage market, consumers are continuing to prioritize health, tradition, and mental well-being. Health-consciousness is driving categories from snack bars to soft drinks, as brands are seeking solutions that balance indulgence and healthy eating. Functional ingredients like collagen are increasingly valued for better-from-within benefits, while sauces and seasonings address authentic and culturally rooted flavor trends for consumers. Technology and its integration are also key factors driving innovation. Innova’s report, “Innova Insights: October Edition” explores these trends in conjunction with Innova’s Top Ten Trends for 2025.
Top 10 Trends 2025 Trend #7: Taste the Glow
Innova’s global food trends research indicates that consumers, particularly Gen Z, are increasingly looking to beverages for glow-from-within benefits, especially as social media places greater emphasis on physical appearance. Innova’s research indicates that these consumers are also incorporating more protein into their diets to help them look and perform better.
At the intersection of these food trends is collagen, a protein-rich ingredient linked to skin elasticity, hair strength, and nail strength benefits. Over the past five years, collagen has grown by 10% CAGR in the global food and beverage market. On-the-go collagen formats, including beauty elixirs, lead in the category. For example, Erewhon’s No.15 Glow Potion Shot blends sustainable marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants, with the promise that the elixir will help consumers “radiate beauty.”
Collagen waters, such as Aquatein Collagen Water, are also gaining traction as a holistic approach to beauty from the inside. Some benefits include increased elasticity, strengthened hair, and radiant skin. In addition, instant coffee is one of the fastest-growing formats with collagen ingredients, yet powdered matcha brands can offer an alternative, highlighting high concentrations of antioxidants rather than relying on collagen alone to promote skin health benefits.
Top 10 Trends 2025 Trend #8: Tradition Reinvented
Among all generations, Millennials lead as the consumer group most interested in heritage foods, and according to Innova’s research, consumers in Mexico, Brazil, China, India, and France value the cuisines of their home countries more than the rest of the world. Moreover, when searching for authentic, culturally rooted flavors, consumers turn to the sauces & seasonings, breads, soups, and sweet bakery categories.
In India, the spice company Chav Maharahtrachi, has translated the traditional flavors of the Mumbai region into spice seasonings. One of the most recent launches, “The Taste of Maharashtra Crab Masala” mix, is a classic blend of traditional South Indian chilies and spices for seafood. In France, Maison Orset celebrates the Savoie region of France. Their Real Plain Shortbread cookies were inspired by a family recipe, with ingredients sourced from mountain pastures near the village of Planaise, and provide local and authentic flavors of the region.
Top 10 Trends 2025 Trend #9: Mindful Choices
As mental and emotional well-being are becoming increasingly important for consumers, brands are crafting products that address wellness concerns. Food and beverage products with brain health claims have been a growing global food trend over the last five years, and launches with functional ingredients to cope with stress, improve sleep, or sharpen mental clarity have risen by 75%.
Alice Mushrooms partnered with HBO to create a limited-edition HBO Original Series “The Last of Us” X Alice Mushroom Chocolates. Formulated with cordyceps, lion’s mane mushrooms, guarana, and phosphatidylserine, these chocolates boost focus and energy levels, while also supporting long-term cognitive function. Kameda Seika also taps into the Mindful Choices trend, suggesting that the brand’s Shrimp Rice Crackers help consumers maintain memory. The limited-edition rice crackers are also promoted as a good source of protein and energy, and the crunchy nature of the crackers is said to stimulate the brain.
Top 10 Trends 2025 Trend #10: Bytes to Bites
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leveraged by food and beverage brands for a variety of processes, from identifying product opportunity gaps to controlling production or personalizing communication to consumers. While many implementations of AI will ultimately be invisible to consumers, the use of AI as a global food trend is continuing to grow.
Starday Foods developed an AI-driven innovation platform to create several new brands, before releasing it to help other food and beverage companies predict consumer needs, food trends, and reduce the risk and time associated with developing new products. They also released their new plant-based Habeya cracker brand, developed using the AI platform, that is free from the top 9 allergens and made from organic ingredients.
October Food Trends: Sauces Spice Up the Kitchen and Explore the World
Globally, consumers are increasingly adventurous, as over 50% look for novel flavors, and nearly three-quarters are interested in tasting cuisines from around the world. Gen Z and Millennials turn to food and drinks for experiences, so there is opportunity for innovation in experiential tastes for brands in the sauce and seasoning market.
Among sauces and seasonings, mayonnaise has been the fastest growing category in new product launches over the last five years. From spicy alternatives to the incorporation of pickles and international flavors, it is moving outside the role of traditional condiments to also encompass flavorful dipping sauces. For instance, Heinz Mayonnaise has launched four new flavors in the Canadian market, including smoky bacon, garlic parmesan, mango habanero flavored varieties.
Consumers are also looking for bolder flavor offerings, with hot and spicy being the number one flavor category for side-of-plate table sauces. The Marzetti Company collaborated with Buffalo Wild Wings, the largest US sports bar brand, to address this trend and launch four new hot sauces: Original, Chipotle, Habanero, and Blazin’. Authentic, international flavors are also important to Gen Z, and sauces and seasonings offer a gateway to international flavors. The 220-year-old Japanese brand, Mizkan, addresses this trend, with its recent range of rice vinegars, cooking sauces, and pastes released in UK supermarket to facilitate authentic Japanese flavors at home.
When considering what’s next, brands can expect technology to be influential, with consumers seeking products to use in conjunction with air fryers and other convenient cooking appliances. Social media and AI will be integral for recipes and product exploration. Additionally, brand messaging will evolve to become more personalized and immersive.
Nostalgia Helps Ease Soda into a Cleaner, Healthier Future
Carbonated soft drinks are a well-established category in the global food and beverage market. Nevertheless, mounting regulatory pressures to reduce sugar and rising prices present challenges, leading brands to respond with more sugar-free carbonated offerings. Despite health concerns, the use of sweeteners has also expanded, and cane sugar is reemerging in global food trends as a healthier alternative to high fructose corn syrup. Coco Cola is one of the biggest brands making the switch, with plans to manufacture beverages in the US with domestically grown cane sugar. This aligns with regulatory pressures and the perception of cane sugar as more “natural.” Slice by Suja Life is another brand embracing this trend, as its products contain cane sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, or artificial sweeteners.
According to 60% of global consumers, flavor continues to be the key driver of the category. For Gen Z, emotional connection through exciting or nostalgic flavors and indulgent mash-ups is important, demonstrating an approach that brands are taking to target this generation in new product launches. For example, this summer, Olipop dropped a “Pineapple Paradise” Spongebob Squarepants collaborative flavor, tailored to Gen Z and Millennials who grew up watching the cartoon. Additionally, soda brands like Mountain Dew have been borrowing flavors from the candy category, resulting in unexpected mash-ups like the “Mountain Dew Zero Sugar x Trolli Cherry Lemon” and “Trolli x Mountain Dew Sour Bite Crawlers” that capture the attention of younger consumers.
Looking forward, new sweetener blends that leverage natural sweeteners will help brands reshape “zero” sodas as more than diet options. Nevertheless, as functional beverages are on the rise, it will be essential for carbonates to integrate health benefits into their launches. Brands can expect innovation in this area, as well as bolder flavors paired with functional ingredients like adaptogens, mood-balancing botanicals, and nootropics.
Snack Bars’ Many Attributes Inspire Innovation
Snack bar brands are balancing consumer desires for products that address health concerns, as well as providing enjoyable, indulgent eating experiences. Globally, cereal and energy bar consumers prefer products with added health benefits, and most snack bar launches feature health-related claims, including protein and sugar-reduction. Therefore, brands should consider adding any health claims they can to indulgent products and include more active health ingredients for health-oriented snack bars.
For example, The Dutch brand, Bites We Love, introduced its Matcha Chewy Oat Bar. This product is made with organic Japanese matcha, boasts no added sugar or artificial sweetener claims, and features a high fiber content. Its ingredients also include 32% gluten-free wholegrain oats, as well as tapioca, and chicory root fibers, highlighting a product with claims and ingredients catering to the health-forward snack bar trend.
In addition to ingredients, innovative formats like minis, balls, bites, or squares can help a brand stand out in the category and push novelty for consumers. Explicit texture claims could also help differentiate brands and meet consumer expectations when it comes to enjoyment. Ingredient types, including grains, fruits, and nuts or seeds, also offer innovation opportunities in texture, health, and flavor. For instance, grains frequently appear in product names, but their health and enjoyment benefits can be better communicated.
Flavors are also fundamental to global food trends in the snack bar category. Apart from milk chocolate, which accounts for 19% of launches, no flavor accounts for more than 10%, underscoring an innovation opportunity for brands to explore unconventional flavor directions, from exotic fruit varieties to spices and even vegetables. Although traditional textures, health claims, ingredients, and flavors will remain important, moving forward, brands can expect an increase in non-traditional product forms, stronger ingredient emphasis, and unconventional flavors to emerge in the future.
F&B Launch Highlights for October 2025
Sweet treats, flavors, THC, and functionality take the spotlight for October launch highlights of global food trends. Mars has previewed several upcoming launches for its brands in 2026, including a new SKITTLES Gummies Fuego line that showcases the sweet and spicy (swicy) trend. JohnnyPops also announced a new freeze-dried popsicle that redefines snack time, delivering delicious flavors in a crunchy, melt-free format. When it comes to flavor highlights, Bon Bon Bum and Tajin have collaborated on a gum-filled lollipop sold with its own pack of Tajin, highlighting flavor innovation and cultural celebration. Regarding THC innovation, STIIIZY has also launched a range of high-dose seltzers and sodas, offering consumers functional, alcohol-free beverage options.
This article is based on Innova’s Innova Insights – October Edition report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more.