March 7, 2025 – Dairy products play an essential role in global diets, providing vital nutrients like calcium and protein while promoting overall health and wellness. Consumers prioritize dairy for its ability to meet their nutritional needs while addressing emerging lifestyle preferences. As consumer demands evolve, the global dairy trends adapt to incorporate innovative trends.
Each year, Innova identifies the Top Ten Trends, offering insights into consumer behaviors and product innovations. Here we explore how Innova’s top five trends of 2025 align with dairy and dairy alternatives, shaping the future of this dynamic trend and delivering added value to consumers.
This article is based on Innova’s Top Trends 2025: Dairy & Dairy Alternatives – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
Ingredients and Beyond Dairy Trends
Innova’s top trend of 2025 “Ingredients and Beyond,” highlights as consumers demand for added value becomes standard, the focus to elevate quality beyond ingredients is the key. It also shows that consumers are increasingly seeking value from high quality ingredients. Dairy trends show that consumers prioritize product quality as the most critical factor in their dairy product purchasing decisions. Globally, 1 in 5 consumers reduce their dairy consumption due to the presence of artificial ingredients in the products. The top claims influencing their dairy purchasing decision are product safety and naturalness. Their top 3 concerns in dairy consumption are food quality, health, and food safety.
Precision Wellness Dairy Trends
The “Precision Wellness” trend displays that information culture is challenging brands to meet targeted nutritional needs at any life stage. Dairy trends reveal that the informed and health-conscious consumer base increasingly seeks dairy products tailored to specific life stages and nutritional needs. Older generations, such as Boomers and Gen X, value balanced and age-specific nutrition. Their dairy purchases reflect this preference over the past year. Weight management also emerges as a key driver in “Precision Wellness” trend, with 1 in 5 consumers considering dairy as vital to achieving their goals.
Fortified dairy products enriched with essential nutrients, such as calcium and protein, are gaining attention for supporting bone health, gut health, and protein intake. Additionally, claims related to weight loss, belly fat reduction, and digestive health are rising, reflecting consumer interest in precision wellness solutions.
Sustainability Dairy Trends
Innova’s sixth top trend of 2025 that align with dairy and dairy alternative is “Sustainability Climate.” Environmental significantly influences consumer food choices. Globally, 22% of consumers express concerns about the environmental impact of dairy consumption. They prefer brands/companies that support environmental causes like nature protection, sustainable packaging, waste management, reducing carbon footprint, and rising health and nutrition standards.
Global dairy trends show that consumers increasingly prefer dairy products made with eco-friendly and sustainable practices that reduce their environmental footprint. This includes embracing regenerative agriculture, upcycling waste products, and promoting animal welfare.
Taste Glow Trends
“Taste Glow,” trend reflects consumers’ growing interest in beauty-enhancing food and beverages, driven by the booming cosmetic industry. This trend highlights the interconnectedness of nutrition and appearance. 1 in 5 consumers purchases food and beverages to improve their physical appearance over the past year. Their top 3 beauty concerns are facial skin, hair, and body skin.
Dairy trends show that dairy products with claims supporting skin health display 21% of CAGR over the past two years. The top 5 ingredients on skin health are vitamin C, vitamin E, collagen, vitamin A, and calcium. The link between gut health and skin health further boosts demand for dual-benefit dairy products.
Mindful Choices in Dairy Products
Innova’s “Mindful Choices” trend underscores growing demand for products that support mental and emotional wellbeing. Globally, 36% of consumers’ primary health goal is to feel mentally or emotionally well. 1 in 5 consumers prefer dairy products to maintain or improve their mental health that includes relieving stress and anxiety, and tiredness and fatigue.
Rethinking Plants Trend
The “Rethinking Plants” trend highlights the ongoing consumers enthusiasm towards natural pursuits of plants in real and recognizable form. Concerns about artificial additives and over-processing impact their choices. Emerging dairy alternatives like lentil and fava bean-based products gain consumer attention by offering a more sustainable and diverse range of options.
What’s Next in the Global Dairy Trends?
Consumers favor eco-friendly packaging, such as compostable or reusable materials. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in livestock management plays a vital role in improving efficiency and reducing methane emissions. Dairy trends reveal that consumers prefer products elevating their mood. Brands can leverage this and develop dairy products that address stress management, sleep quality, and overall mood enhancement. Incorporating ingredients such as tryptophan, vitamin B complex, and magnesium, which are known for their mood-boosting properties can be beneficial.
Opportunities exist in developing products that offer guilt-free indulgence, catering to consumers’ desire for treats that are both delicious and healthy. Consumer focus taste, texture, and price gaps in plant-based products. Brands can create more affordable products with improved taste and flavor. They can explore cleaner approaches to plant-based production, using minimal ingredients and emphasizing natural origins.
Consumer demand for health and sustainability drives the evolving global dairy trends. Brands are likely to minimize artificial ingredients and focus on natural ingredients that support consumers and plant health.
This article is based on Innova’s Top Trends 2025: Dairy & Dairy Alternatives – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
