2025 CPG Food and Beverage Trends Report

As the CPG food and beverage industry continues to evolve, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of bold innovation, sustainability, and hyper-personalized experiences. Consumer preferences are shifting towards nostalgic flavors, sustainable and innovative packaging, and authentic storytelling.

In 2024, major themes included international influences, functional wellness ingredients, and alternative protein sources. While these trends continue to grow, 2025 brings a new level of innovation that pushes brands to rethink how they formulate, market, and package products.

This article highlights key trends for 2025 broken into four major categories: flavor trends, formula and ingredient innovations, packaging trends, and marketing trends.

Flavor Trends: Bold, Nostalgic, and Global Influences

Flavors in 2025 are driven by a blend of heat, nostalgia, and global influence. With a shift to savory flavors and technology - driven innovation, there are opportunities for all brands to tap into current flavor trends

Sweet Meets Heat

Spicy-sweet combinations have been gaining popularity in recent years and 2025 is set to take this trend to new heights. Consumers are increasingly drawn to flavor contrasts where sweetness dampens the intensity of heat. Pairings like honey and habanero, spicy chocolate, and chili-infused caramel are making their way onto shelves. This trend is largely driven by the rise in global spice exploration, a trend we highlighted in 2024.

Brands can capitalize on the sensory contrast by incorporating subtle spice levels into sweet treats. This can help introduce consumers to the concept while staying mindful about tolerance levels. Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods is capturing this trend with their release of Hot Honey Dip, combining savory cheese, sweet honey, and a chili kick.

For brands that are not currently in a product development cycle, leverage this trend by creating a set of recipes inspired by this trend. By encouraging customers to combine your product with other ingredients, they can produce a similar flavor profile to this popular sweet and spicy trend. Sweet brands, like honey, chocolate, and fruit preserves, can showcase bold pairings with chili-infused sauces or smoky spice blends. Spicy brands, like hot sauce salsa, or spiced snacks, can create unexpected pairings like mango- habanero dips or cinnamon- cayenne drizzles. Even if your brand does not fall in either flavor category, creating sweet and spicy recipes that integrate your products is an excellent way to stay on-trend.

Nostalgic Twists

Consumers are beginning to gravitate towards flavors that evoke memories and comfort, but with a sophisticated twist. This trend will be seen in remixed versions of classic flavors, like cereal milk desserts and peanut butter and jelly snacks. The goal is to create a sense of familiarity that immediately captures buyer interest, then layering innovation to make flavors exciting for younger and older demographics. The emotional connection to food remains a powerful motivator and brands that successfully tap into this flavor approach will resonate with consumers.

Coca-Cola is capitalizing on nostalgia while keeping a health conscious audience in mind. This year, the company is releasing Coca-Cola Orange Cream in a sugar and zero-sugar version. The resurgence of this classic flavor profile with a blood-sugar friendly formula keeps the brand on the cutting edge of 2025 trends.

Instead of creating a new product, smaller brands can leverage innovative recipes for this trend. Think back to popular flavor combos from childhood - mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or s’mores - and how you can leverage those classic favorites to showcase your own product. Get creative in bringing an elevated twist to nostalgia. Cheese companies can create a gourmet grilled cheese series, while retro-inspired milkshakes are a great option for cookie or cereal makers.

Global Fusion

The influence of global flavors continues to expand with consumers showing growing interest in international ingredients and seasonings. Filipino ube, Japanese yuzu, and West African suya spice are among the top flavors gaining traction. As buyers become more adventurous with their palates, once-niche flavors are finding their way into mainstream products. This trend aligns with the desire for authentic cultural exploration for those seeking new, authentic tastes. Pair these flavors with stories about origin and significance to forge deeper connections with audiences.

Other global flavors that are seeing in uptick in popularity include:

Gochujang (Korean)
Tamarind (Southeast Asian and Latin American)
Harissa (North African)
Calamansi (Philippine)
Aji Amarillo (Peruvian)
Pandan (Southeast Asian)

La Brisa takes two global flavors and combines them into a sweet treat with their Tamarind Diablito ice cream bars. The salty spice of chamoy complements the sweet-and-sour tamarind to make an unforgettable combination.

This trend is great for all brands to participate in because of the vast number of flavors to use. From sweet, to salty, to spicy, to rich, there is a global taste that compliments every brand. If developing a new product is not in your 2025 plan, you can create different recipes with your product that incorporate a variety of different profiles. Appeal to a wider audience by creating sweeter recipes with the tangy flavors of calamansi and savory recipes with a fruity smokiness from the Aji Amarillo pepper.

Umami and Savory Beverages

While sweet and fruity beverages will continue to be the overwhelmingly popular choice, 2025 is seeing a surge in umami-forward beverages and savory drink options. Mushroom lattes, miso-infused broths (for sipping), and dashi-based wellness shots are emerging as alternatives to traditional coffee and energy drinks. These savory flavors often double as functional ingredients, making them a go-to option for consumers that are health conscious.

This trend is particularly appealing to buyers looking for low-sugar, high-nutrient options that deliver both taste and functionality. Mushroom coffee is a popular traditional coffee alternative, including various combinations of mushroom powder. Everyday Dose produces different blends that boast various improved effects including focus, energy, and immunity.

While umami and savory beverages can be niche, smaller brands can participate creatively in this trend. Create a pairing menu of your favorite products and how to pair them with various mouthwatering drinks. You can even produce beverage recipes that include your product, showing consumers innovative ways to use your product.

AI-Driven Flavor Development

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly pivotal role in flavor innovation, allowing brands to predict consumer preferences, test new flavor combinations, and optimize formulations faster than ever. By leveraging technology, AI can help brands develop more complex and unexpected flavor pairings that might not have been considered through traditional R&D. Flavor-matching algorithms can suggest unique pairings based on molecular makeup, like strawberry-balsamic-espresso.

Mondelez International, the manufacturer behind Oreos and Chips Ahoy, has been leveraging AI to develop new recipes. These programs are proprietary and developed in- house, allowing them to be tailored to the brand’s specific needs. Scientists use the tool to identify specific characteristics, like flavor, aroma, or appearance, and include guidelines around cost of ingredients or environmental impact. While final products are always taste tested by humans, machine learning is expediting the process for brands.

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2025 Food and Beverage Trends Report