Today’s consumer is more conscious, informed, connected, demanding, and emotional. The social, technological, and cultural transformations of recent years have given rise to a new way of understanding food: eating well is no longer just about nourishment, but about feeling good in both body and mind. Today, health, well-being, functionality, authenticity, and purpose are not merely aspirations, but real drivers of innovation.
According to the new Innova Market Insights report, these are the 10 major global trends for 2026 that will shape the direction of food and beverage development—and how brands can turn them into tangible opportunities for growth and connection with consumers.
1. High-impact protein
Protein is no longer just a nutrient; it is now recognized as a driver of well-being. Three out of five consumers say they are actively including more protein in their diets, seeking both physical and mental benefits: from immunity and weight management to mental clarity and agility.
Interest is growing in highly absorbable proteins combined with functional claims such as “energy,” “recovery,” or “anti-aging.” Between July 2023 and June 2025, launches combining protein with another health benefit increased by 32%.
Innovation is moving toward hybrid formulas that integrate protein with complementary benefits—digestion, immunity, or recovery—and versatile formats such as beverages, snacks, and supplements.
A new development within this trend is the emergence of products compatible with GLP-1. For example, the Oikos Protein Shake, recently launched by Danone, is specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of GLP-1 users.
At Grupo Saporiti, we see enormous potential for launching products that combine protein with a weight management claim, a category that currently represents only 5% of the global total, leaving significant room for growth. This opportunity deserves special attention, as the number of innovations integrating both benefits is increasing rapidly, with a 29% increase in registered launches featuring both protein and weight management claims.
2. Digestive health, the new center of well-being
The gut is becoming the epicenter of overall physical well-being. 59% of consumers believe that improving their gut health has a direct impact on their physical well-being, with benefits for skin, energy, and immunity.
The connection between the microbiome, energy, immunity, and mental health is driving a new generation of products with fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics, boosting launches with digestive/gut health claims, which are growing 42% year over year and also provide benefits related to mood and sleep.
At Grupo Saporiti, we believe the real challenge lies in developing foods that are enjoyable and easy to incorporate into everyday life. Our experience in balanced formulations allows us to offer solutions that support digestive health.
3. Layers of pleasure
Pleasure is evolving into an experience that engages all the senses and emotions. Consumers combine indulgence and well-being, seeking textures, aromas, and colors that stimulate the senses and enhance mood. Launches with indulgence claims have grown by 26% worldwide over the past year.
60% want to try new things when indulging, while 46% prefer familiar flavors. This gives rise to the “hybrid pleasure” consumer: someone who seeks comfort and surprise at the same time, combining the new with the familiar. The balance between novelty and nostalgia defines the new modern luxury: comforting flavors, playful formats, responsible indulgence, and visually irresistible products.
At Grupo Saporiti, we experience this trend as part of our essence, integrating flavor, color, functionality, and nutrition into our proposals. The future of indulgence will lie in the balance between emotional pleasure and health, in vibrant colors, contrasting textures, and comforting moments that “nourish the mood.”
4. Beverages with purpose
Beverages are consolidating their position as the main vehicle for healthy innovation. More than 50% of consumers have increased their consumption because they perceive beverages as a more convenient way to take care of their health. The most valued claims are “low/no/reduced sugar” (23%), “made with natural ingredients” (23%), “high in/source of protein” (13%), and “with functional ingredients (vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, or probiotics)” (12%).
From functional waters and natural energy drinks to protein beverages or drinks with prebiotics and adaptogens, these proposals combine hydration, nutrition, and experience.
Although carbonated beverages continue to be associated with indulgent pleasure, the industry is actively working to transform this perception by promoting options that provide real well-being.
Prebiotic beverages are a clear example of this shift: they have experienced sustained and accelerated growth over the past five years, establishing themselves as one of the most dynamic categories within the healthy segment.
At Grupo Saporiti, we develop formulations that provide real benefits and support every stage of life. We combine hydration and nutrition, creating beverages that provide energy, focus, or relaxation through the incorporation of proteins, vitamins, minerals, natural sweeteners, fibers, prebiotics, probiotics, micronutrients, and adaptogens.
5. Authentic plant-based origins
The plant-based market is moving beyond imitation to embrace its authenticity and nutritional value. 55% of consumers believe that plant-based products should be independent categories rather than alternatives to meat.
Consumers are embracing natural plant proteins for their additional benefits, valuing natural, minimally processed ingredients that are rich in fiber or antioxidants.
Many consumers believe that plant-based proteins are easier to digest, while only 3% of current launches in this category include a claim related to digestive health.
Likewise, naturalness—another key consumer demand—still has little presence in the market, appearing in only 9% of plant-based product launches.
At Grupo Saporiti, we believe this reveals a major opportunity for brands: connecting the plant-based proposition with attributes that consumers already associate with well-being. Furthermore, the future of plant-based foods does not lie in resembling meat or dairy products, but in expressing their nutritional and sensory value, prioritizing naturalness, simplicity, and real flavor.
6. Creating moments
The way people eat—and who they eat with—is changing. Today, food choices increasingly depend on the occasion and the company: it is no longer just about what we eat, but also how, when, and with whom.
Single-person households and couples with children grew by four percentage points between 2020 and 2025, while the proportion of people living with their parents or with a partner without children has decreased.
These changes in family structure are redefining eating routines and rituals. As a result, consumption is shifting away from focusing solely on the product and toward consumption occasions, emotions, and the context surrounding each experience.
Consumers are looking for foods that accompany every moment—from workouts to relaxing breaks—with ready-to-use, convenient, and emotionally engaging solutions. 51% consume snacks “for enjoyment” and 41% “to share.” Functional snacks, ready-made meals, and individual portions respond to a lifestyle that values the balance between convenience, enjoyment, and emotional connection.
Consumers are looking for foods that accompany them throughout the day: energizing products for workouts, indulgent options for relaxation, or shareable products for reconnecting.
At Grupo Saporiti, we design products that not only nourish but also create experiences: snacks that accompany daily activities, beverages that help people relax, and baked goods that bring people together. We co-create proposals adapted to the different rhythms of the day, connecting functionality and enjoyment.
7. Real flavor, fair price
In a challenging economic environment, consumers prioritize real value without sacrificing quality. They prefer honest, approachable, and consistent brands that offer authentic flavor, simplicity, and trust.
49% believe that private-label brands offer good value for money, and 41% consider them to be high quality. As a result, private-label brands are growing in response to the “new affordable luxury.” “Simple, honest, and familiar” foods are once again becoming synonymous with trust.
8. A balanced mind
Mental well-being is becoming another central pillar of overall well-being. Stress, anxiety, and energy are being addressed through foods and beverages with natural ingredients that provide calm, clarity, and vitality.
Three out of five young people say they are very concerned about their mental health. Consumers are currently looking for foods and beverages that help reduce stress, increase energy, or improve concentration and calm.
At Grupo Saporiti, we understand that mental well-being has become a new territory where functionality and emotion come together. We support the food and beverage industry in the challenge of translating this balance into real products and into consumers’ everyday well-being.
We develop formulations that integrate adaptogens, magnesium, omega-3, and B vitamins, designed to reconnect body and mind and generate tangible feelings of calm, clarity, and positive energy, so that people can feel healthy while also feeling comforted and emotionally balanced.
9. Cultivating tradition
In times of change, consumers seek to reconnect with what is authentic: the flavors of childhood, traditional recipes, and emotional memories.
37% of consumers associate traditional foods with happiness and comfort, and 35% with family connection. Traditional recipes, local ingredients, and exploring different cultures through food create fertile ground for innovation.
10. Conscious choices
Sustainability is moving beyond discourse to become visible action, as consumers demand commitments they can see and feel. They expect transparency, traceability, and genuine commitment to the environment and communities.
Brands that demonstrate impact—support for local producers, environmental protection, sustainable packaging, waste reduction, improvements in quality or flavor linked to ethical practices—are the ones that earn trust.
Two out of five consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, provided that the commitment is tangible. Sustainability is no longer a differentiator: it is a requirement for building trust and a sense of belonging.
At Grupo Saporiti, we work to make sustainability a real part of innovation. We integrate responsibly sourced ingredients, promote more efficient formulations, and collaborate with our customers to develop products that protect the environment without compromising flavor, color, or functionality. We are convinced that every innovation can—and should—generate a positive impact on people, brands, and the planet.
An industry guided by purpose
The 2026 trends reveal a consumer who is looking for products that genuinely make them feel good: physically, mentally, and emotionally.
In a context where well-being and pleasure coexist, innovation must unite science with emotion, technology with humanity, and brands with people. The industry faces the major challenge of being guided by purpose, creating products that balance health and enjoyment, knowledge and sensitivity.
At Grupo Saporiti, we translate global trends into concrete solutions that integrate flavor, color, functionality, and nutrition. We support our customers in building the future of food, convinced that true innovation happens when science, creativity, and people work in synergy.
Let’s talk about your next project and how to bring your ideas to the consumer’s table.
Together, let’s transform trends into real opportunities.
