How food brands can capitalize on the hottest consumer trends

This digital ledger allows brands to track supply chains from raw materials to final delivery, enhancing traceability, reducing fraud, and building trust, internally and externally. Sharing these efforts through marketing campaigns or by telling the stories of farmers and suppliers humanizes the brand and creates an emotional connection with consumers.

Certification labels like Fairtrade, Red Tractor, or Eco-Leaf offer instant reassurance about a product’s ethical and environmental credentials.

However, for labels to be truly effective, they must be clear, recognizable, and trusted. Studies show that while eco-labels increase consumer awareness, confusion about their meaning can hinder decision-making.

Sunset Glaze is the ultimate egg wash alternative, offering a brilliant shine and appealing color to your sweet and savory baked goods without the use of animal products. It’s completely allergen-free, making it safe and inclusive for customers with dietary restrictions. Whether you’re glazing croissants or breads, it ensures your creations look fresh and indulgent while simplifying production with its easy-to-clean formula.

For producers seeking the perfect butter alternative, Mimetic is the answer. This premium plant-based specialty fat is ideal for laminated pastries and other high-quality baked goods, delivering flawless results every time. It has excellent plasticity, ensuring consistent lamination and a buttery mouthfeel. Beyond performance, it’s a sustainable choice, with a significantly lower environmental footprint compared to traditional butter. Available in an additive-free formulation, it also supports clean-label claims.

When it comes to whippable toppings, Ambiante is a game-changer for plant-based bakes. This product whips to four times its original volume, so it’s very cost-effective. With its ability to hold stability even in warm conditions, Ambiante is ideal for fine cake decorations, layered desserts, and celebration cakes. Its vegan-friendly formula allows you to cater to a broader customer base, and it’s easily customizable with colors and flavors.

Lastly, Splendid redefines icing with a plant-based formula that thrives in all climates. Its heat stability, even in temperatures up to 30ºC (86°F), makes it an ideal choice for ambient cakes and desserts that require long-lasting decorations. Splendid whips up to 3.5 times its original volume, offering an impressive yield while maintaining a smooth, creamy texture. Its rich butterscotch flavor adds a decadent touch to any creation, making it the perfect icing for both taste and aesthetics. 

While vegans lead the charge, it’s non-vegans, particularly flexitarians, who are significantly driving the plant-based market. This group is drawn to the lifestyle for health benefits, environmental impact, and animal welfare. A notable 79% of young Belgians are willing to go without meat or fish multiple times a week, mirroring similar trends across Europe. This broader acceptance opens the door for bakers to attract diverse customer bases, including those with dietary restrictions like lactose or egg intolerance.

High quality vegan products can expect premium prices, making them not only a sustainable choice but also a profitable one. Retail shelf space for plant-based options increased by over 13% in 2022, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. 

Programmable machines for mixing, shaping, or decorating baked goods boost consistency, while real-time analytics from tools like Festo AX detect machine issues before they disrupt output.

Food safety also gets a boost with solutions like Sensip and BlakBear, which track temperature and humidity to prevent spoilage. AI-driven ingredient innovation is also expanding options for healthier and more sustainable products, as seen with Shiru’s plant-based OleoPro.

In stores, biometric tech like Amazon One caters to shoppers seeking faster, more automated experiences. Certainly an innovative solution to be inspired by.

Consumers are embracing baked goods like muffins made with alternative flours, high-protein recipes, and fiber-enriched products that provide indulgence without guilt. These items often serve as meal substitutes, offering essential nutrients in a convenient format. Brands like Huel are setting benchmarks with sweet treats boasting over 165 health benefits, including improved energy metabolism, immune support, and digestive health.

Chocolate is evolving into a functional, health-enhancing indulgence. Incorporating power ingredients like turmeric (anti-inflammatory), mushrooms such as reishi and lion’s mane (cognitive function), and spirulina (energy enhancement) adds a new dimension to cocoa-based treats. Additionally, enriching chocolate with botanical elements, nuts, seeds, and adaptogens taps into the growing trend of benefit-stacking.

Consumers increasingly recognize the importance of gut health in overall wellness, with 63% associating digestive health with improved well-being.

Sourdough, with its naturally occurring probiotics, is an ideal base for gut-health-focused products. Food producers are encouraged to move beyond traditional bread to create sourdough-inspired pastries, crackers, and even pizza bases that deliver digestive benefits. Highlighting the probiotic content of such items can attract health-conscious buyers, particularly women, who are often the primary decision-makers for household dietary choices.

Use clear, benefit-focused labels and marketing to educate consumers on how your products support digestive health. Statements like “supports gut health with natural probiotics” or “rich in prebiotic fiber for digestive wellness” resonate strongly.

Interest in exotic and unusual combinations has grown significantly, with 66% of consumers expressing a desire to try flavors from other parts of the world, and 65% seeking out unique pairings like sweet and spicy (swicy).

Flavors like matcha and yuzu have become staples of fusion innovation. Matcha, with its earthy and slightly bitter notes, pairs beautifully with sweet pastries, while yuzu adds a bright, citrusy tang that elevates traditional recipes.

Swicy creations, such as chili-infused chocolate tarts or spiced caramel eclairs, cater to adventurous palates, while chewy textures inspired by global treats like mochi or sticky rice-based desserts add another layer of intrigue.