1

Protein First

• Protein’s increasing popularity was hard to miss, as it continues to be prominently featured across a wide variety of categories, including beverages, breakfast, snacks, shelf staples and confectionary. Brands are responding to growing demand, as consumers cited “a good source of protein” as the top criteria to define a healthy food choice in 2025. ⁽¹⁾
• While protein has been on the rise the last few years, brand positioning and messaging continues to evolve, with more emphasis on sustained energy, metabolic balance and satiety. Noticeably, animal-based foods and dairy products have gained significant momentum, reflecting growing demand for naturally protein-dense and nutrient-rich options. These themes are increasingly important given the prevalence of GLP-1 usage and shifting consumption behaviors.

2

Functional Is Mainstream

• Functional benefits—including digestive health, cognitive function, hydration, skin support and hair health—are no longer limited to specialty products or supplements but are now features of brands in many high-consumption and staple categories. Notably, fiber has emerged as a top priority for consumers, with nearly two-thirds reporting they are increasing fiber intake. ⁽²⁾ Brands are actively marketing fiber content, reinforcing fiber’s emergence alongside protein as a core functional attribute.
• What is remarkable is not the novelty of functional claims but the normalization of functional-benefit positioning. Brands are marketing dairy products with metabolic support as routine refreshments; beverages are emphasizing focus, mood and cognitive performance; snacks with high fiber content provide guilt-free indulgences; mushroom-enhanced coffees and fiber-forward sodas are logical evolutions of daily rituals.

3

Ingredients: Less Is More

• Consistent, identifiable themes across categories are short ingredient lists and whole-food ingredient positioning. “No gums,” “no seed oils,” “no artificial colors,” “no sugar” or “low sugar” and “only real ingredients” are increasingly front and center. Notably, beef tallow was commonly observed as part of ingredient label callouts given the shift away from seed oils.
• Consumers continue to rank minimal processing and limited artificial ingredients among top criteria for defining healthy foods, and positioning at Expo West reflected that awareness. Ingredient transparency is now part of effective product messaging, with legacy brands highlighting a reformulation toward fewer inputs as a key milestone rather than a reaction to regulatory changes (e.g., FDA’s food ban of Red No. 3).

4

Focused Innovation

• While it is common for emerging brands to branch out into nascent categories, many established operators appeared to have a more disciplined approach to innovation this year, prioritizing existing line extensions and product refinements over new product introductions in adjacent categories.
• A more disciplined innovation strategy reflects both shifting shopper behavior and an increasingly difficult retail environment. Consumers are focused on macronutrient goals, while retailers are intensifying their scrutiny of product velocities given strong competition for limited shelf space.