2025 Consumer & Tradeshow Trends Recap And What Brands Should Be Watching in 2026
As we look back on 2025, one thing is clear: innovation didn’t slow down, it got sharper.
Across major food, beverage, supplement, and ingredient tradeshows this year, the conversation shifted away from flashy novelty and toward proof, performance, and practicality. Brands weren’t just showing new ideas. They were showing products that work, scale, and make sense in the real world.
Below is our perspective on the key consumer and tradeshow trends that defined 2025and what we expect to shape product development in 2026.
2025: The Year of Validation
Functionality Took Center Stage
Consumers want to know exactly what a product does—and why it works.
Vague wellness positioning continued to lose ground in 2025. Instead, we saw strong momentum behind products with:
- Clearly defined functional benefits (sleep, stress, focus, digestion, metabolic health)
- Thoughtful ingredient selection and dosing
- Simpler formulas built with intention
Products trying to do “everything” struggled to stand out. The most compelling launches focused on doing one or two things well and backing that up with formulation choices that supported efficacy, taste, and stability.
What it means: Function-forward products are no longer optional. Clarity and credibility matter more than ever.
“Better-for-You” Grew Up
From removing ingredients to adding real nutritional value
In 2025, consumers expected more than just “free-from” claims. Clean label evolved into something more sophisticated: nutritional purpose.
We saw brands successfully:
- Pair reduced sugar with fiber, protein, or functional carbs
- Move toward cleaner sweetener systems without sacrificing taste
- Reformulate with cost, supply chain, and regulatory considerations in mind
This shift was especially visible in snacks, bars, RTDs, and family-focused products.
What it means: “Better-for-you” now means thoughtfully designed, not just simplified.
Formats Had to Earn Their Place
Convenience still wins—but only when it works
New formats continued to emerge, but only those solving real consumer problems gained traction.
Strong performers included:
- RTDs delivering meaningful nutrition without texture or flavor issues
- Powdered formats optimized for solubility and repeat use
- Gummies and chews with more disciplined formulation strategies
Formats that looked exciting on shelf but created challenges in use, stability, or scale lost momentum quickly.
What it means: The best formats balance functionality, experience, and manufacturability.
Commercial Readiness Became a Priority Earlier
Scale was no longer an afterthought
A noticeable shift in 2025 was when brands started asking hard questions.
Instead of waiting until late-stage development, more teams were asking upfront:
- Can this scale?
- Is the ingredient supply reliable?
- Will this process hold up at pilot and commercial volumes?
- What does the packaging and shelf life look like long-term?
This mindset showed up across both emerging brands and established ingredient companies.
What it means: Products designed with scale in mind move faster—and fail less often.
Regulatory Awareness Increased
Proactive, not reactive
Rather than reacting to regulatory pressure after launch, brands in 2025 began designing products with future scrutiny in mind.
This included:
- Reformulating ahead of ingredient or labeling concerns
- Asking compliance-related questions earlier in development
- Prioritizing long-term viability over short-term speed to market
What it means: Regulatory strategy is becoming part of smart product design, not a separate step.
Looking Ahead: What to Expect in 2026
If 2025 was about validation, 2026 will be about refinement and differentiation.
Here’s what we expect to see next:
More Targeted Nutrition
Precision nutrition will continue moving into the mainstream, with products designed around specific need states, life stages, and usage occasions without becoming overly niche.
Smarter Reformulation
Brands will go beyond removing ingredients and focus on rebuilding systems for taste, cost control, stability, and performance.
Fewer Launches, Better Execution
Expect fewer SKUs, but stronger ones. Brands are prioritizing launches that are intentional, scalable, and commercially viable from day one.
Transparency as a Trust Signal
Consumers will continue to reward brands that clearly explain not just what is in a product, but why it’s there and how it works.
Earlier Integration Between R&D and Commercial Teams
The gap between concept and shelf will keep shrinking, favoring teams that collaborate early across formulation, process, and manufacturing.
The Big Picture
Innovation isn’t slowing down—it’s getting more focused.
The brands best positioned for 2026 are those that:
- Design products with feasibility and scale in mind from the start
- Balance consumer excitement with technical reality
- Treat formulation, process, and commercialization as one connected system
As consumer expectations rise, the bar for execution rises with them. The opportunity is still huge, but the margin for error is smaller than ever.
How We Can Help
As product development becomes more complex and consumer expectations continue to rise, having the right technical and commercial support early in the process can make all the difference.
Eurofins Product Development & Innovation partners with brands and ingredient companies to bring ideas from concept to market with confidence. Our team of food scientists and product developers supports everything from early-stage feasibility and formulation to pilot trials, scale-up, and commercialization. We focus on building products that are not only innovative, but also manufacturable, scalable, and aligned with long-term business goals.
Whether you’re launching something new, reformulating an existing product, or pressure-testing an idea before investing further, we help teams make informed decisions and move forward efficiently.
Start the Conversation
Have additional questions? Ready to get started? We can help.
Meet the Author
Rachel Taylor | Director of Commercial Strategy, Eurofins Product Development & Innovation
Rachel Taylor is the Director of Commercial Strategy at Eurofins Product Development & Innovation, formerly known as The National Food Lab. She works closely with brands, ingredient companies, and startups to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization, helping teams move products from early concept through scale-up and market launch.
With a background in food and beverage product development and a focus on go-to-market strategy, Rachel partners with technical and commercial teams to evaluate feasibility, formulation strategy, manufacturing pathways, and long-term product viability. Her work spans a wide range of categories, including beverages, snacks, functional foods, and dietary supplements.
Rachel regularly attends and walks major industry tradeshows and conferences, where she connects emerging consumer trends with real-world formulation, process, and scale considerations. She brings a practical, execution-focused perspective to product development, grounded in what works on the bench, in pilot plants, and at commercial scale.
