Articles by Lu Ann Williams

Today, sports nutrition products occupy shelf space across the retail landscape and capture the attention of not only serious sports enthusiasts but also casual active participants and regular consumers simply looking for a boost.

Products for women are particularly noticeable and not surprisingly, we see targeted women’s products first in supplements, followed a growing wave of related food and beverage offerings.

US consumers increasingly are aware of the importance of hydration to health and well-being. Demand is high for beverages with hydration claims, and this helps push the industry toward innovation. 

US consumers certainly lead the world in snacking! A solid majority of consumers we surveyed in the US say that they snack at least once a day and frequent snackers in the US far exceed the global average. 

The Innova Market Insights Top 10 Trends 2025 presents both new trends and trends that have evolved over several years, for example, plant-based, into a new set of exciting trends that will be highly relevant to CPG manufacturers in the months to come.

Parents care about health and wellness for their children, and their purchasing patterns drive innovation toward healthier children’s food and beverage products. We see growth in numerous categories in children’s products that are positioned as healthy and better-for-you, including dairy alternatives as well as new items in the sweet and savory bakery, and confectionery categories.  

More than half of all participants in a recent survey report actively reducing their sugar consumption. US consumers also try to limit or reduce purchases of high sugar ingredients. Interestingly, consumers are unwilling to give up indulgences and they also look for healthier versions of indulgent foods.

The expansion into prebiotic fiber ingredients had expanded fiber use from its traditional home within grain foods to a broader range of categories, including soft drinks and confectionery. Innova Market Insights actively monitors a broad range of trends—including global macro trends, lifestyle forces, consumer insights, ingredient trends, and new food and beverage product launches—that all show the impact of fiber use on various levels.

North America was the second top region for energy drinks launches during a recent one-year period, with Europe as the leading region. Approximately one-fifth of global energy drink launches are released in North America. However, price differences between North America and other regions lead to a larger and dominant North American share for energy drinks sales value.

Consumers tell us that they care a lot about the health of the planet and say that it’s today’s most important global issue. They also describe themselves as being at least moderately engaged in various environmental actions.