Barb Stuckey

Barb Stuckey is President & Chief Innovation Officer at Mattson, a food and beverage innovation, design, and development firm located in Silicon Valley. She is also the author of Taste: Surprising Stories & Science About Why Food Tastes Good. Have creative, concept, brand, or product innovation needs? Email Contact@MattsonCo.com.

WHAT’S NEXT IN 2026

Five Forces Shaping 2026 Food & Beverage Trends

Mattson previews the macro movements redefining consumer behavior, innovation and the evolving culture of food ahead of its January industry webinar

Barb Stuckey Emily Auerbach

November 25, 2025

From protein’s continued rise to the rebirth of vices, phone-free dining and the search for more human experiences, Mattson unpacks the forces reshaping how consumers eat, shop and connect. Prepared Foods gets an exclusive look at the five trends expected to influence product development in 2026.

Young woman eating sandwich and drinking soda while using laptop

PREDICTIONS 2025

Food—for Fun and Function

Mattson identifies four macro movements and “tipping trends” for 2025.

Barb Stuckey Emily Auerbach

November 26, 2024

Mattson identifies four macro movements and “tipping trends” for 2025.

2022 PREDICTIONS | SUPPLY CHAINS

Envisioning the Future Food Supply Chain

Mattson discusses food, ingredient supply chain issues

Barb Stuckey

January 4, 2022

Experiencing the world's worst supply chain crisis has us envisioning a future where more goods are produced in more places through more varied and geographically distributed systems.

2020 PREDICTIONS: FLAVOR & FOOD TRENDS

Mattson Eyes Four Trends Impacting Ingredients and Food & Beverage Innovation

Food Tastes Meet Food Tech

Barb Stuckey

December 17, 2019

This year we at Mattson decided to focus on technology given who and where we are. Here are four predictions for 2020 food and beverage trends.

10 Macro Trends Impacting Food & Beverage Innovation in 2019

Plant-based foods, less-sweet snacks and low-alcohol beverages make up part of the top trends, according to Mattson

Barb Stuckey

January 9, 2019

We call them Macro Trends, and we’re thinking about them in the short term, and considering how they will impact things in the long term. Here are our picks for 2019.

ON DEMAND: Whether you're in R&D, formulation, or innovation, this session will provide enzyme-driven insights to improve your plant-based dairy portfolio.

ON DEMAND: Once targeted at athletes, active nutrition products with benefits like energy, focus, hydration, and protein are now winning over everyday consumers seeking support for their busy lifestyles.

Barb Stuckey

ARTICLES

Five Forces Shaping 2026 Food & Beverage Trends

Food—for Fun and Function

Envisioning the Future Food Supply Chain

Mattson Eyes Four Trends Impacting Ingredients and Food & Beverage Innovation

10 Macro Trends Impacting Food & Beverage Innovation in 2019

Unlock the Future of Food and Beverage Innovation

Are you a leader in research & development? Stay ahead of the curve with Prepared Foods, the premier source of information and insights for today's trend leaders and taste-makers in food and beverage manufacturing.