The Food Industry Trends To Watch In 2026

As 2026 begins, the food and beverage industry is feeling the pressure. Consumers are more informed and more sceptical, and they’re far less willing to take claims at face value. They read labels closely, ask where ingredients come from and expect brands to explain not just what’s in their products, but why it’s there.

At the same time, the scale of the market leaves little room for hesitation. The global food and beverage industry is expected to reach over $12 billion by 2035, growing at a steady pace. That growth brings opportunity, but it also raises the bar. Competition is intense, retailer and food service expectations are higher, and margins are harder to protect.

Many of the food industry trends shaping 2026 won’t come as a surprise. Ultra-convenience is here to stay. Familiar ideas around health, sustainability and transparency are returning, but in more demanding forms. What’s changed is the pace. Advances in biotechnology, Industry 5.0 and artificial intelligence (AI) are moving quickly, reshaping supply chains and changing how products are formulated, produced and brought to market.

This year, growth will depend on anticipating where expectations are heading and having the operational foundations in place to respond. To help you prepare, we’ve separated the most important trends into two clear areas:

• Shifts in consumer and market demand

• The operational and technology changes needed to meet them

Get these right and you’ll be better placed to deliver healthier products, meet sustainability requirements and provide the clear, trustworthy information today’s global market expects. All while streamlining your operations and increasing profitability.

Market and Consumer Trends

Consumer food and beverage trends are increasingly shaped by more conscious choices. Shoppers are looking for value, ethics and specific health benefits, not just calories. At the same time, regulation is making those expectations more immediate. In many markets, front-of-pack labelling and tighter rules around products with high fat, sugar, salt and/or additives are pushing brands to rethink formulations faster, not later.

What used to be separate conversations about health, sustainability and convenience are now coming together, raising expectations across the board. The following sections look at the main market drivers—from functional wellness to AI-driven personalisation—that are shaping what consumers expect from food businesses in 2026.

Health and Wellness: The “Functional Plus” Era

Consumers are no longer satisfied with vague “better-for-you” claims. Health and wellness are about clear benefits; cleaner formulations and transparency people can actually check. Products that support daily energy, digestion, focus or long-term health need to show how they deliver those benefits, not just say they do.

• The Mind–Body Ecosystem: This food industry trend is driving more interest in products that support both physical and mental wellbeing. You can see it in categories like functional drinks that use caffeine alternatives such as matcha and L-theanine, or snacks designed to support gut health with pre- and probiotics. At the same time, smaller portions and more intentional eating are increasing demand for compact, protein-rich, nutrient-dense options that deliver real nourishment without excess—whether eaten at home or chosen on the go in cafés, convenience settings or food service venues. More broadly, the focus is moving toward hydration, sleep support and nutrient-dense options that help people feel better day to day.

• Plant-Based 3.0, the Reset: Now that early momentum for meat substitutes has levelled off, plant-based brands are taking a step back and rethinking what consumers actually want. Innovation is shifting beyond first-generation meat analogues toward whole-food ingredients, fermented proteins and better nutritional profiles that stand on their own. AI-powered reformulation tools are helping teams test flavour, texture and nutritional changes more quickly, cutting down on repeated physical trials while improving taste and consistency.

• Nutritional Transparency and Reformulation: Front-of-pack labelling, QR codes and stricter retailer standards are making transparency more prominent than ever. As a result, reformulation is no longer a long-term goal but an active decision point. To balance cleaner labels and regulatory compliance with taste, cost and speed to market, your food and beverage business needs accurate, end-to-end traceability data—only possible with connected, digital systems.

Sustainability: From “Nice to Have” to “License to Operate”

Sustainability is no longer the differentiator for only a handful of brands. It increasingly determines whether any food and beverage business remains compliant, earns retailer support and maintains trust. In that sense, sustainability has become a license to operate. It’s a baseline expectation for doing business, not an added extra.

• Conscious Packaging: Tighter regulations and retailer requirements are pushing manufacturers toward more circular packaging. That means thinking about packaging end-to-end—from material choices and weight reduction to reuse and take-back schemes. In practice, teams need systems that help them track packaging decisions and full product lifecycles, not just set high-level targets.

• Responsible Sourcing and Sustainable Farming: As expectations around sourcing and agriculture practices continue to rise, it’s no longer enough to say ingredients are responsibly sourced. You must pursue choices that reduce carbon footprint, prioritise local sourcing, safeguard soil health and promote biodiversity. What’s more, digital traceability and transparent supplier data are becoming essential to support these claims.

• Economic Sustainability and Waste Reduction: Sustainability initiatives can also be driven less by regulation and more by economics, particularly in the U.S. Manufacturers and distributors are recognising that reducing waste across processing, storage and logistics directly protects margins by lowering costs tied to shrinkage, spoilage and damage. In practice, that makes waste reduction a farm-to-fork strategy that delivers both environmental and financial returns.

Convenience and Personalisation: The “Me Economy”

Convenience no longer simply means “fast,” it covers food and drinks that fit individual routines, preferences and needs. The “Me Economy” reflects a shift toward products designed around specific lifestyles—and even individual personalisation—rather than mass appeal.

• Next-Gen Convenience: Demand is growing for ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat meals that deliver quality as well as speed, helping both consumers and food service operators simplify preparation while maintaining consistency. Techniques like sous-vide and flash-freezing help preserve flavour and nutrients, allowing you to offer convenience without compromising on nutrition.

• Hyper-Personalisation and “Made for Moments”: Personalisation is becoming more targeted. Take subscription models for example, they’re evolving into curated offerings built around specific preferences, such as low-glycaemic diets and post-exercise recovery. Meanwhile, menu variations designed for specific dayparts, locations or customer segments are increasingly common in food service environments. This food industry trend rewards organisations that can adapt quickly and manage more complex product variation without increasing operational costs.

• Customisable and Co-Created Products: Build-your-own formats, limited editions and mix-and-match options give consumers more control and allow them to shape experiences with your products. When done well, co-creation encourages repeat purchases, builds loyalty and supports growth in direct-to-consumer channels. But to achieve it, your business will require the right tools to allow for efficient and profitable agility.

Serving Up Novel Experiences Through New Channels

How people discover, evaluate and buy food is increasingly digital and social. Customers now expect their shopping and dining experiences to be interactive and engaging. That’s how brands establish the trust, relevance and community influence necessary to claim a growing part of the average consumer’s spending.

• D2C, Marketplaces and Social Commerce: Direct-to-consumer and social commerce continue to merge. Platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram shorten the path from discovery to purchase, especially for younger shoppers. But trust still drives decisions, with creators, comments and real conversations shaping what people buy.

• AI-Powered Discovery and Recommendations: AI increasingly determines which products, stores and restaurants consumers see across search, retail media and loyalty programmes. And these recommendations rely on accurate, up-to-date data. When data falls short, your products or brand is less likely to surface at the moment of choice.

• Experiential and Multi-Sensory Touchpoints: Brands are experimenting with interactive digital experiences, from virtual sampling to experience-led launches. There’s also growing interest in in-game placements, where products appear naturally as part of culture rather than traditional advertising.

Operational and Technology Trends

Digital transformation has matured. This year's top food technology trends are not about simply replacing manual processes with digital tools. Instead, the focus has shifted to integration and intelligence that fundamentally changes how your operations run—boosting efficiency and profitability in one go.

From food-specific AI that understands food safety through people-first automation on the factory floor to supply chain tools that modernise outdated distribution patterns, these technology shifts are where competitive advantage now stems from.

The AI Revolution: Vertical AI Takes Centre Stage

It’s no secret that AI is now a pivotal food industry trend, moving from a nice-to-have to a core part of how modern food operations run. AI is not a craze or fad—2026 will see it become a central tool in industry leaders, facilitating efficient innovation, smarter decision-making, enhanced automations, simpler compliance and sustainable production.

• Generic AI vs. Industry-Specific AI: One defining trend in the food and beverage industry this year is the rise of vertical AI. Generic AI often struggles with the realities of food production: seasonal ingredient changes, variable weights, allergens and shelf-life rules. Instead, vertical AI tools are built for food and beverage businesses and integrate directly with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other food-specific software. With industry expertise baked in, you can reap the AI benefits of efficiency and productivity without losing any peace of mind over expiration dates, compliance requirements and formulation constraints.

• Cloud as the Enabler: Cloud software has regularly graced food industry trends lists over the years but given that advanced AI is hard to scale without a strong cloud foundation, it’s more important now than ever. If you’ve not already moved on from on-premises systems, now is definitely the time. AI-integrated software systems deployed in the cloud easily connect data across your business, so insights don’t sit in silos. When everything is connected, your teams can access forecasts, agentic agents and AI recommendations in real time—whether they’re on the factory floor or working remotely.

• The Organisation-Wide Benefits of AI: The rapid development of AI tools and democratisation of data with them, means that the power of AI is now accessible to every team member in your business. When it comes to inventory, AI improves demand forecasting and helps reduce spoilage and excess stock. On the factory floor, it flags issues early, helping teams avoid downtime and wasted batches. And, by handling repetitive tasks across your organisation, AI reduces errors and frees up time, while also helping teams spot demand gaps sooner so they can test smarter and launch faster.

Industry 5.0: Human–Machine Collaboration

The next phase of industrial change isn’t about fully automated factories. Industry 5.0 is more about helping people do their jobs better. It brings together the accuracy of machines with human judgment, creativity and problem solving, so your operations can stay flexible when things don’t go as planned.

• Smart Manufacturing and Robotics: Production lines are becoming smarter through Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and robotics or digital twins. This is most definitely not a new trend in the food industry but will gain more momentum this year as AI and greater accessibility increase momentum. You can use these technologies to take on repetitive or physically demanding tasks, improving efficiency and accuracy while freeing teams to focus on high-value tasks.

• Predictive Maintenance and Asset Performance: With costs under pressure, waiting for equipment to fail isn’t an option. Most food manufacturers are trending away from reactive maintenance and toward predictive (or prescriptive) approaches. Using enterprise asset management (EAM) systems, real-time sensors and AI-powered analytics, your teams can spot small issues early and plan maintenance during scheduled downtime—avoiding unplanned shutdowns, wasted batches and costly emergency repairs.

• Closing the Skills Gap: As your operations become more digital, your teams have access to more resources than ever. Tools like augmented reality glasses and AI assistants can provide real-time, on-the-job guidance, walking new staff through complex processes or allowing existing employees to expand their skills. This empowers teams to bridge skills gaps and reduces staffed training requirements—helping teams get up to speed faster, improve productivity and boost employee satisfaction.

Regulatory Compliance: The Data-Driven Mandate

Compliance isn’t something your food and beverage business deals with occasionally. It’s always on. Enforcement agencies expect real-time, data-backed proof of safety, ethics and accountability—and requirements are only growing. For your food business, that means moving toward integrated systems that provide a single, reliable record for every batch produced.

• Next-Level Traceability: True farm-to-fork traceability is essential, particularly as the FSMA Food Traceability Final Rule in the U.S. moves toward its 2028 deadline. While that date may seem distant, major retailers like Kroger are already requiring suppliers to align with these standards well ahead of schedule. At the same time, new digital record-keeping requirements are coming into effect in the UK and EU. Regardless of where your company operates, implementing a food ERP system with built-in traceability features allows you to track ingredients through your supply chain in seconds—so when a recall or audit happens, you have the precise data you need to meet regulatory requirements, protect public health and safeguard brand trust.

• ESG and Sustainability Reporting: As regulators take a harder line on greenwashing, spreadsheets won’t be enough. In 2026, your sustainability claims must be backed by verifiable data—particularly as regulations like deforestation rules and recycling mandates reshape supply chains in more progressive jurisdictions such as the European Union. Food-specific software makes it easier to collect and manage information on emissions, water use and waste, while also supporting sourcing verification and ongoing compliance. When this data lives inside a connected system, you can support your claims with verifiable numbers that regulators, retailers, consumers and investors trust.

• AI and Data Governance: As AI becomes more embedded in your day-to-day operations, transparency matters. Improving yields or efficiency alone isn’t enough—your food business also needs ethical, explainable and well-governed AI policies and governance (particularly when it comes to data security, decision-making and bias control). In addition to creating clear internal policies, using vertical AI platforms—like Aptean AppCentral, which is designed and supported by in-depth knowledge of your market—can help you secure industry-specific intelligence and stay aligned with governance and regulatory expectations as they evolve this year.

Supply Chain Visibility and Agility

Supply chains are operating under consistent threat of disruption. Climate-related events, such as the recent drop in palm oil output, are colliding with geopolitical tension; trade and tariff uncertainties; and ongoing labour shortages. Rigid, cost-only models don’t hold up in that environment. To thrive in 2026, your food and beverage business needs supply chains processes that can adapt quickly without coming undone.

• Real-Time, End-to-End Visibility: Tracking shipments in real time has become essential, and the latest AI-enhancements are making it easier to implement in 2026 than ever. When ERP, warehouse management systems (WMS) and transport management systems (TMS) are connected through an integrated AI platform, your teams get a clear view of what’s happening across your supply chain. That lets them spot delays that could affect stock levels or customer deliveries—including time-sensitive food service routes—and take proactive action, rather than reacting once issues escalate.

• AI-Enabled Forecasting and Scenario Modelling: Resilience also depends on planning for the unexpected. AI-driven demand forecasting allows teams to better predict inventory needs, while digital twins make it possible to test manufacturing agility before problems hit. And when it comes to distribution, AI-enhanced routing systems provide strategic planning capabilities to model what-if scenarios. This all helps you make smarter, more agile decisions like where to hold safety stock, when to switch suppliers or how to rebalance production without scrambling at the last minute.

• Built-In Agility: Agility is what keeps operations moving when conditions change. Connected platforms with built-in AI, such as Aptean AppCentral, make it easier to adjust suppliers, update recipes or reroute shipments as disruptions occur. That flexibility will help your businesses respond to any disruptions in 2026—from geopolitical issues to sudden shifts in retailer demand—without losing control of compliance or delivery commitments.

Looking Ahead: How Food and Beverage Businesses Can Prepare

The 2026 outlook brings health-focused innovation, sustainability, transparency, supply chain volatility and AI-driven operational agility closer together than ever. Success depends on connecting changing consumer expectations with how products are sourced, made and delivered. That requires systems that provide real-time insight and smart automation across compliance, sourcing, production and distribution.

To make this a reality without miring your teams with complex projects and lengthy integrations, your food and beverage business needs a technology partner that understands how the industry really works and provides out-of-the-box solutions. One that knows the pressure points, from production planning through to distribution. Aptean works with food processers, manufacturers and distributors worldwide, helping them respond to market shifts without losing control of their operations.

Our latest innovation, Aptean AppCentral, brings together our proven food-specific applications—including our award-winning food ERP, tailored product lifecycle management (PLM), overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), EAM and advanced suite of transport solutions—with powerful AI capabilities on one connected platform. Powered by Aptean Intelligence, it provides teams with industry-specific AI agents, predictive insights and more, helping you operationalise AI, automate workflows, reduce system sprawl and eliminate data silos. In short, delivering the agility, visibility and hands-on assistance you need to conquer 2026’s food and beverage industry trends.

Explore our free, online food and beverage ERP product tour or request a personalised demo to get insights from our expert team.