In re-discovering themselves, consumers will gravitate to the familiar and simple for comfort, as they navigate economic realities, environmental hardships and an ongoing pursuit of personal wellness, according to ADM. But that does not mean they won’t want to cut loose occasionally. Rather, ADM predicts, they will still seek unexpected pairings and sensations that are “playful” and offer new experiences that bring “personal joy.”
To explain how this subtle but distinct shift will influence consumers’ shopping habits and by extension innovation in the new year, ADM global product marketing senior director of flavors Jennifer Zhou and ADM senior global marketing manager of colors & savory flavors Kelly Newsome join this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts podcast. They share four high level flavor and color trends they predict will emerge in 2025, including Revisit & Re-invent, Adaptive Eating, Euphoric Wellness and Made For [You].
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‘Consumers will find themselves facing a new frontier of human civilization’
Each of these trends build on common themes confronting consumers in recent years – most notably the constant, rapid change thrust upon the world by the pandemic, geo-political tensions, rising environmental concerns and exponential advancement of technology.
According to ADM, these combine to create a “new frontier of human civilization,” which Newsome explains prompted ADM to declare 2025 a year to embrace the “new human nature.”
She explained that the one constant in recent years is fast and furious change – economically, politically, culturally and digitally – and emerging flavor and color trends in food reflect how consumers are reacting to those changes.
For example, Zhou adds, the anxiety and discomfort that comes with change and self-discovery will spur a desire for “basic” and “primal” flavors, colors and products that will help ground consumers, while also providing a bit of escapism.
Revisit & Re-invent: ‘The power of memory and longing for past human experiences’
This tug is illustrated in ADM’s first trend prediction for 2025 – “Revisit & Re-invent,” which is about “the power of memory and longing for past human experiences,” said Zhou.
ADM predicts reds will represent this trend – which Newsome acknowledges is notable because the color is undergoing its own process of “revisit and reinvent,” as consumers, legislators and regulators in the US seek to replace Red No. 3 and Red. No. 40.
“These really speak to the simplicity of the perfect red strawberry and the fulfillment of the anticipation of that experience,” she explained.
Adaptive Eating: Incorporating technology to overcome hardships, achieve goals
ADM’s second trend prediction for 2025 is Adaptive Eating, which it describes as consumers’ response to “economic or environmental hardships” and personal wellness goals. This includes factors such as affordability, satiety and uncompromising taste expectations for healthy products.
Newsome explains this trend also includes how consumers engage with technology to support their nutrition and health goals, such as having an app that tracks their calories or generates a grocery shopping list.
“This really speaks to what do consumers need right now? We need affordability. … We need satiety” and we need help aligning nutrition or diet goals with those qualities, Newsome said.
An example might be a better-for-you macaroni and cheese that feels creamy and indulgent but also has more protein or lower saturated fat, she said.
Newsome adds this trend will be represented by orange hues like golden maize, ripe apricot and terracotta and flavors that are citrusy and creamy.
Euphoric Wellness: Flavors, colors to manage emotional, physical health
Euphoric Wellness is ADM’s third prediction trend for the upcoming year and it includes foods, flavors and colors associated with mood management and physical wellness.
Zhou explains flavors in this trend lean towards botanical, such as hops, grapefruit and bergamot as well as tropicals, while mood managing colors include shades of earthy green.
Made for [You]: ‘Unbridled experimentation,’ drive for ‘personal joy’ leads to unexpected pairings, personalization
ADM’s fourth prediction for 2025 – Made for [You] is a bit of an outlier from the others in that it deviates from the focus on comfort and navigating hardship to favor “unbridled experimentation” and “personal joy.”
Newsome said she expects this trend to play out through unexpected pairings such as highbrow and lowbrow combinations or the layering of sensation – such as cooling or heating mouthfeel – with colors and flavors.
Flavors in this trend include peppers, blueberry, lavender and mint. Colors include shades of blue.
As these trends open new doors for innovation in 2025, Zhou and Newsome stressed that the window on many existing trends are not closing. Rather, trends often have “long tails” and some have a permanent impact on society and culture – giving plenty of time for return on investment in product development.
