Drinktec 2025 preview: Functional formulations, naturality and foodservice shifts

Next week, Drinktec 2025 will launch in Munich, Germany, hosting over 5,000 visitors and 1,000 F&B exhibitors who will showcase the latest developments in the beverage space. Ahead of the show, we look at some of the key trends that will feature.

Jochen Kistner, director, category marketing, Beverage, EMEA at ADM, tells Food Ingredients First the show will be an opportunity to present -in-demand solutions to a rapidly growing market. He explains that the beverage market is growing due to increased demand for functional products. 

“This urge to support vitality today and tomorrow has created an expectation from consumers that their functional beverage purchases — no matter the format — will support their overall holistic lifestyles, as a baseline. This impacts new product development for functional beverages, blurring lines between beverage categories,” he says.

“At Drinktec, we will showcase how the beverage landscape is evolving to address both short- and long-term goals, from calming down and recovery to hydration, weight management, energy, mental acuity, and gut health.”

Kistner says the functional beverage market expansion is, in part, being fueled by a broader cultural shift toward well-being as a lifestyle, especially as healthy ageing becomes increasingly important in societies with high numbers of senior citizens. 

Concurrently, many consumers also lead busy lives, and beverages provide a convenient way for consumers to incorporate nutritional solutions into their daily routines. From functional drinks like energy and hydration beverages, to powdered options.

According to data indicated by Innova Market Insights, the Soft Drink and Hot Drink categories with functional health claims grew by 8% from 2020 to 2024, with coffee leading innovation. Functional coffee launches surged 29%, while iced coffee rose 21%, driven by consumer demand for more than just a caffeine boost. 

Wellness goals, gut health and turnkey beverage systems

Kistner says ADM uses its global team of formulation experts to tailor solutions to different markets. 

“Our beverage systems pull from our vast ingredient portfolio spanning health and wellness solutions, plant-based ingredients, sweeteners, flavors, and colors derived from natural sources, enabling beverage systems that are turnkey for our customers to use in new product developments.”

“Our team can specifically pinpoint the best ingredients and solutions to reach tailored wellness targets, including weight management, satiety, digestive and gut health, muscle strength, cognitive support, skin health, mood, and more.”

Jochen Kistner, director, category marketing, Beverage, EMEA at ADM.ADM is also showcasing its biotics suite, including its Fibersol product, a prebiotic dietary fiber created in collaboration with Matsutani.

“Clinical research demonstrates that consuming 10 g of Fibersol with a meal may increase the appetite-regulating hormone GLP-1 as part of a normal physiological response in healthy adults, supporting satiety during weight management journeys,” Kistner shares.

“For formulation ease, Fibersol is also heat- and pH-stable, has outstanding solubility, low viscosity, and is tasteless and odorless. Further, Fibersol also works alongside our sweetening solutions, supporting sugar reduction targets by building back product integrity through structural and binding qualities that can be compromised when sugar is reduced.”

Color formulation shifts

Food colors and dyes have been heavily in the spotlight this year as legislative crackdowns in the US are taking effect. Pressure against synthetic formulations (including some outright bans) is creating space for natural alternatives. 

“Through our ever-growing Colors from Nature portfolio, we provide beverage brands with quality, highly stable colors. As some of the trickiest applications, beverages present formulation challenges like pH and high heat, which can affect the stability of colors. However, our patented emulsion system, which taps into our color expertise and the latest technology, is critical to creating heat-, light- and acid-stable colors,” Kistner says. 

“From providing naturally derived alternatives to red #3 (Erythrosine) and filling industry gaps for whitening, opacity, and cloud capabilities, as well as caramel-free browns, we’re displaying a kaleidoscope of colors derived from natural sources that help beverages shine.”

Flavors will also feature heavily at the show, and ADM will showcase its taste modulation technology, TasteSpark. This technology is designed to enhance and rebalance taste in food and beverage products, especially those with reduced sugar, salt, or fat.

Citrus flavors will also be spotlighted, which Kistner says provide an “incredible versatility” for consumers looking for recognizable and new tastes. 

“From Valencia orange and pomelo to mandarin and tangelo, we’re demonstrating how our authentic citrus profiles derived from natural sources can help mask off-notes in functional waters, energy drinks, and more, while also tantalizing consumers’ taste buds.”

“The popularity of citrus is not anticipated to slow down anytime soon, with market research finding over 70% of global beverage introductions have citrus flavor profiles.”

“From vanilla, caramel, and roasted hazelnut flavor syrups for coffee to mango and dark chocolate sauces for frappes, we’re specifically showcasing the ways in-demand food service beverages can be elevated and capture consumers’ attention through exceptional sensory experiences.”

Foodservice solutions

ADM booths will feature an interactive foodservice café station, which will spotlight the solutions developed in conjunction with FDL, a UK-based company that it acquired in 2023.

“This acquisition has reinforced our global flavor and full solutions capacity with proprietary flavor formulations and flavor syrups for the beverage landscape, including in foodservice, Kistner says. 

Divya Mohan, ADM’s director for creation, design, and development for global health and wellness, will also speak at the show about integrating consumer needs and trends with ingredient science and bridging feasibility with creativity during beverage development. 

The discussion will reflect how the company brings together colors, flavors, sweeteners, and health and wellness ingredients to build functional beverages uniquely tailored to consumer lifestyles.