F&B trends 2027: How can brands turn nutrient density into new product opportunities?
Key takeaways
- Innova Market Insights’ 2027 F&B trends emphasize nutrient density, protein quality, and targeted health benefits.
- GNT highlights bold colors and surprising textures that combine functionality with enjoyment.
- Fermentation, regenerative sourcing, and AI-driven discovery are shaping product development and consumer choices.
Food and beverage innovation in 2027 will need to satisfy consumers who want more from each purchase: targeted nutrition, enjoyable experiences, and ingredients they trust. Innova Market Insights’ latest forecasts bring those demands together, with nutrient density leading its top ten trends.
But while manufacturers refine protein quality and develop products for metabolic health, bold colors and unexpected textures help familiar formats feel new.
“The modern world can be a challenging place, and consumers are increasingly looking to food and drink to provide a sense of escapism,” Dieuwertje Raaijmakers, marketing communications specialist at GNT Group, tells Food Ingredients First.
“Traditionally, that’s tended to mean pure indulgence, but we’re seeing a growing trend for products that tap into that need state with playful creativity, surprising textures, and bold colors.”
Making every serving count
- “Nutrient Density Design”
- “Precision Protein”
- “Sensory Playground”
- “Metabolic Edge”
- “Longevity Engineering”
- “Peace of Mind”
- “Ferment Forward”
- “From Soil to Shelf”
- “Radiance Rituals”
- “Prompt to Plate”
The global market researcher’s “Nutrient Density Design,” “Precision Protein,” and “Metabolic Edge” trends point toward more deliberate nutritional choices, spanning reformulation, protein selection, and steady energy. Its research finds that 59% of consumers globally read all or most nutritional information on packaging.
Nestlé’s GLP-1 strategy illustrates how smaller appetites are prompting development around nutritional value per serving. The company explores protein-rich and collagen-containing products to meet changing consumer needs.
Consumers want more deliberate nutritional choices, including high-protein delivery and steady energy.
Protein innovation is also broadening its ingredient base. At IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, US, suppliers showcased clear plant and yeast proteins for refreshing beverages, alongside collagen-whey blends that address nutritional, texture, and cost requirements.
For GNT, functionality increasingly needs to fit an appealing everyday product.
“We’re seeing much more innovation in the functional product space. Consumers are looking for food and drink with ingredients like protein, collagen, nootropics, and vitamins and minerals,” says Raaijmakers.
“While the functional benefits are the main driver for purchases, consumers today look for options that tick multiple boxes. Convenience is important, so they want something that fits into their lifestyle.”
“They also want interesting and enjoyable consumption experiences with good taste and texture. As health-conscious consumers, there’s also a growing expectation that products will have natural ingredients.”
A sensory playground
Innova’s “Sensory Playground” trend captures demand for experiences involving texture, aroma, color, and flavor.
That direction is visible in recent mochi and popping-pearl developments. Bazooka debuted Mini Mochi Gummy in May, combining gummy chew with a soft, mochi-inspired texture. Boba Pops introduced Pop & Go cocktails with alcohol-filled popping pearls in August.
Exberry smoothie pomelo and blueberry (Image credit: GNT).
Raaijmakers sees particular opportunities in treats and limited-time offers.
“In beverages, you might see layered hues, glowing gradients, or high‑impact contrasts as well as textural elements such as chewy tapioca pearls.”
“These products allow individuals to experience a moment of magic, but they’re also ideal for sharing with friends and on social media.”
Color can give products an immediately recognizable identity, she notes.
“Two of the biggest trends of recent times are Dubai chocolate and matcha-strawberry, and they both have strongly recognizable colors that helped make them viral successes. Ube is another color-driven success story of recent times that has room to grow across new product categories.”
“Blue is becoming a much more important color across the industry, too. We’ve been working with many beverage brands to develop natural blue products using our patented Exberry Blue for Beverages technology to stabilize spirulina.”
Wellness beyond the nutrition panel
“Longevity Engineering,” “Peace of Mind,” and “Radiance Rituals” extend Innova’s outlook into healthy aging, mental wellness, and edible beauty.
We recently examined ashwagandha and highlighted supplier interest in taking stress-support positioning into beverages, chocolate, bars, and dairy alternatives. Meanwhile, bitterness, sedimentation, and ingredient consistency remain practical hurdles.
Ahead of SupplySide Global, Cargill told us about its collagen-and-electrolyte hydration prototype and Kerry about its beauty-from-within beverage concept. These innovations highlight how suppliers combine benefits in familiar formats.
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Consumers want substantiated health benefits, but do not want to sacrifice enjoyment, according to Kerry.Consumers want clinically substantiated health benefits, but they do not want to sacrifice enjoyment,” Kerry’s senior director of medical affairs, Amy Smith, told Food Ingredients First.
Meanwhile, Raaijmakers identifies color as another development tool.
“Color is an important innovation opportunity for functional brands that want to stand out from the crowd. It can be used to help showcase enticing flavor profiles, functional benefits, and attract attention.”
However, fortified recipes require particular care.
“Exberry colors are made from non-GMO fruits, vegetables, and plants. They can deliver vibrant, stable shades in almost any application, but with fortified recipes in particular it’s important for colors to be carefully selected and formulated to ensure optimal results.”
“We’ve been working on delivering natural color solutions across various functional applications, from vitamin-enhanced waters to potato chip seasonings featuring creatine monohydrate,” she adds.
Fermentation and farming shape product stories
Innova’s “Ferment Forward” and “From Soil to Shelf” trends highlight fermentation’s expanding applications and closer attention to agricultural sourcing.
Revo Foods’ Cottage Protein recently brought fermentation into a protein-focused dairy alternative. Made with upcycled apricot kernels, water, salt, and vegan cultures, the product offers a reported 17 g of protein per cup.
Also, Strong Roots previewed Feel Good Fries, combining algae oil with potatoes grown using regenerative practices.
AI and social media have an increasing influence on food discovery.
Credibility will matter as these stories reach packaging. SAI Platform’s regenerative agriculture framework, launched in June, incorporates independent verification and benchmarking to support more consistent sourcing claims.
Getting discovered in 2027
The final trend, “Prompt to Plate,” addresses AI and social media’s influence on food discovery.
Unilever told us in June that it was adapting Knorr and Hellmann’s recipe content for AI-driven search and recommendations.
For manufacturers, the opportunities ahead span F&B products and their presentation: delivering a worthwhile eating experience, then making its benefits easy to understand and discover.
