If you wandered the halls of Anuga 2025 in Cologne, you didn’t just see new products; you witnessed a tectonic shift in how food and drink companies are thinking, innovating and engaging consumers. With over 8,000 exhibitors from 110 countries and more than 145,000 visitors, this year’s show hammered home one thing: the future of food is not just evolving; it is reinventing itself.

So what does this really mean for brands, innovators and category leaders? Here are five of the most potent themes that stood out and how to turn them into action.

1. Plant-Based Diversity Beyond Substitutes

The old paradigm of “plant = mimic animal” is giving way to “plant as its own category of culinary joy.” Fermented cashew camembert, vegan tuna, and inventive egg-free formats all featured in the spotlight.

Take-away: If your strategy sees plant-based as simply a meat replacement, you’re missing the mark. Instead ask: how can plants deliver flavor, texture and experience in their own right? How can we shift mindset from “less meat” to “more plant possibility”?

2. Functionality Is Now Everyday

The notion of functional food has moved from niche to mainstream. Adaptogenic mushroom drinks, gut-health juices, protein-rich breads are no longer “nice extras,” they’re expected.

Take-away: Brands must embed functionality as a baseline rather than a premium add-on. Health claims alone won’t cut it unless matched with taste, convenience and authenticity. Consumers expect “delicious” and “doing good” to coexist.

3. Clean-Label, Transparency & Traceability

“Clean label” is far more than fewer ingredients; it’s about visibility, origin, responsibility. QR codes tracking from field to shelf, up-cycled ingredients turning waste into story. These are showing up as tangible proofs of authenticity.

Take-away: For brands, this means investing in real transparency, not marketing fluff. Can you map your supply chain? Can you tell the story of your ingredient origins? Are you prepared to show what lies behind “natural” or “premium” claims?

4. Sustainability as a Prerequisite

Sustainability is no longer optional; it’s becoming a baseline expectation. From alternative raw materials (broad beans, lupin, carob) to circular economy practices, the stage is set for brands that make the planet part of their value proposition.

Take-away: If your sustainability strategy is still hidden in annual reports and supply-chain slides, it’s time to bring it front and centre. Align sustainability with consumer experience: materials, packaging, lifecycle. Make it visible, meaningful and part of brand identity.

5. Private Labels Are Innovating

Surprise: it’s not just big global brands pushing the innovation frontier. Private label brands are stepping up, blending sustainability, quality and differentiation while challenging incumbents at their own game.

Take-away: Brand owners and retailers alike should treat private label as a source of creative competition, not a threat. Innovation-driving retailers can use private label as learning labs and consumer research platforms.

So What’s Next?

If you’re a C-suite or innovation lead in food, beverage or wellness, here are three strategic questions to ask:

  • Where in our portfolio is plant-based being treated as substitution rather than an independent opportunity?
  • How integrated is functionality into our everyday products not just the “wellness” line but the core line?
  • Are we confident that our transparency, traceability and sustainability narratives are grounded in real consumer-facing experience rather than internal jargon?

Because the story from Anuga 2025 is clear: consumers no longer accept “good enough.” They want food that tastes great, nurtures wellness, shows provenance and contributes to the world. Brands that treat those as separate silos will struggle. Brands that knit them together will thrive.

SOURCE: Anuga Trend Report 2025