It’s late November and the annual festival of industry trend spotting is in full swing. Everyone from market analysts to big name retailers, brand agencies to wellness companies are keen to tell you what they are sure will be big in the food, health and wellness sectors in 2025. 

We’ve has been unpacking this year’s raft of forecasts and trying to spot the trends most likely to impact our own industry in 2025. So, from microbiome in your mouth to precision wellness, new-staligia to taste the glow here are some edited highlights. 

Mintel’s annual Global Food and Drink Trends is an undoubted big hitter. For 2025 it highlights four macro trends, but here we’ll look at two. 

Fundamentally nutritious: Mintel believes the emergence of weight-loss medications like Ozempic will redefine consumer perceptions of ‘food as medicine’, from added functional ingredients to meeting daily essential nutrient needs. It’ll be interesting to see how ‘health foods’ play into this scenario, and any opportunities health stores can seize on.

Chain Reaction: As climate change and other forces lead to more frequent disruptions to the food supply, the food and drink industry will need to encourage consumers to welcome and trust the new origins, ingredients and flavours that will emerge locally and globally.

Whole Foods Market employs a team of 50 (from buyers and culinary experts to foragers) to prepare its Top 10 Anticipated Food Trends. It predicts a boom in hydrating ready-to-drink beverages, a new wave of aquatic ingredients(think seaweed, freshwater greens and ‘water lentils’) added crunch to every meal, and fusion snack foods with international appeal.

Watch out too for next level composting (more brands switching to home-compostable packing and talking about it… on pack) and protein power-up (where high protein credentials migrate from bars and powders to a growing range of food products). 

Holland & Barrett predicts 2025 will be “a year for brain food, fibre, fertility and functional tea. Its Wellness Trends for 2025 report also homes in or two areas that other surveys have missed.

Under the heading matrescence matters, H&B says the maternal health space is transforming to address the needs of older expectant mothers taking care of their health. With the average woman now having a baby at 30.9, more personalised solutions are emerging at retail level.

First came the gut microbiome, now interest is turning to the microbiome in your mouth, says H&B. When the oral microbiome is off-balance, or in ‘dysbiosis’ in scientific terms, it can lead to disease-promoting bacteria and gum issues. The scientific community has long championed the links between oral health and general wellbeing and brands are responding with innovative products. Look out for toothpastes, mouthwash, and chewing gum tailored to the oral microbiome.

Nestlé’s 2025 Trends survey predicts continuing interest in ‘new-staligia’ – nostalgia, that is, with a twist and experienced in “a cooler, more modern way”. The psychological driver behind the trend is a desire to escape through culture where consumers can “reflect on simpler times, with reignited fondness for the good times”.

In its expansive survey, KHNI identifies sustainable nutrition as the mega-trend to watch. In this context, it predicts continuing interest in regenerative agriculture, with its emphasis on soil health, boosting biodiversity and improving water cycles. But it also says there will be increasing demands for more qualified impact, in which the food and farming industries will need to “embrace and invest in metrics to earn credibility and a justified place in the sustainability conversation”. KHNI also believes there will be a growing need for nutrient-dense diets – diets rich in essential nutrients like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins – to tackle malnutrition while supporting overall health.