Tasting Tomorrow: 2025 Flavors and Ingredients Preview

Whether it’s global political strife, acute natural disasters or the all-important price of eggs, living in 2025 is a veritable buffet of anxieties and uncertainties. And in such times, consumers reach into coolers for something comforting and familiar.

That’s one thing we heard from ingredient suppliers and flavor houses in our preview of flavor and ingredient trends at the start of the new year: nostalgic products and “flavor escapism” are expected to be major CPG trends in 2025. That in itself is of little surprise, but it’s a shift that has the potential to dampen the importance of functional claims and better-for-you attributes, accelerating a change that some already see happening. Rather than touting health claims (and exposing themselves to potential litigation), brands may respond to functional drink fatigue by “incorporating beneficial ingredients without loudly broadcasting the benefits, trusting consumers to connect the dots,” as noted by beverage development house Flavorman in its annual trend preview.

That’s not to say that consumers have radically changed; they still “are seeking a balance of adventurous taste profiles and wellness-driven goals,” said Kerry Group’s Global Research and Insights Director, Soumya Nair, in the company’s 2025 Taste Chart. As external factors – from the rise of Ozempic to the rapid virality of social media-driven drink trends – exert pressure on CPG, many are predicting sweet, versatile flavors and ingredients from around the globe will be the star this year, whether they bring functional benefits or not.

Value of Versatility

With the CPG landscape so fragmented across demographics, categories, need states and other classifications, it’s not entirely surprising to see an increased prioritization of versatile ingredients from industry watchers.

For Tastewise, it’s something like Hawij, a Yemeni spice that’s little known in the U.S. but its use has grown 75% in the last two years. The spice, with notes of cinnamon and ginger, can be used in cooking and ticks several important boxes — purported benefits include immunity, digestion and anti-inflammation — but Tastewise sees it as a driver specifically within coffee, where it has potential to offset declines in pumpkin spice latte (-8% in the last two years) that suggest consumers have flavor fatigue.

Other players found something sweet to look forward to in 2025: natural sugar substitutes that bring consumers closer to nature. In tagging brown sugar as its “Flavor of the Year” for 2025, flavor house T. Hasegawa highlighted the ingredient’s popularity with two key groups that often overlap: chefs and social media influencers. Brown sugar’s versatility fits with the needs of both demographics; the rich flavor profile works as a culinary ingredient or with drinks ranging from Old Fashioneds to brown sugar lattes, and the warm color and indulgence factor means it’s ready-made for sharing photos.

For Dutch flavor house dsm-firmenich, color is arguably as important as flavor, noting that its choice for 2025 Flavor of the Year, “Milky Maple,” closely aligns with “Mocha Mousse,” named by Pantone as its Color of the Year 2025. In terms of taste experience, it promises “richness and indulgent associations” that again ties back to flavors that tease an escape from immediate earthly stresses; The flavor is “an invitation for people to pause and savor a moment of pure warmth and decadence,” said Maurizio Clementi, dsm-firmenich EVP of Taste, Texture, and Health, in a statement.

According to Kerry Group’s 2025 Taste Chart for the U.S., pistachio is also expected to grow this year, building upon gains made over the past half-decade during which the nut has translated its popularity as a sweet ingredient (particularly in Europe) into other applications, most notably Hot and Dairy-based Drinks and Cold and Water-based Drinks. Pistachio is one of the fastest growing flavors of the past three years, per Kerry, and its ability to pair with hot drinks like coffee and tea have helped grow pistachio product launches 8% over the past three years, and stimulate budding beverage brands like Tache and Edenesque.

Feeling Human

With so many products on the market fighting for ever-smaller share of attention from consumers, conditions may favor those willing to take some risks, or at least not take themselves so seriously.

It’s part of a trend ADM identifies as “unbridled experimentation,” in which a playful approach to both color and flavor helps create products that feel tailored to each customer’s personal joy. This can take the form of unexpected pairings or even sensations like cooling and heating, but it isn’t limited: as ADM notes, both highbrow (nuanced, complex non-alc cocktails) and lowbrow (candy!) flavor concepts can work here. But a simple approach is still appealing, too. ADM noted “reinventing or even updating a classic profile” as a trend; it used familiar fruit as an example, though the resurgence of better-for-you soft drinks via classic fountain soda flavors seems to align with that idea as well.

Like it or not, artificial intelligence is making an impact on flavor and ingredient development, as noted by several industry groups. Brands are using AI to enhance flavor experiences and experiment with new pairings, but its adoption may also make a “human touch” even more appealing, argues Kerry. As technology permeates all aspects of society, food and beverage products “resplendent with flavors and colors that bring human experience to life in new and unexpected ways” will be in high demand.