Flavour and Food Trends 2025: from Jelly to Smoke here's what we predict for 2025

Written by Aaron Gupta

The Managing Director of Kanegrade, Aaron has over a decade of experience in Flavours, Natural Colours and Fruit Powders as well as other ingredients. Passionate about technical, regulatory and quality matters, as well as delivering great taste experiences with consumer products.

As we approach 2025, it’s a great time to look at exciting new trends based on our own insights, trends from product developers, cultural cues, upcoming events and a whole host of other indicators we use to predict the tastes and flavours of 2025.

We’re finding not only are there flavour trends to be spotted but also consumer and market effects will impact product development in 2025. So let’s dive into what we see as the ones which will have a big impact in 2025, and create great new opportunities for NPDers and food and beverage companies during the coming year.

1. The Jelly Renaissance

Jelly is making a comeback, but not as you remember it. This versatile ingredient is being reinvented with sophisticated flavours and textures, appealing to both the nostalgic Millennial market and adventurous Gen Z consumers. Expect to see:

Jelly with reduced sugar, natural flavours + colours
Grown-up jelly flavours and jelly cocktails with alcohol
Asian-influenced jelly products (see 3. below)
Plant-based, high-protein sports nutrition jelly snacks

2. Powder Power: The Rise of Instant Beverages

In our fast-paced world, powder beverages are set to explode in popularity. These convenient drinks either as a sachet or compressed tablet, cater to the on-the-go lifestyle with a sustainable angle due to the reduced energy needed to distribute the RTD water-weight, and reduced plastic by not relying on single-use plastic. Many carry a water bottle with them nowadays so this is a logical extension. Look out for:

Effervescent compressed tablets and instant sachets from major brands looking to boost sustainable credentials.
Mood-enhancing and focus-boosting beverage powders
Availability from vending machines at point-of-sale
Increasing probiotic and prebiotic powdered drinks

https://carbonbright.co/sipgood-beverage-sustainability-case-study-using-lca
https://www.waterdrop.com/
https://www.spruce-water.com/

3. East Asia: New trends heading West

The massive popularity of K-pop and K-dramas paved the way for Korean culture and foods to make waves in the Western market such as Kimchi and Korean BBQ flavours. Other East Asian countries which provided huge trends in recent years including Boba Tea from Taiwan and Miso from Japan has got everyone keeping an eye out for next big East Asian trend. Here’s what we predict:

Hwachae is a Korean fruit punch with many unique flavour combinations
Product releases will use lesser known but delicious Asian fruits including Dragonfruit, Lychee, Persimmon, Mangosteen.
Trends from other countries including Cambodia (Nom Kom), China (Fried Ice Cream), Taiwan (Aiyu Jelly)
Increasing use of Asian herbs and spices in seasonings including Star Anise, Lemongrass and Karashi.

4. Smoke signals: What else can we smoke?

As we detailed in our Kanebase article regarding the changes to the Smoke regulations, 2025 is a crunch year for product manufacturers to re-formulate their smoke flavoured products to use legally compliant alternatives.

This spotlight on smokes has meant flavour houses have innovated and created new flavourings which cater to every type of smoke imaginable, which we predict will lead product developers to thinking “what else can we smoke?!”:

Re-launch and promotion around now compliant smoke-flavoured products since the EU has clarified the legislation.
Wider range of ‘named’ smoke flavours used: chargrilled, hickory, oak-smoked, mesquite, applewood, cherry etc.
Wider consumer awareness of which type of smokes they prefer.
Smoke added to new and unexpected products: desserts, beverages (cocktails), baked goods, chocolate.

5. Chocolate Reimagined

As cocoa production faces challenges, with the cost of cocoa going through the roof and tripling during 2024, innovative chocolate replacements and enhancers are gaining traction as product developers will face pressure to maintain the chocolatey notes we all love,whilst adapting to these new higher input costs.

Carob-based confectionery. Carob bean (also known as St Johns Bread) delivers a chocolate flavour profile.
Vegetable-derived chocolate alternatives (e.g., sweet potato chocolate) which still use cacao / cocoa powder along but use cocoa butter alternatives.
Less chocolate being used in products in general to try and keep costs within acceptable levels.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd9xqgn28p7o
https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/analysis-and-features/confectionery-chocolate-2024-choc-volumes-dive-as-prices-soar/698845.article

6. NO/LO Drinks – NO and LO Alcohol drinks go mainstream

The NOLO drinks trend continues and is set yo go mainstream and become ‘the norm’ in 2025. Many larger drinks brands have released zero alcohol versions of their existing products such as Guinness which has been well received, leading to good mass-adoption. However ‘spirits’ are still being established, and since Seedlip which was the flag bearer for these types of products many companies have attempted to establish themselves using bittering, herbs and spices, and pungency to create a hit which mimics a high proof spirit. Expect to see front-runners emerge and mass adoption of the very best.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/may/21/can-no–and-low-alcohol-nolo-drinks-match-the-real-thing-theyre-getting-closer
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-non-alcoholic-spirits

Market Opportunities and Consumer Behaviour

The trends for 2025 are not just about new flavours; they represent new product categories driven by shifts in consumer behaviour, with the following additional trends / product differentiators needed (individually or in combination) important to make any new product stand-out:

Health-Conscious Choices: Functional / Health benefits without compromise on taste.
Sustainability Focus: Eco-friendly packaging and ethically sourced ingredients.
Experiential Consumption: Products that offer unique experiences or stories will command premium prices.
Customization and Personalization: Brands that allow consumers to tailor products to their preferences will thrive.

Seize the Future of Flavour

As we approach 2025, embracing these trends, developers and industry professionals can create products that stay ahead of the curve, and meet customer expectations in terms of flavour innovation and trends (Jelly, Asian-Influence, NOLO), as well as managing market forces due to pricing (Chocolate), sustainability (Powder beverages) and regulations (Smoke).

We look forward to seeing these trends in product launches during 2025 and hope it’s an exciting year full of innovative new products which we can’t wait to taste!

We hope you have a great year.

*If you’re a developer in the food / beverage industry, consider subscribing to Kanebase by entering your email address above. We are creating a truly helpful resource of information specifically for you. We will notify you or new articles when they are released. Unsubscribe anytime.