10 Global Food Trends: from gut health and brain food to smarter snacking

The biennial international food and beverage trade show, SIAL Paris, will take place in the French capital at the end of October. For the 2026 edition, 8,000 exhibitors and 295,000 professionals from 130 countries are expected to attend. In the run-up to the trade show, the organization published the “SIAL Insights 2026” report, which, based on international data analyses, identifies ten trends that will have a lasting impact on the food sector in the coming years.

These are the 10 trends:

1. Health-focused nutrition: fuel for a high-performing body

Functional nutrition is no longer a trend but the new standard. Consumers are increasingly tailoring their diets to their biology, lifestyle, and personal health goals. This is significantly changing the priorities driving their purchasing decisions.

• Insight: The rise of weight-loss medications (such as Ozempic) is significantly changing the market. Because consumers feel full more quickly, the demand is shifting from large portions to smaller, nutrient-rich portions that offer demonstrable health benefits.

• Fact: Nearly 1 in 3 consumers worldwide prefer snacks that are particularly rich in protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.

2. The ‘gut-brain’: nutrition that supports mental health and well-being

Products that support mental health and well-being are becoming a staple of the food market, with gut health increasingly viewed as the foundation of a balanced lifestyle.

• Insight: Consumers are no longer looking for general health claims, but for solutions to specific problems such as stress, sleep deprivation, or hormonal issues. They prefer nutrients that occur naturally (such as magnesium in chocolate) rather than artificially fortified products.

• Fact: 37% of consumers worldwide are interested in foods and beverages that support emotional and mental well-being.

3. Indulgence reinvented: from a treat to a sensory experience

Indulgence remains an essential part of our eating habits. But rather than a guilty pleasure or nostalgic treat, it is increasingly evolving into a conscious, intense, premium dining experience centered on sensory pleasure. Without guilt.

• Insight: Culinary discoveries are becoming more specific and intense. Consumers are seeking out hyperlocal cuisines (such as Balinese or Cambodian instead of “Asian”) and distinct, intense flavor profiles like ginger, chili, and black garlic.

• Fact: 68% of consumers worldwide say they enjoy trying food products that offer new textures, flavor variations, and sensory experiences.

4. ‘Local’ takes on two faces: familiar from nearby and artisanal from far away

A product’s origin remains a key pillar of value and quality. Consumers seek both the familiarity of products from their own region and the authenticity and culinary appeal of distant regions.

• Insight: Both ‘local from here’ and ‘local from elsewhere’ are gaining popularity. Geographical indications remain a powerful signal of expertise for consumers who want to ‘travel through their plate.’

• Fact: 72% of consumers worldwide are paying increasing attention to a product’s origin.

5. Sustainability is coming closer to home: from abstract to personal

Consumer engagement with sustainability isn’t fading: rather, the focus of their commitment is evolving. It’s becoming more concrete and personal.

• Insight: Instead of broad sustainability claims, consumers are increasingly focusing on tangible product characteristics, such as the carbon footprint, the amount of packaging, and the ingredients in a recipe.

• Fact: 69% of consumers worldwide view food consumption as a ‘civic act.’

6. Plant-based is evolving: diversification, hybridization, on-the-go

Plant-based eating is breaking free from vegetarian and vegan categories, as well as from traditional meat substitutes. It is increasingly becoming part of a varied diet in which plant-based and animal-based products coexist.

• Insight: The growing snack market is increasingly inspired by plant-based foods. Fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed grains are finding their way into the snack aisle in the form of ready-to-eat fruit, pre-cut fruit in pouches, vegetable sticks, seasoned chickpeas, and mini-portions of hummus. Vegetarian sandwiches and plant-based ready-to-eat products – though still a niche market – are also beginning to appear in grab-and-go sections.

• Fact: Over the past year more than 1 in 2 consumers globally, say they have tried a plant-based patty made from pulses and/or vegetables as a replacement for meat.

7. Mealtimes under pressure: between tradition and fragmentation

When making purchasing decisions, consumers seek a balance between price, enjoyment, and at least one additional benefit, such as quality, health, or sustainability. A limited budget does not lower their expectations but increases the demand for products that offer clear added value at an affordable price.

• Insight: Snacking is increasingly seen as more than just an unhealthy treat. Consumers are willing to pay more for snacks, provided they offer specific functional benefits, such as energy, light nutrition, or weight management.

• Fact: 7 out of 10 consumers worldwide prefer food products that are easy to prepare or save time.

8. Affordable added value: when constraints drive innovation

Bij aankoopbeslissingen zoeken consumenten naar een balans tussen prijs, plezier en minstens één extra voordeel, zoals kwaliteit, gezondheid of duurzaamheid. Een beperkt budget verlaagt hun verwachtingen niet, maar vergroot de vraag naar producten die tegen een toegankelijke prijs een duidelijke meerwaarde bieden.

• Insight: Budget constraints lead to smarter innovations. To keep products affordable while maintaining high quality, there is a trend toward more private labels, simplified recipes (fewer ingredients), and smaller sizes.

• Fact: 67% of consumers worldwide say they would be willing to choose organic products if they were less expensive.

9. Digitalization is changing the rules of the game: visibility, convenience, and virality

Digital technology is playing an increasingly important role in the food and foodservice industries – both as a source of information and inspiration, and as a practical tool for comparing, reserving, and ordering products. The visibility and appeal of products are also increasingly being established before the moment of purchase, through websites, apps, and social media.

• Insight: The visibility of dishes is increasingly taking shape long before a restaurant visit. Viral street food trends (such as the ‘crousty’) are rapidly capturing consumers’ attention online.

• Fact: 76% of consumers worldwide say their food purchases are influenced by digital content.

10. Inclusive innovation: food for everyone

Inclusivity is evolving from a regulatory requirement or a niche market into a new frontier for commercial innovation. Consumers increasingly expect product offerings to accommodate diverse dietary needs, intolerances, and lifestyles.

• Insight: Inclusivity has two sides: on the one hand, catering to dietary preferences (gluten-free, vegan), and on the other, ‘socially conscious eating,’ where consumers want to contribute to local, social initiatives through their food choices.

• Fact: 47% of consumers worldwide expect restaurants to offer menus that cater to diverse dietary preferences.