Food and drink innovation is moving at breakneck speed. ‘Nutrient dense’ meals for GLP-1 users, purple yam drinks and viral frozen snacks are among the launches to have landed since the start of the year.
These innovations all have one thing in common. While they may be headline-grabbing, they are set to earn far more than a fleeting moment of attention. That’s because they are backed by rigorous insight and savvy targeting.
“The most game-changing innovations I’ve seen over the last few months have been those that have focused on delivering a strategic response to the consumer ‘jobs to be done’, rather than racing for newness,” says Guy White, CEO of innovation consultancy Catalyx.
Here’s our pick of the five latest areas of innovation that look set to stand the test of time.
Chewable creatine
Creatine was the standout trend at Expo West. Exhibitors showed off gummies, drinks and sachets full of the ingredient, which has been linked to increased muscle mass, reduced fatigue, faster post-exercise recovery, and even cognitive improvements.
Mintel noted its presence at the show extended far beyond sports nutrition. “Creatine was featured in bars, hydration beverages, ready-to-drink protein formats, and ‘stacked’ formulations pairing creatine with electrolytes or collagen,” it reported.
Chewable formats are proving particularly popular. One of the key proponents is US brand Momentous, which claims to be the “first chewable creatine”. Its Creatine Chews debuted in 2025 after two years of development.
That selling point is now hotly contested by a raft of creatine gummies in innovative flavours. Applied Nutrition sells a blackcurrant-flavoured line, Raw Nutrition has gummies in flavours such as Cherry Limeade, and Zhou Nutrition has Peach Mango and Pink Lemonade variants.
The activity isn’t limited to the US. Its global potential is shown by brands such as XO Fitness, which launched creatine gummies into the UK in January. Grand View Research estimates the global creatine supplements market will reach $8.68bn by 2033, up from $1.37bn in 2025.
Interestingly, the rise of creatine won’t necessarily come at the expense of protein, which has similar functional claims. Mintel noted protein “remained ubiquitous” at Expo West, where it continued to span “a wide range of categories”.
In fact, sports nutritionists have extolled the complementary virtues of creatine and protein – leading to the development of combined products. Warrior has a Whey Protein + Creatine powder, while Creatime bars combine creatine with both protein and collagen.
‘Nutrient dense’ ranges
GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro are revolutionising eating habits. Users eat fewer calories, which means they are also likely to ingest fewer nutrients.
The insight has led to a plethora of food ranges that are small on portion size but big on nutritional value. One of the earliest movers was Nestlé, which debuted its Vital Pursuit range for GLP-1 users in the US in 2024. “The products are high in protein, a good source of fibre, contain essential nutrients, and they are portion-aligned to a weight loss medication user’s appetite,” the fmcg giant said at the time.
Since then, momentum has only built. “Some of the big manufacturers are reformulating around smaller portions, higher protein, more fibre and greater nutrient density,” says James Acton, director of The Brand Nursery consultancy. Since the start of the year, most of the UK supermarkets – Co-op, M&S, Asda, Iceland, Morrisons and Ocado – have begun stocking products designed with GLP-1 users in mind.
Arguably the most notable launch came from M&S, which housed its products under a ‘Nutrient Dense’ banner.
That idea of nutrient density is only likely to gain appeal as GLP-1 usage grows. Fuelled by the development of a tablet format, it is expected 25 million people in the US will be on GLP-1 treatment by 2030, up from around 10 million in 2025 [JP Morgan].
Considering more than one in five users of GLP-1 drugs develop a nutrient deficiency after a year of usage, there is a large potential demand for specialist ranges that pack in nutrition. In the US, even fast food chains such as Shake Shack and Chipotle have got in on the act with the launch of high-protein ranges since the start of the year.
However, that growing interest may also attract growing scrutiny. At an event hosted by recipe box brand Mindful Chef last month, its panel of experts – including the brand’s head of health Sasha Watkins, The Hunger Game host and neuroendocrinology professor Giles Yeo and journalist Rose Stokes – pointed out the lack of definition around nutrient density. That could lead to unscrupulous operators entering the market or consumer scepticism unless the term is made more robust.
Ube drinks
A purple yam from the Philippines is fast gaining global attention. Ube – known for its sweet, nutty flavour as well as its distinctive colour – is inspiring a hotbed of innovation.
That’s particularly true in coffee shops. Last year, Starbucks tentatively tried out ube-flavoured lines in select Reserve stores in the US. This year, it’s gone bigger. A four-strong ube range – spanning lines such as a Starbucks Ube Vanilla Velvet Matcha Latte – arrived in European markets in time for spring. Costa Coffee also rolled out a Sweet Ube Frappe and a Sweet Ube Hot Chocolate across its UK stores in March.
The popularity even extends to Korea, where ube was hailed as “the next matcha” by The Korea Herald. Demand has reached such high levels that Filipino farmers have reported struggling to keep up.
There is plenty of potential for ube to go beyond drinks, too. In the Philippines, the yam is commonly used in baking to add a touch of sweetness, plus a pop of colour. Mintel says ube is already starting to appear more in sweet biscuits, ice cream and cakes, backed by lines such as McCormick’s ube flavouring and Sweet Cow Ube Condensed Milk.
“Ube’s mildly sweet, nutty and creamy profile, with hints of vanilla and coconut, offers a broad appeal and can easily work across formats,” Regina Maiseviciute Haydon, associate principal at Mintel Food & Drink, wrote in The Grocer this month.
“While its colour may be bold, ube’s ‘green credentials’ are also strong,” she added. “Naturally vibrant, it aligns neatly with clean‑label expectations and consumer interest in ingredients that feel authentic rather than engineered.”
Next-gen functional drinks
Functional soft drinks are increasingly big business. Their sales grew at a faster rate than low & no alcohol products in this year’s Dry January, according to NIQ data.
For White at Catalyx, that’s no surprise. “They’ve tapped beautifully into a hidden tension that had previously been ignored,” he says. “There are occasions when adults don’t want to drink alcohol but equally don’t want to feel like a child by ordering a soda. Nor do they want to put a huge amount of sugar into their bodies.
“Enter a new raft of functional beverages, offering everything from improved gut health, mental clarity, relaxation and – crucially – all wrapped up in sophisticated ‘adult’ branding using acceptable ingredients like natural actives, adaptogens and botanicals.”
Until now, most of these brands have crafted their image around wellness. Like Trip, whose cans are decked out in pastel hues and promote a partnership with the Calm app. But that is changing, says Elliot Wilson, strategy director at drinks design and innovation agency The Cabinet.
He points to the Aplós range of non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails, which are infused with functional ingredients. The brand has “a genuinely adult tone and feels closer to a spirits brand than a wellness product,” Wilson says. “This is important: most ‘functional’ drinks still feel medicinal or worthy.”
Good Spirits is another example. Its craft mocktails contain hemp and adaptogens, but come in flavours that put fun first, such as ‘French Exhale’ Lemon Lavender or ‘La Paloma’ Grapefruit Lime.
Fruity frozen snacks
Fruit Riot – the frozen fruit brand known for its candy and lemon juice flavourings – has caused a stir on social media. That’s leading to rapid expansion. Having conquered the US, the brand made its UK debut in Tesco stores in March.
Tellingly, Tesco also listed new lines from fellow frozen snacking brand Trü Frü, which specialises in chocolate-covered fruit, and Little Moons, which brought out its smaller Mini Moons that same month.
Then in April, frozen snack start-up Froot Pops – which also sells chocolate-covered fruit – secured high-profile backing from former Sainsbury’s boss Justin King and serial investor Giles Brook.
These brands are playing to a rise in frozen snacking – and fruity lines, in particular. “Frozen snacking plays into macro trend for permissible indulgence – consumers are increasingly looking for offers they don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying, and which deliver maximum taste in a portion-controlled form,” says Little Moons.
Those credentials mean the frozen snacking market is due to grow from $146bn in 2025 and to $193.9bn by 2030, according to Mordor Intelligence.
White at Catalyx sums up the appeal: “Snack innovations are being driven by Gen Z demanding snacks that perform a function, aren’t filled with UPFs and still preserve their Instagramable social currency.”
Anything that ticks all those boxes looks set to become a hot trend for the future.