Entering the new year brings a period of transformation, setting the stage for the rest of the year. To officially welcome 2025, Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. compiled a list of 2025 predictions and topics we see influencing the next year throughout our industries.
Across industries, we predict two significant trends will influence the upcoming year: innovation and sustainability.
Consumers are looking for something new that has never been done before. Innovating with new ideas or improving beloved classics will be key to making a splash and catching consumers’ eyes in 2025.
Sustainability is the second big trend affecting all industries worldwide. With many natural disasters, shifting weather patterns, and visible environmental impacts, consumers and corporations are focused on maintaining and improving the health of the Earth. Consumers are more interested now than ever in sustainability efforts, particularly in the products they purchase and the businesses they interact with.
With that in mind, here are our predictions by industry for 2025:
Food and Beverage
1. Sodium and Sugar Reduction
It is no secret that Americans consume more sodium and sugar than recommended. In the summer of 2024, the Food and Drug Administration took another step to encourage corporations to reduce sodium content in food products, and for years, they’ve campaigned the same for sugar. In the future, reducing sodium and sugar will be a significant focus for food corporations to support consumer’s efforts to align with dietary guidance.
2. All-or-nothing health
Consumers are expressing duality in the food and beverage industry, particularly in their interest in health. Nearly half of consumers would like to eat healthy, with three-quarters of consumers choosing more nutritious options at the grocery store, according to Mintel’s America Eats 2024 Report. However, consumers have also exhibited contradictory preferences, with purchases of food being occasion-based. This contradiction is apparent regarding “healthier” food options. For example, consumers will gravitate towards indulgence instead of health for a late-night snack but may choose a gut-healthy soda to enjoy with their lunch. So, while consumers want to eat healthier, they will likely have an “all-or-nothing” attitude towards these healthy options in 2025.
3. Tradition with a twist
Along with the focus on innovation in 2025, consumers are looking to find their comfort meals reimagined. Tradition and authenticity are still crucial to these consumers. They want to embrace tradition but are intrigued by products that twist traditional recipes or historic flavors. Utilizing innovation to evoke comfort and tradition will be key in 2025.
4. Fusion flavors
The future of the food and beverage industry lies with the youth, or Generation Z. These younger diners are interested in fusion dishes and unique flavors that combine tastes and sensations in new ways. These consumers are also intrigued by international snacks and dishes and are more adventurous foodies regarding innovative flavors. However, brands that utilize innovative or fusion flavors should ensure that the flavors are on brand; these flavors must align with what consumers know about a brand to be intriguing. Out-of-the-blue flavors that do not align with a brand’s identity will not perform as well as those that do. To stay on trend, food and beverage corporations should jump on the appeal of international cuisines and fuse flavors within their brand scope in 2025.
Cosmetics and Personal Care
5. Silicone-free, PEG-free, sulfate-free, plastic microbead free
Often called “Clean Beauty,” producers remove certain selective chemicals from cosmetic and personal care items, which is nothing new. However, in 2025, due to consumer concerns and environmental impact, there will be more focus on removing silicones, PEG, sulfates, and plastic microbeads from product formulations.
6. Sustainability
Consumers are clamoring for eco-friendly products. Sustainable packaging is the primary way beauty corporations improve their environmental impact; a few brands even removed plastic from their production process altogether. In 2025, environmental sustainability practices and social sustainability efforts like ethical production techniques will be paramount.
7. High NOI
Natural Origin Index, or NOI, is the standard by which an ingredient is determined to be of natural origin. Consumers gravitate towards natural products in their food and beauty choices, so products with a high NOI will be very popular in 2025.
8. Transformative and innovative textures
Consumers using beauty and personal care products are looking for a unique experience, down to the texture and feel of their products. Transforming textures, or products that change in texture through use, like from a thick facemask to a light moisturizer, are growing in popularity. New textures are also increasing in popularity. Consumers are looking for innovative products that are gentle on their skin. As a result, some beauty companies have been innovating with gel textures. Creative and transformative textures will rule the industry in 2025 as consumers seek unique sensory experiences.
BioPharma
9. Innovative packaging
New packaging techniques, particularly trusted weight, and direct dispense will be significant in the biopharma industry in 2025. Trusted weight allows customers to receive products in specific weights that are “trusted” and will enable them to utilize ingredients directly in their processing without weighing out the product. Direct dispense allows the packaging to be connected directly into production so that the product is never exposed to the environment. Both these next-generation packaging technologies will dominate in 2025 due to their time-saving safety measures.
10. Animal Origin Free
Animal-origin-free (AOF) is a title used for products and processes that do not contain any ingredients or materials from animals. AOF will be a large area of growth in the biopharma space heading into 2025, as animal-derived components and ingredients are the most frequent contaminants in the industry. By being animal-origin-free, biologics manufacturers can keep the manufacturing process safer and avoid the risk of contamination.
11. Next Generation Manufacturing Sites
With the changes in packaging in the industry, another prediction for 2025 is next-generation manufacturing. Because of packaging changes, some biopharmaceutical companies are expanding and building sites without a weighing and dispensing room. Additionally, newer sites are moving away from using paper and becoming paperless facilities, instead relying on the internet and e-data to transfer information. Along with using e-data, these newer sites are implementing more sustainability-focused initiatives, further changing the sites. The continued improvement and implementation of next-generation manufacturing sites will surely be a trend within biopharmaceutical companies in 2025.
Regenerative Medicine
12. Investigational New Drug Applications (IND)
Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) are applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that companies in the medical field need to submit before administering a drug or treatment to a human in clinical trials. Completing INDs and compliance with the FDA will be incredibly important in 2025 for regenerative medicine, as it is one step closer to moving the industry from only conducting research to proving efficacy.
13. Beginning of Clinical Trials
Clinical trials determine how effective and safe a drug or medical treatment is by testing it directly on humans. In regenerative medicine, most work to date has been basic research, with very few clinical trials. However, a significant prediction for 2025 is the approval and commencement of clinical trials for various regenerative medicine therapies, moving away from solely basic research and proving the effectiveness of these treatments. Be on the lookout for the growth and development of the regenerative medicine industry with these trials in 2025.
