TRENOS SiGINT: Anuga 2025 Food Trends

JC Analyst: October, 2025

Signal:

Anuga 2025 has just wrapped up and revealed an industry maturing beyond novelty. Plant-based and alternative proteins remain central, but the spotlight has shifted to integration whiuch means hybrid systems, fermented and microbial inputs, as well as nutrient-dense whole foods. Clean-label transparency and climate resilience now drive procurement, while personalised nutrition and functional benefits re-shape NPD briefs. The consumer signal is clear: “make it natural, make it traceable, make it work.”

Human Factor:

Consumers are no longer buying labels, they’re buying outcomes. Whether it’s protein-rich snacking for energy, gut-friendly fibre for comfort, or adaptogenic teas for stress control, people want food fitting their mood and metabolism. Trust, taste, and tangible benefit are the new holy trinity.

TRENOS Metrics Snapshot

Signal	Data Point
TikTok Views	#highprotein (6.3 B), #guthealth (3.9 B), #plantbased (7.8 B)
Retail Footprint	7 major halls hosting 8,000 brands (>30 % with plant-based or functional claims)
Ingredient Format	Fermented proteins / Mycelium / Lupin / Carob / Algae / Hybrid meats
Product Range	Functional snacks, protein bakery, fermented drinks, hybrid meats, cocoa alternatives
Consumer Segment	Flexitarian, Active wellness, Climate-aware, Gen Z taste seekers
Brand Origin	EU dominant (≈ 60 %), APAC rising (15 %), notably Thailand & Australia
Export Status	100+ brands seeking APAC distribution agreements
Trend Classification	High-Protein Natural / Functional / Climate-Smart / Clean-Label
System Pressure Point	Cost vs scale of novel proteins and regulatory acceptance

Long Play Analysis – “Food Systems in Flux” - ANUGA 2025

Anuga 2025 marks the consolidation of a global shift from innovation theatre to implementation reality. The buzzwords of the last decade, “revolution,” “disruption,” “meatless miracles”, have given way to conversations about scalability, nutrient density, and ingredient security. Fermentation and hybridisation are not side acts anymore, they are the commercial backbone of the next-gen protein economy.

For investors, retailers, and governments, the signal is strategic - sustainability is no longer a CSR checkbox but a sourcing necessity. Expect surging demand for regionally sourced, low-impact ingredients such as lupin, chickpea, carob, and seaweed. For Australia and New Zealand, this is both an export opportunity and a domestic wake-up call. The infrastructure built for dairy and red meat can now be partially repurposed for microbial and plant-based production, aligning with Asia’s surging protein appetite.

The data narrative from Anuga 2025 is that “future food”  has gone mainstream, but its future ownership is still up for grabs. Whoever controls the cleanest supply chains and the most credible stories will write the menu for 2030.

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