ADM‘s new 2025 Flavour and Colour Trends for Plant-based Applications report outlines the main themes and drivers shaping flavor and color trends for the upcoming year. In this new report, ADM states 2025 will be a year of embracing the “new human nature” and spotlights four key themes that will shape the F&B world and that reflect evolving needs for wellness, affordability and personalization.
Kelly Newsome, Global Senior Marketing Manager, Colors & Savory Flavors, ADM, describes what we can expect next year, and explains that “consumers are on a quest for novelty and positive sensory experiences”.
What are the flavor and color trends for 2025? How do they fit into plant-based product innovation?As technology continues to advance rapidly, consumers are gravitating toward flavors and colors that capture essential human qualities. In 2025, we anticipate a strong movement toward embracing a “new human nature,” with food industry trends in flavor and color reflecting diverse aspects of the shared human experience. Our newly released 2025 Flavor & Color Trends Report spotlights the key themes leading this shift.
1. Revisit & Re-Invent: Consumers are leaning into familiar and authentic flavors and colors in response to a technology-driven world. For example, single-flavour executions like a sun-ripened strawberry or vanilla bean will be prominent, particularly in the plant-based alternative dairy sector. For meat alternatives, our research shows that traditional meaty flavor cues, such as seared, caramelized and marinated, are especially important to consumers in Europe1. These flavors continue to have high appeal as consumers curate their consumption habits and turn to more plant-based products, as well as blended animal-based plus plant-based offerings for a wider array of protein options.
Additionally, shades of red resonate with consumers as they connect to their past with a bit of a twist, like with a bright red, raspberry-flavored plant-based frozen yogurt. Different red hues are also important for replicating the visual appeal of traditional ground beef and sausages, making plant-based alternatives more appealing.
Image credit: Spiral Farm
2. Adaptive Eating: As consumers adapt their diets to suit new lifestyles and economic concerns, affordability and satiety are in focus, putting a spotlight on flavor profiles that deliver savory richness and yellow and orange hues that embody the enjoyment in indulgent better-for-you foods and beverages.
Umami from flavors like fermented soy and mushroom create depth in blended or plant-based meat offerings while appealing to budget-conscious consumers. Creamy and rich flavor profiles, including dairy-type flavors, as well as honey or toffee create a perception of fullness even in healthier, reduced-fat formulations.
3. Euphoric Wellness: Plant-based innovations tap into consumer demand for foods and beverages that make them feel good. Botanical flavours like peppery, earthy turmeric and piney, fruity cardamom, are particularly on the rise. For plant-based products, we see these profiles appearing in frozen desserts or plant-based yogurts. Emerging flavors are emphasizing bitter notes, with hops presenting as “the new botanical.”
Fresh and earthy green shades capture the spectrum of consumers’ shifting moods, from relaxation to energy, and pair well with flavors that connect to foods and beverages offering nourishment for both body and soul.
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4. Made For [You]: Personalised flavors and unexpected pairings are engaging adventurous consumers. A playfulness and openness to experimentation will be represented through blue hues of the vast sky and ocean.
Fruit and spice combinations, such as in raspberry jalapeño sorbet, will create novel pathways for innovation within the plant-based sector. We’ll also see highbrow versus lowbrow concepts, like whole grain chips dusted in truffle and aged cheddar-type flavors.
How are brands using natural colors to enhance plant-based products?Colors from a plant-based source align with modern consumer expectations for clean labels and ingredient transparency, in addition to supporting vegan-suitable product positioning. Deep reds and earthy tones from sources like beet juice and paprika extract can replicate the raw and cooked appearance of traditional meats.
Brands can leverage these natural pigments to effectively mimic the visual cues of conventional proteins, making plant-based alternatives more palatable and familiar to consumers. By using naturally derived colors, brands emphasize the use of real, plant-based ingredients, catering to the growing demand for products that look appetizing while maintaining a health-conscious and minimally processed profile.
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Plant-based beverages typically present in more muted tones like beige or off-white, as seen in almond or oat milk. If a brighter, whiter color is desired, brands now have the option to use solutions derived from a natural source, such as native corn starch, without needing to rely on scrutinized colorants like titanium dioxide (TiO2).
Beta-carotene is also an excellent source to support a creamy, yellow appearance in plant-based cheeses and frozen treats. These products can benefit from subtle color enhancements that replicate the appearance of their traditional dairy counterparts. This visual strategy helps brands stand out on shelves and reinforces consumer perception of their products as wholesome and natural.
What is driving consumer interest in unconventional flavor pairings in the plant-based space?Consumers are on a quest for novelty and positive sensory experiences, stemming from a larger movement where food serves as both nourishment and an emotional catalyst. As we head into 2025, we anticipate more layered sensory interactions – cooling, warming or umami-driven sensations – providing a sense of discovery that is also tied to personalization and emotional fulfillment.
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Unconventional flavor pairings offer a way for consumers to explore new culinary experiences without sacrificing comfort or familiarity. Think of the savory and sweet combination of a maple-glazed plant-based bacon with a hint of rosemary, or a plant-based pulled pork ready meal featuring smoked paprika and citrus zest.
Exciting profiles are key to new protein formats – such as blended meat offerings – garnering traction with consumers. Blended concepts answer consumer calls for more protein diversity and content. Combining plant-based ingredients with plant- or animal-based proteins and wholesome ingredients delivers this variety and nutritional value, while also providing a unique opportunity for savory ingredient innovation.
Exploration is also emerging in the alternative dairy aisle. Playful pairings like a plant-based mango-lavender drinkable yogurt, elderflower-flavored brie, or orange cardamom cheesecake bite can each cater to consumers’ desire for premium, bespoke options that feel personalized and innovative. These combinations speak to the human pursuit of flavor exploration and the experience of new taste sensations while offering sophisticated flavors that appeal to the evolving palate and emphasizing how plant-based foods can be vehicles for flavor and culinary innovation.
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What formulation challenges need to be taken into consideration when choosing flavors and colors for plant-based products?Formulation challenges are particularly relevant in plant-based applications when incorporating vegan-suitable flavors and colors derived from natural sources. Ensuring plant-based ingredients like legumes and soy have exceptional flavor profiles requires careful formulation to prevent them from overpowering the intended taste, and this can be achieved with natural savory flavors and modulation technology.
Alternative dairy products often face the challenge of replicating the creamy, rich texture of traditional dairy while maintaining a clean label. This sometimes involves using stabilizers or alternative fats that align with consumer preferences for health and sustainability.
Plant proteins tend to bind with flavor and taste compounds, which may create undesirable earthy or beany notes. However, a formulation that starts with quality, clean-tasting plant proteins can mitigate these concerns. Through our extensive portfolio of vegan-suitable flavors, we ensure alternative applications deliver on crucial sensory expectations. This includes flavor types spanning milk, cream, butter and a multitude of cheese-type flavors, along with beef, chicken, pork, salmon and tuna, and more.
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In exploring the boundaries and nuances of flavor profiles, our chefs and flavourists study various breeds and preparations of proteins such as Jidori chicken or Kurobuta pork to find new sources of deliciousness that can be dialed into everyday products.
Furthermore, maintaining the vibrancy of natural colors in both product categories while undergoing different processing conditions, such as high heat or freezing, demands innovation in color preservation techniques and formulation adjustments. Our Colors from Nature™ portfolio provides vibrant, stable and consistent colors for foods and beverages.
These colors are derived from fruits, vegetables and botanicals, and do not have an impact on flavor thanks to our sophisticated deodorizing and masking technologies. Our extraction technology also removes sugars, starches and potential proteins, allowing the colors to withstand even the harshest processing environments and produce visually striking plant-based offerings.
1ADM VoiceSM, Savory Flavors, 2024
You can find ADM’s full report here: https://www.adm.com/en-us/news/adm-stories/adms-2025-flavor-and-color-trends-project-consumers-embracing-the-new-human-nature/
Additionally, specific regional flavor inspirations can be found here: https://go.adm.com/2025FlavorColor_RegionalInspiration
