ADM has released its report on the trending flavors and colors set to impact food and beverage innovation for 2025, through the lens of "new human nature." The company shares "This 'rediscovery' of the self will influence which flavors and colors resonate most with consumers as we explore emerging facets of the human experience."
ADM's 2025 Flavor and Color Trends Report examines four trend spaces driving consumers' choices. The report identifies which flavors and colors will shape food and beverage development and provide opportunities to captivate consumers with unique sensorial experiences that capture seemingly contradictory desires for the past and future, along with evolving needs for wellness, affordability and personalization.
4 Flavor and Color Trend Outlooks for 2025 According to ADM
1. Revisit & Re-Invent: The power of human memories and shared experiences coupled with new generations experiencing classic tastes and colors for the first time are leading to a reinvention of tradition through simplicity, familiarity and comfort.
Colors for this trend: Fruit punch, coral red and regal burgundy.
Flavor inspirations: Elevated berry, creamy, umami-rich flavors, indulgent sweet brown profiles and favorite and familiar fruits to each region.
2. Adaptive Eating: Consumers are tailoring their consumption moments to improve the quality of their health, adapt to changing economic or environmental concerns, and fulfill human needs for satisfaction from foods and beverages.
Colors for this trend: Ripe apricot, golden maize and terracotta.
Flavor inspirations: Orange, lime, apple/honey, creamy flavors/ cheese, dairy flavors, indulgent flavors types/ flavor technology to achieve unchanged taste in better-for-you formulations.
3. Euphoric Wellness: Flavors and colors are interconnected with human moods and emotions, and there will be an ongoing desire for options that represent different areas of wellness, including nourishment for the mind, body and soul.
Colors for this trend: Sweet sage, honeydew melon and earthy olive.
Flavor inspirations: Hops as "the new botanical" for hop-forward (not necessarily just alcoholic beverages, grapefruit, bergamot, tropicals and botanicals.
4. Made for [You]: Sparking human curiosity and creating meaningful moments leads to positivity and personal joy through exploring unexpected and personalized foods and beverages, brought to life through vibrant flavors and colors.
Colors for this trend: Blue spruce, summer blue and Neptune's Reach.
Flavor inspirations: Playful flavor concepts, flavor paired with sensations in cooling, heating and mouthfeel, highbrow/lowbrow flavor concepts.
Connecting with ADM
Jennifer Zhou, global product marketing senior director for flavors, highlighted the immense effort behind this year’s trends report, emphasizing how the team has expanded since April. “We’ve broadened our sources and engaged a global team of developers, consumer insight professionals, and chefs to bring a more comprehensive view," she shared. The report looks at both macro and micro trends, identifying early adopter behaviors that could shift mainstream in the future. “We filter through these microtrends with a data-driven analysis that spans industries—from fashion and interior design to technology—examining how they evoke emotion and influence flavors and colors,” Zhou explained.
Kelly Newsome, global senior marketing manager for colors and savory flavors, added that the report takes a holistic approach, rooted in macro trends that remain consistent year-to-year but with varying implications. “We’re looking at color trends across all industries—automotive, fashion, interior design, and, of course, food and beverage (F&B)—and identifying the shades that are creating emotional and cultural connections,” she said. The team has pinpointed four key shade ranges that are likely to penetrate the F&B industry, with emotional and cultural factors driving this shift.
In discussing the rising influence of technology, Zhou noted, “It’s no surprise that everyone is talking about tech and AI, but our report looks at how technology is reshaping our understanding of humanity. How are we responding to a tech-driven world, and what does that mean for F&B and colors? We can’t be defined by algorithms alone.”
Newsome also weighed in on the role of technology, remarking that consumers are now “harnessing the power of tech to make more informed decisions,” particularly when it comes to food and nutrition. One emerging trend she highlighted is “adaptive eating,” where technology helps consumers make smarter choices, whether it’s for weight management or balancing nutritional needs amid economic challenges. “It’s about how tech is shaping the way we live and eat in a more thoughtful way,” she said.
Zhou identified several key flavor trends, starting with a shift in nostalgia. “Nostalgia has evolved into something deeper—revisiting and reinvesting in familiar flavors, but with a twist. Simplicity and comfort are still at the heart of it, but there’s an emphasis on executing them fantastically,” she explained. Another key trend is “euphoric wellness,” which emphasizes mood-boosting foods and beverages. Bitterness, like that found in grapefruit, is expected to trend in 2025, along with botanicals like hops. “We’re seeing hops move beyond beer into non-alcoholic beverages, offering relaxation and emotional balance,” Zhou said.
Newsome concluded by discussing the “Made for You” trend, where personalization in F&B is becoming more proactive. “It’s about creating joy through food experiences—whether it’s a restaurant offering unexpected flavor pairings or manufacturers using colors in unique ways,” she explained. She cited a cookie brand that co-branded with a major movie franchise, allowing consumers to choose between colors representing good and evil. “It’s a fun way to personalize a simple snacking moment, and it’s a great example of how color and flavor can elevate consumer experiences,” she said. Newsome also pointed out that achieving certain colors, like blue, naturally remains a challenge, but it’s one the industry is actively exploring.