Food trends 2025: what impact on consumption and livestock farming?

Ranking of Global Food Trends in 2025

In 2025, major food trends remain stable, with little change in ranking compared to 2024. The slowdown in innovations launched in 2023 and 2024 is largely due to inflation, which has constrained R&D projects and led to retailers rationalizing product offerings, leaving less room for innovation.

1. Sustainable Food: Consumers continue to choose more ethical and environmentally friendly food options. This remains the primary driver of food industry innovations.

2. Health-Oriented Nutrition: There is a slight increase in the number of health-oriented food products launched in 2024, with consumers showing a willingness to pay more for healthier products.

3. Smart Shopping: A resurgence of homemade food and private label products is observed, while food consumption recovery in Europe remains modest.

4. Natural and Plant-Based Foods: The shift toward plant-based meals continues to grow, with numerous innovations in alternative protein sources. Nearly half of global consumers now identify as flexitarians.

5. Personalization: Increased demand for indulgent and comforting foods in response to a stressful global context. Fusion food, blending recipes from different cuisines (e.g., ramen burgers, sushi burritos), is also gaining popularity.

6. Transparency: Labels and packaging information are becoming more widespread, though the launch of an environmental label in Europe and France has been delayed.

7. Omnichannel Food Consumption: This trend is slightly declining, but social media is becoming a major platform for product promotion, particularly through food influencers

These food trends significantly impact the animal nutrition and production industries.

Impacts on Animal Nutrition and Production

Sustainable Food Trend

Reducing environmental impact is a major priority in animal nutrition, with several key initiatives:

• The industry is committed to reducing the use of deforestation-linked soy in animal feed. Although the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) has been delayed, "Protein Plans" have been launched to reduce dependence on imported products in France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
• The harmonization of "green" labeling for animal feed is underway at the European level, based on PEFCR and GFLI standards.
• The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), requiring companies with over 250 employees to report on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) actions starting in 2026, will impact many clients and partners, including CCPA.
• Additives aimed at reducing methane emissions are expanding across Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and Asia, driven by demand from the dairy and retail industries. After experimental phases, these products are now being deployed on the field.
• Beyond reducing the environmental footprint, biodiversity is emerging as a key concern, particularly for ruminant farming and extensive livestock systems. Efforts focus on preserving grasslands and improving protein self-sufficiency.

Health-Oriented Nutrition Trend

• Significant global research is being conducted on quorum sensing (bacterial cell communication) and its applications in animal nutrition.
• Reducing medication use in livestock remains a major goal across all regions. This will be one of the key topics at the upcoming VIVASIA 2025 exhibition.

Smart Shopping Trend

• Inflation has negatively impacted the consumption of meat and processed meat products. Combined with the decline in the number of farmers and cattle herds in the EU, this has weakened slaughterhouses and animal nutrition companies.
• The MERCOSUR trade agreement, signed in 2024, raises concerns among several EU member states about the influx of cheaper imported animal products into the European market.
• In early 2025, the EU anti-dumping measure could increase feed costs for pigs and poultry by €4-5 per ton, as lysine—essential for monogastric animals—is particularly affected. This could lead to higher livestock production costs and potentially more expensive meat products.
• On the positive side, poultry products (eggs and meat) continue to perform well, favored by consumers for their good price-to-quality ratio. In the past decade, French egg consumption per capita has increased by 35 eggs (+3.5 eggs per year). France regained its position as the EU's top egg producer in 2023.
• The focus on improving feed efficiency has never been stronger among animal nutrition stakeholders, as it remains a key strategy for economic optimization in livestock farming.

Within CCPA Group, these major trends drive numerous research and innovation projects, as well as field solutions focused on sustainability and feed efficiency. Feel free to contact us to learn more!