Ideas in Food 2027
In an industry faced with quickening change, new consumer realities and a never-ending onslaught of noise to navigate, looking beyond what’s already trending has become table stakes for staying competitive.
Hartman Group’s annual Ideas in Food trend report helps you do just that. Uncovering the “what” and “why” behind 20 emerging ideas across four key themes, the report connects early signals in consumer behavior and food culture to the broader forces shaping what’s to come. By tapping into decades of consumer insights and trend forecasting expertise, you’ll better understand how consumers arrived at today’s realities, anticipate where their behaviors and expectations may go next and recognize emerging opportunities before they become mainstream.
For food and beverage leaders navigating uncertainty and planning for the future, Ideas in Food 2027 helps you see beyond the immediate noise, make sense of what’s changing and turn emerging signals into opportunities for strategic innovation.
Published October 2026 | Report length: 40 pages | U.S. market coverage
Report (PowerPoint and PDF)
Ongoing trends tracking and analysis by Hartman Group analysts
Introduction
- Chapter 1: Who We Are
- Chapter 2: How We Feel
- Chapter 3: How We Shop
- Chapter 4: What’s on the Plate?
- Questions for Brainstorming & Discussion
- Who We Are highlights five broad, macro-cultural areas which are foundational to Americans’ lives and impact—directly or indirectly—all identified trends.
- How We Feel shows that emotions often take center stage. We explore how individual and collective feelings are increasingly affecting consumers’ food and beverage choices.
- How We Shop unpacks several notable influences—on screens, in aisles and even in consumers’ bodies—around food and beverage decision-making.
- What’s on the Plate explores nutrients, flavors and ingredients on the rise. We contextualize each trend—going beyond identifying trends to explain the forces driving change.
- Questions for Brainstorming & Discussion contains inspiration for innovation and reflections to help food and beverage brands, manufacturers and retailers consider how to respond to these trends in the year ahead.
