What’s up in 2026: Trends across the F&B landscape

How does 2026 taste? Here are our Top 5 trends we see emerging across the food and beverage world in 2026.

Cross-Collabs: Think Outside the Box

One of the most exciting trends heading into 2026? For us, it’s cross-collaborations. We see F&B brands increasingly think outside their own categories to drive innovation. The goal: Offer unique experiences to unlock new audiences and cater to the adventurous, curiosity-driven preferences of today’s modern consumers. It’s seen as a strategic way to not only innovate, but to share reach and stay competitive. And the momentum is real: Between 2023 and 2025, there was a plus of 114% in global product launches featuring brand collaborations.²

While food and beverage mash-ups have been around for a while, we are lately seeing more and more fusions far beyond F&B – especially collaborations with fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands are capturing consumer interest and are reshaping the F&B market. One good example: Poppi x Tower28, where a better-for-you soda meets clean beauty. A perfect match that was THE collaboration of last holiday season.³

Cross-collabs are here to focus on creatively mix and match. This concept is especially powerful as limited edition to bring unexpected flavors, fresh storytelling and a dose of FOMO that not only could spark attention but also could drive sales.

Hello Asia – nǐ hǎo

One trend that has been around for a while, but is likely to grow even more in 2026: Asian-inspired food and beverages. In fact, F&B launches with Asian flavors have been increasing at an impressive +24% year-over-year growth (2023-2025).¹ The trend is all about exploring these bold, intense and often unexpected flavors and turning them into delicious mainstream applications.

Especially the Korean Wave, the so called Hallyu, is in the spotlight of this trend. It has already conquered the global markets influencing everything from music (K-Pop), movies (e.g. Demon Hunters), beauty (Korean skin care routine) and of course also the F&B world. Looking ahead, we expect to see even more K-creations to flow into food and beverages – from jasmine tea, yuzu and jujube to more adventurous notes like kimchi, there is so much potential for brands to get creative.

This trend is also strongly influenced by social media, where it is often decided which flavors go viral. From mango sticky rice to the spicy noodle challenge, banana milk coffee and major coffee shops creating innovative beverages inspired by their favorite K-characters, the Asian trend sparks curiosity and generates demand for these signature flavors at the same time.

The Fresh & Flavorful Future of Fermentation

We expect fermented beverages to experience a revival in 2026. Why? Consumers are increasingly prioritizing their gut health – and fermented ingredients can contribute to this trend naturally. In Germany, even 58% of consumers with digestive problems consume fermented products more than once a week to support their gut health.⁴

In the spotlight of fermentation is Kombucha. It’s considered as healthy and praised as better-for-you alternative to sodas. And this year, the classic format is evolving into flavorful options. We see Kombucha getting an upgrade with herbal twists like southernwood, rosemary, and thyme as well as fruity versions with raspberry, mango, and blueberry.

But there is even more to this trend. On social media a viral boom of fermenting all kinds of organic ingredients into delicious beverages is evolving:⁵

• Fruits like lemon or pineapple (fermented into tepache, a famous beverage from Mexico)
• Botanicals like ginger, turmeric and pine needles
• Vegetables like carrot and beet root
• Kvass, a traditional Eastern European fermented drink made of bread or grains

For brands we think, this is a chance to get creative, crafting fresh, flavorful fermented beverages that excite consumers and are better-for-you alternatives to classic sodas.

Female Wellness: Cycle Synching

On social media there is a huge wellness trend for the women – it’s cycle syncing. From TikTok to Instagram women are talking about drinking & eating with their hormones – but what exactly does this mean? Cycle synching is the practice of women adjusting their diet and lifestyle based on the hormonal changes that occur throughout the phases of their menstrual cycle: follicular, ovulation, luteal and menstruation.⁶

A cycle-friendly diet aims to support the body in each phase specifically. Take the follicular phase, for example, when estrogen levels rise sharply. In this phase fermented foods are recommended as they are said to provide valuable probiotics, which help the body process estrogen more efficiently.⁷ And of course, let’s talk about cravings. Sugary cravings throughout the menstrual phase are totally normal and social media is full of comforting yet healthy recipes tailored to women’s needs.⁸

This where we see functional teas and beverages to be in the spotlight of 2026. We think of deliciously, but healthy botanical lattes or mocktails made with natural ingredients like cinnamon, ginger or beet root.

Although this topic is hot on social media, scientific evidence is still limited. But experts agree on one thing: personal experience of women, listening to their bodies and prioritizing comfort can be genuinely empowering.  So, we think this trend is definitely worth watching offering brands new opportunities to innovate products tailored to each phase of the cycle.

The Glow-up: Longevity meets Beauty from within

Consumers are more and more focused than ever on what they can do today to look and feel their best in the future. There is a strong emphasis on maximizing longevity as well as their health and appearance in a holistic way. Consumers are especially prioritizing disease prevention, looking fit and attractive, maintaining mobility and keeping an active mind.⁹

To support this lifestyle, many consumers are turning to ancient remedies like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offering natural approaches. Take Jamu for example, a traditional Indonesian morning drink made with roots and botanicals – a daily wellness ritual that is said to rejuvenate.¹⁰

The beauty from within trend is also trending on social media: More and more beauty influencers are sharing their functional recipes for that glow from within. We see the viral Cleopatra tea with hibiscus for female wellness or clove tea that is said to support glowing skin.¹¹

Another hot topic on social media feeds: Collagen. Long praised for its role in supporting skin elasticity, joint health and bone strength, it has become a staple in the wellness routines of creators and influencers. Whether enjoyed in a natural way through bone broth or blended as a powder into flavorful wellness drinks, we see a lot of collagen infused beverages with that special spark of creativity – each embracing the beauty from within movement.¹² Looking ahead to 2026, this opens up exciting opportunities for F&B brands to offer functional yet natural solutions to nourish from within.

That are some exciting trends for this year and we’d love to bring them to the shelves together. Contact us at sales@martin-bauer.com. 2026 – we are ready!

¹ Innova Market insights, Review Annuga 2025
² MB-Recherche
³ https://www.socialnative.com/articles/tower-28-x-poppi-the-cross-category-collaboration-of-the-season/
⁴ Innova 2025: Booze the best – whats new in kombucha, global
⁵ TikTok
⁶ https://healthmatters.nyp.org/cycle-syncing-how-to-understand-your-menstrual-cycle-to-reduce-period-symptoms/
⁷ https://www.womenshealth.de/food/gesunde-ernaehrung/fermentierte-lebensmittel-deshalb-profitieren-frauen-gleich-dreifach-davon/
⁸ Instagram, TikTok
^9,10 Innova, Consumer Trends 2026
^11,12 TikTok