The world around us

Consumer preference for more natural products

In increasing numbers, shoppers rejected synthetic additives and artificial colors in foods, prompting a number of major retailers to commit to large-scale reformulation. Walmart (US), for instance, pledged to remove 11 synthetic dyes and over 30 other additives from its private-brand foods by 2027, following similar moves in its Sam’s Club portfolio. Other leading manufacturers, including Campbell’s, General Mills, and Kraft Heinz, announced similar initiatives, signaling an industry-wide pivot toward natural solutions. The global natural food preservation market is valued at € 1.6 billion, expanding at a steady 4-5% CAGR per year.

The accelerating movement toward more natural solutions based on fermentation-based antimicrobials, plant extracts, and mineral salts is a key outcome of consumers’ growing understanding of how food and nutrition choices affect their health and wellness. The trend is also intensified by an aging population clearly focused on improving health through diet.

Corbion is poised to capture this trend. Under BRIGHT 2030, we will continue to grow in natural-label preservation and advanced food formulation. Our portfolio of fermentation-based, label-friendly ingredients and formulation expertise give manufacturers effective alternatives that meet rising demand for transparency and natural solutions. Our strengths in this area will be crucial for many customers in complying with tightening regulatory standards, such as the EU’s more restrictive Listeria legislation, which goes into effect in summer 2026. Combined with expansion into adjacent categories such as culinary and seafood, these capabilities position Corbion to lead in high-potential markets and deliver sustainable, profitable growth.

GLP-1 drugs and changing consumption patterns

Another major trend by consumers’ focus on health, has been the rapid adoption of GLP-1 medications for weight management, which continued to alter grocery spending habits in 2025. Users of these drugs reported a 5–6% decline in food purchases, particularly in high-calorie, highly-processed categories like snacks and baked goods. However, while overall volumes softened, demand for nutrient-dense, protein-rich, and higher-value foods remained resilient, which led brands to innovate with functional, label-friendly offerings.

Corbion is uniquely positioned to help manufacturers respond to these shifts. Our long-standing expertise in fermentation and sustainable, science-backed ingredients enables us to create solutions that enhance nutritional profiles—lowering sodium or fat, and increasing vitamins, minerals, and protein.

Through initiatives like our 2025 collaboration with the Ferment4Health Project, we are translating cutting-edge microbiome research into scalable ingredients that support gut health. This positions Corbion as a natural partner for customers seeking to meet rising consumer demand for products that promote wellbeing, including those aligned with GLP-1–related pathways.

Regulatory and sustainability pressures

Pressures on healthcare systems increased as obesity and mental health challenges kept rising among an aging, growing population. The destigmatization of mental health, which experienced an uptick with the onset of the global pandemic in 2020, progressed further as people learned more about caring for their mental and emotional wellbeing. This led many in search of products and solutions that fit their personal condition or objective.

Corbion is equipped to help customers navigate this evolving landscape. Our regulatory team actively monitors global shifts and provides guidance to anticipate compliance requirements. Beyond compliance, Corbion helps raise safety standards and lower product losses by combining natural preservation solutions—such as vinegar systems, natural ferments, and lactates—with predictive modeling tools that help customers control pathogens and reduce spoilage across categories.

In the food market, our vinegar-based systems are widely used in bakery, meat, dairy, sauces, and dressings to inhibit spoilage organisms and combat foodborne pathogens. Our AI-driven Listeria control modeling, including dynamic temperature modeling that reflects real-world supply chain conditions, enables customers to optimize formulations, improving food safety and reducing waste caused by premature spoilage or overly-conservative expiration dates. Together, these capabilities deliver compliance, efficiency, and value creation in a market increasingly shaped by regulatory and sustainability pressures.

Economic pressures and inflation

Across all of the above-described trends and market dynamics, persistent inflation—from energy and raw materials to logistics—continued to drive higher food prices and reshape purchasing behaviors. As household budgets tightened, many consumers gravitated toward value-driven options, including private labels, while manufacturers focused on improving cost efficiencies through packaging optimization and waste-reduction strategies.

Food preservation is becoming increasingly strategic for food manufacturers, both as a means of maximizing efficiency in production and distribution, and as a way to increase brand value by reducing spoilage and helping consumers get the most from the products they buy.

As health, sustainability, and economic realities converged in 2025, label-friendliness and natural preservation progressed away from being considered “niche” towards being seen as a new standard shaping the global food landscape. With BRIGHT 2030 as our next strategic chapter, Corbion is well positioned to turn these challenges into opportunities—shaping the future of sustainable food, offering differentiated natural and label-friendly ingredients, expanding into adjacent categories, and leveraging innovation to help customers improve efficiency, reduce waste, and deliver value in an inflationary environment.