The savoury landscape is evolving faster than ever. Staying ahead means understanding the forces shaping both consumer demand and product development. From the growing influence of GLP-1-related eating behaviours to the rapid integration of AI in flavour creation and optimisation, the industry is entering a new era of insight-driven innovation.

At the same time, European snack producers are navigating a complex environment marked by cost pressures, regulatory shifts, and changing expectations around health, sustainability, and taste. How can savoury products continue to deliver indulgence while aligning with these new realities?

In this edition, we explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities defining the savoury sector – offering perspectives to help you turn complexity into competitive advantage.

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Let’s continue exploring the possibilities of flavour innovation for savoury food products together! From building rich umami profiles to fine-tuning authentic taste experiences, our savoury flavour solutions are crafted to meet evolving consumer expectations. To learn more about our portfolio and how it can enhance your applications, get in touch with our key account manager.

With Spark Trends 2026, Bell EMEA presents its latest trend platform for future-oriented flavour and fragrance innovation. Based on global market research, cultural observation, and consumer insights, we translate societal developments into concrete impulses for product development.

The 2026 edition shows how taste, well-being, sustainability, and emotional experiences shape consumer behaviour across categories and regions. At the same time, selected Micro Trends have been further developed and updated to reflect new market dynamics and evolving consumer needs more precisely.

Our Spark Trends 2026 reaffirm the long-lasting global Macro Trends that continue to shape consumer behaviour and the innovation landscape. These guiding principles are complemented by updated Micro Trends that translate global insights into concrete market opportunities.

For our customer meetings, we prepare and present these Micro Trends in a tailored and exclusive way, supporting individual innovation strategies and category-specific concepts.

Together, they form a holistic framework for future innovation strategies.

Since 2015, Bell’s Spark Trends platform has been unlocking creativity by forecasting influential consumer trends in the flavour and fragrance industries. Today, Spark stands as a unique, all-in-one guide to what’s next in the swiftly evolving consumer landscape.

Our Spark Trends provide answers to big questions arising year over year: How are consumer demands changing? What are the next big flavours, fragrances and botanicals? And how can our customers deliver on-demand products consistently amidst disruptions on a global scale?

To answer these questions, our experts combine a deep market understanding with comprehensive knowledge of the global culinary influences and innovations that are shaping the future of flavours, fragrances and botanicals.

Bell’s Spark Trends platform tracks five pivotal macro trends that are driving consumer behaviours today and shaping them for tomorrow. Identified by our global marketing teams, these trends reflect universal values shared by people across cultures and continents. At Bell, we’re committed to staying at the forefront of these trends, helping brands connect with consumers in meaningful and impactful ways.