The U.S. food industry is hurtling into 2024–2025 with a shopping list of new consumer demands. Product developers barely finished reformulating for last year’s fads, and here comes another wave: shoppers want ingredient labels they can understand, more fiber for gut health, way less sugar, and oh—could we save the planet while we’re at it? No pressure, right? In this slightly irreverent but insight-packed tour, we’ll break down how to future-proof your food formulas for the coming trends. We’ll also spotlight a novel solution (hint: it involves almonds in their shells) that checks all the boxes: clean label, high fiber, low sugar, and sustainability. Grab your R&D goggles and let’s dive in.

Clean Label 2.0: Keeping it Real (and Really Simple)

Consumers have trust issues with their food these days. The internet has taught everyone what “ultra-processed” means, and now even your grandma is side-eyeing the ingredient list on a loaf of bread. Nearly 1 in 2 consumers globally say they bought more fresh, unprocessed foods in the past year, and about 30% are actively cutting back on processed foods . In other words, if it sounds like a chemistry experiment, it’s not going in the shopping cart. This “clean label” movement – essentially foods with simple, recognizable ingredients – has gone fully mainstream. In fact, 30% of new food and beverage launches globally now carry some kind of clean-label claim, with “no additives or preservatives” being the most common brag . Transparency isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a baseline expectation. Three-quarters of consumers say they reconsider purchases if the ingredient list looks suspicious, and 58% want clear information on ingredients and sourcing .

Food brands are responding by reformulating recipes to drop artificial additives, shorten ingredient lists, and even highlight “minimal processing” in marketing. Mintel has dubbed this trend “Trust the Process,” noting that the frenzy over “ultra-processed” foods is actually inspiring interest in products that are less processed and use upcycled, nutrient-rich ingredients . In plain English: if you can show that your product is made simply (and even better, prevents food waste), you’ve got consumers’ attention.

The Sugar Shake-Up: Less Sweet, Still Satisfying

If sugar was a pop star, 2024 would be its awkward “rehab and redemption” tour. After years of being public enemy number one in the nutrition world, sugar is finally getting cut down to size in product formulations. This trend isn’t exactly new – we’ve all seen the rise of diet drinks, zero-sugar snacks, and Keto-friendly everything – but it’s accelerating. Three in four Americans now say they’re trying to limit or avoid sugar in their diet. 75%! That’s not a trend, that’s a lifestyle change. And they’re not just vaguely “watching” their sugar; 63% of those sugar-conscious folks specifically watch out for added sugars on labels. Blame it on greater health awareness, fear of diabetes, or those eye-opening new Nutrition Facts labels that plainly list Added Sugars (thank you, FDA). The bottom line: consumers want their sweet treats without the sugar rush, and they’re actively seeking lower-sugar options.

Food and beverage companies have gotten the message loud and clear. According to Innova Market Insights, 10% of all new food and drink launches in 2024 carry a low/no/reduced sugar claim, and over half of those boast “No Added Sugar” on the package. From cereals to sodas, reformulation is underway to yank out excess sugar and swap in everything from stevia and monk fruit to fiber syrups and allulose. Market data from Ingredion shows a 64% of consumers globally trying to cut sugar for health reasons, and “no added sugar” product launches growing at about 4.2% CAGR in recent years. Governments are nudging things along too – with sugar taxes and advertising restrictions in some locales – but it’s consumer demand driving this reformulation wave. People haven’t ditched their sweet tooth; they’re just demanding smarter sweets. We’re living in the era of the stealthy sweet: products that taste indulgent but quietly keep the sugar grams low.

However, cutting sugar is easier said than done. Sugar isn’t just a sweetener; it’s a bulking agent, a preservative, a texture enhancer (that lovely mouthfeel in ice cream? Thank sugar). So the challenge for developers is to remove or reduce sugar without screwing up the product’s taste and texture. Many have turned to soluble fibers and novel ingredients to fill the gap. Here again, RE-NUT®’s in-shell almond ingredients offer a clever hack. Almonds naturally contain very little sugar and are low on the glycemic index, so both the milk and flour are starting from a low-sugar baseline. More intriguingly, the *fiber and healthy fats in almond flour can act as a natural filler and texture booster, which means you can replace some of the sugar or syrup in a recipe with this nut flour without losing bite or moisture. RE-NUT®'s in-shell nut solids are a “100% natural filler” to enable sugar reduction in chocolates, spreads, cookies and more. Think of it like this: instead of using maltodextrin or extra starch to make a reduced-sugar chocolate spread still feel rich, you could blend in almond flour – cutting sugar, adding fiber, and keeping a nice mouthfeel. It’s killing three birds with one stone (or rather, one nut).

For beverages, consider almond milk. Traditional almond milk is often lightly sweetened to improve flavor, but in-shell almond milk has a richer, nuttier taste and creamy body thanks to the extra solids from the skins/shells. This naturally fuller flavor might mean you can get away with zero added sugars in the final product (the dream of every plant-based milk maker is to have “Unsweetened” taste good). And since almond milk has no lactose, it’s already a sugar-free alternative to dairy milk (which contains ~13g natural sugar per cup). By using in-shell almond milk in, say, a smoothie or a latte formulation, you’re adding body and nutrients without adding sugar. It’s like a cheat code for developers: build sweetness perception through flavor and texture, not actual sugar.

Let’s not forget the marketing win here: slapping a “No Added Sugar” or “-40% Sugar” flash on a product can directly boost sales, given that 45% of consumers prioritize nutrition and ingredients over price and a good chunk are willing to pay more for reduced-sugar claim. By reformulating with smart ingredients (fibers, nut flour, high-intensity sweeteners, etc.), brands can achieve those claims and stay on the right side of consumer taste buds. The next wave of successful products will likely be those that quietly swap sugar out and healthier ingredients in, without consumers noticing a difference until they read the label. In-shell almond flour fits that narrative perfectly: it’s a better-for-you ingredient that improves nutritional profile (more fiber, less net carbs) while maintaining indulgence. As we like to say, it lets you have your cake and cut the sugar too – literally.

Future-Proofing with Purpose (and a Dash of Irreverence) 

Keeping up with consumer demands can feel like chasing a runaway train: as soon as you hop on one trend, another is on the horizon. But the 2024–2025 wave of reformulation trends doesn’t have to be overwhelming. At their core, these demands (clean labels, high fiber, low sugar, and sustainability) all point to one big theme: better food, by design. “Better” meaning food that’s healthier for people and kinder to the planet, yet still convenient and tasty. Product developers and food manufacturers who embrace this holistic approach will be the ones leading the pack (and filling the shelves) in the coming years. It’s about future-proofing your formulas so that when the next consumer craze hits, you’re already there with a solution that resonates.

The good news is you don’t need a crystal ball; you just need the right partners and ingredients. Innovations like RE-NUT®’s in-shell almond milk and almond flour are examples of how thinking differently about raw materials can unlock solutions to multiple challenges at once. They enable you to simplify ingredient lists, fortify products with fiber and protein, cut down on sugar, and shrink the environmental footprin all in one go. That’s a pretty compelling value proposition whether you’re in R&D, marketing, or the sustainability office (or wearing all those hats at once, as is often the case). In a friendly spirit we’ll say: it’s time to go nuts (literally) and turn these trends into opportunities. Your consumers (and maybe the planet) will thank you.

Ready for Scale: From Pilot to 2027 Launch

Ready to ride the next wave of food innovation? Whether you’re formulating a high-fiber snack, a low-sugar treat, or a planet-friendly beverage, RE-NUT’s ingredient systems might just be the toolkit you need for 2025 and beyond. All these benefits will soon be available at an industrial scale. RE-NUT® is currently building out the Blueprint Line, our first full-scale production line for in-shell almond processing, located in North America. This state-of-the-art facility, to be operational by Q1 2027, will mark the commercial debut of in-shell almond flour.

Ready to innovate with us? Get in touch to learn more about our early partnership program, obtain sample batches for testing, or schedule a demo. Together, let’s create the next generation of confections that are not only irresistibly delicious, but also rich in goodness and rooted in sustainability. The future of nut-powered, better-for-you treats is almost here, and we’d be thrilled to have you on board.