Highlights
The 2025 global dairy trends to watch are:
- Functional dairy
- Cheese innovation
- Flavor innovation
Top Dairy Trends to Watch in 2025
Health and taste are driving global dairy trends, with functional dairy, healthier cheeses, and new flavors on the radar for 2025.
Dairy trends continue to evolve as innovation keeps pace with changing consumer demands. While plain fresh milk remains a staple globally, innovating with functional benefits, format, and flavor keeps things exciting and relevant for consumers.
Top Dairy Consumed at Least Weekly (Global)
| Dairy Product | % Consumers |
|---|---|
| Fresh milk | 71% |
| Butter | 51% |
| Yogurt | 47% |
| Hard cheese | 45% |
| Soft cheese | 45% |
| Ice cream | 33% |
| Cream | 31% |
Source: FMCG Gurus, Reinvigoration of Dairy in 2024, March 2024
Here’s a look at the global dairy trends for 2025:
The 2025 Global Dairy Trends
1. Functional Dairy
Breakthroughs in food fortification technologies allow brands to add vitamins, minerals, protein, and probiotics to a range of dairy products without impacting sensory and quality attributes, attracting consumer interest in the benefits of functional and fortified dairy.
Protein claims have been growing in the past few years and are the top claim in recent dairy drink launches in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.1 Other health claims standing out in new dairy drinks are digestive/gut health, probiotic, and vitamin/mineral fortified.2
Dairy Protein Benefits:
- A complete protein with all nine essential acids
- Supports muscle growth and recovery
- Can promote feelings of fullness
- Supports muscle function for healthy aging
- Rich in calcium and phosphorus for bone health
- Contains immune health bioactives
Besides fortifying with protein and probiotics, some brands feature dairy bioactives in innovative products for kids. Research supports the positive roles of lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, and glycomacropeptides (GMPs), for example, in immune function. Lactoferrin, popular in infant nutrition, is now showing up in products promoting gut and brain health.
2. Cheese Innovation
Another healthy dairy trend underway is innovation in better-for-you cheese. In the US, healthiness is the leading driver of cheese consumption after taste.3 Among consumers who have increased their cheese consumption, healthiness is the #1 reason.4
To make cheese even healthier, some companies are using membrane filtration technology to reduce fat or boost protein. Addressing increasing demand, low and reduced fat options are now available in several of the most popular cheeses, including mozzarella, cheddar, and provolone.
Claims Influencing Dairy Cheese Purchasing Decision (US)
| Product Claim | % Consumers |
|---|---|
| Natural / made with real ingredients | 30% |
| High in / source of protein | 22% |
| No artificial flavors or colors | 20% |
| Low / no / reduced fat | 14% |
| Functional ingredients | 13% |
Source: Innova Market Insights, Crafting the Future: US Trends in Dairy & Non-Dairy Cheese Innovation, April 2024
Higher protein cheese, both fresh and dehydrated, is another growth opportunity, with baked cheese snacks like Whisps Baked Cheese Popped with 10 grams of protein gaining a loyal following. Other innovations include fortified cheeses with omega-3s or vitamins and minerals for bone or immune health.
3. Flavor Innovation
Flavor is highly influential for consumer purchasing decisions in certain dairy segments. Flavor innovation in recent milk drink launches include Norco Minecraft flavored milks in Lime Lightning and Caramel Chug (Australia) and Cadbury Creamy Chocolate Caramel Flavour Milkshake (UK and Ireland).
Yogurt, both spoonable and drinkable, is another flavor-forward dairy segment. New Hope Fermented Milk Drinks recently launched in several novel flavors for yogurt drinks, including White Peach and Oolong, Kumquat and Jasmine, and Matsutake Mushroom (China).
While traditional and nostalgic flavors are doing well in dairy, innovative flavors tap into consumers’ desires for flavor variety and new flavor exploration. Mindfulness in balancing health and flavor—for example, keeping sugar and fat in check when formulating dairy drinks and yogurts—will help brands stay responsive to consumers’ needs.
Elevate Your Dairy Products
Staying ahead of global dairy trends can inspire product innovation and ensure consumer connection. To make your dairy products even better, we offer a range of dairy solutions, including proteins, bioactives, micronutrients, cheeses, and flavors.
Contact Glanbia Nutritionals to learn how to optimize your dairy offerings today, from cheese to dairy drinks and beyond.