Key trends shaping opportunities in the food and beverage sector 2026
Key trends shaping opportunities in the food and beverage sector 2026
Coinciding with the fifth annual Food and Beverage Finance Summit, A&L Goodbody, Allied Irish Banks, Goodbody, KPMG, and University College Cork have come together to produce this publication, Building Global Food and Beverage Companies: Key Trends Shaping the Sector in 2026. The report is intended to provide senior food and beverage executives with practical, evidence-based insights to support strategic business planning, investment decisions, and long-term competitiveness in an increasingly complex operating environment.
The publication opens with an overview of the macroeconomic environment shaping the food and beverage (F&B) sector in 2026. This contextual foundation outlines key global and regional economic indicators, including inflation trends, interest rates, consumer spending patterns, supply chain pressures, labour market conditions, and the accelerating impact of digital and AI-enabled technologies
Building on this backdrop, the report draws on leading industry and consumer sentiment research to identify the major risks and opportunities facing the sector, alongside evolving business priorities for 2026. The report also provides an update on regulatory developments relevant to the F&B sector from both an EU and Irish legislative perspective. These include evolving requirements in packaging and waste reduction, emissions reporting, labelling standards, and increased0020scrutiny of health claims. Collectively, these changes are acting as both a constraint and catalyst for innovation, particularly in reformulation, packaging design, and supply chain traceability.
A further section considers the growing “war on ultra-processed foods” and its implications for the sector. For F&B companies, the focus on ultra- processed foods is accelerating reformulation, ingredient simplification, and investment in healthier portfolios, while also creating challenges around classification and consumer perception. The evolving role of sustainability from a standalone ESG ambition to a core operational and financial priority is also discussed.
