GLOBAL BAKERY TRENDS 2026


buying clean-label products. Clara


Faustina, Senior Marketing


Manager, Sweet Goods and Bakery EMEA at ADM, believes these trends are no longer operating independently. “Consumers expect bakery products to deliver a balance of enjoyment and nutritional value,” she explains. “Successful products must deliver great


taste and texture


while supporting wellness goals through ingredients like protein, fibre and colours and flavours derived from natural sources.”


More than healthy Health remains a dominant purchasing driver, but it is increasingly being interpreted in broader terms. Consumers are paying closer attention to ingredient familiarity, formulation transparency and foods that appear “closer to nature”. ADM’s research reflects this changing


mindset, with seven in ten global consumers saying it is important that food and beverages do not contain artificial colours. Rather than simply reducing ingredients, manufacturers are being challenged to reformulate products while maintaining the eating experience consumers expect. This places ingredient functionality


firmly in the spotlight. Replacing sugar, increasing protein or incorporating fibre is no longer enough if these changes negatively


or texture. The technical challenge for formulators is creating products that satisfy nutritional objectives without compromising the sensory characteristics that drive repeat purchases. One company watching trends


particularly closely is Délifrance, the global bakery manufacturer and subsidiary of the cooperative group VIVESCIA. Working with foodservice operators, retailers and artisan bakers across more than 100 countries, the company recently identified six defining bakery trends that it believes will shape product development throughout 2026. Rather than viewing health, indulgence and convenience as competing priorities, Délifrance argues that the most successful products will be those that combine them into a single proposition. Délifrance argues that functional bakery


is becoming firmly established, with protein, digestive health and fermentation moving into the mainstream. The company notes that 42% of consumers now identify protein as the most important ingredient


affect flavour, appearance


in their diets, while high-protein bakery is forecast to remain one of the fastest- growing segments through the remainder of the decade. At the same time, sourdough continues to broaden its appeal beyond artisan bread, with increasing interest in its digestive benefits, flavour development and application across viennoiserie, sandwiches and pâtisserie. Rather than existing as niche health products, protein-enriched breads, breakfast pastries and fermented bakery products are increasingly positioned as everyday choices that combine convenience with nutritional value. Puratos also points to flavour as an area


where bakery businesses can differentiate themselves without fundamentally changing their core ranges. As consumers become more adventurous, citrus fruits, fermented ingredients and internationally inspired


VIRAL TRENDS, SUCH AS THE RECENT DOT CAKES TREND, CAN EMERGE QUICKLY, AND BRANDS MUST BE SWIFT IN THEIR RESPONSE WITH NEW FLAVOURS, FORMATS AND LIMITED-TIME OFFERINGS


flavour combinations are moving into mainstream bakery. Pairings such as orange with chocolate, passion fruit, yuzu and other vibrant fruit profiles offer opportunities to refresh familiar products while maintaining the comfort and familiarity that remain central to the category. Lesaffre, the global specialist in


Clara Faustina, ADM


fermentation and baking solutions, recently highlighted research demonstrating the potential of yeast-derived proteins in bread formulations. According to the research, breads enriched with yeast proteins showed significantly higher protein levels while maintaining good crumb structure and softness, despite a modest reduction in loaf volume. Increased crumb moisture contributed to a softer eating quality, while mixing and fermentation processes remained largely unchanged, suggesting


JUNE/JULY 2026 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • 25


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