The Kroger Co. revealed its top five food trends for 2025, with food dupes, hot peppers and fermented flavors among the customer behaviors and anticipated popular items for the year ahead.
The predictions are developed by Kroger’s team of food experts, including Our Brands’ product developers, chefs, buyers, culinary specialists and Kroger’s retail data science arm, 84.51º, for a projection of what people will be buzzing about.
“Our Brands provide an opportunity to get exceptional value on the top trending products while still enjoying the same high quality and unique flavors customers crave,” said Juan De Paoli, VP of Our Brands for Kroger.
“2025 is all about flavor – with hot peppers continuing to rise, fermented flavors quickly growing in popularity and staples like Caesar finding new adaptations in the kitchen. Whether customers are looking to try a new dupe on a viral favorite or explore the real power of protein, Kroger is excited to offer Our Brands products that give customers a taste of their favorite trends.”
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Top predictions
Food dupes
Retailers continue to offer items that rival – and sometimes surpass – the national brand equivalent, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Customers are tasting the high quality and seeing the savings shopping private label provides and are turning to them for dupes of their restaurant and CPG favorites. Expect more shoppers to choose store brand alternatives, as well as continued private-label innovation to match that demand.
Bold & briny
Shoppers are exploring more ways to incorporate acidic, briny and fermented flavors into their meals to enhance the overall freshness, brightness and texture. On the horizon for 2025 is an increased use of super briny foods like olives, pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi.
Protein renaissance
Protein is no longer just a tool for bulking up; it’s increasingly sought after by customers looking to maintain energy levels throughout the day and support overall health. While popular staples like chicken, yogurt and cottage cheese have staying power, the retailer predicts a growing interest in collagen and more incorporation of plant-based proteins such as beans, lentils and hemp seeds into daily diets.
Pepper palette
Customers shifted from chasing the highest Scoville ratings to exploring how heat maximizes flavor. And delving into spices and peppers from international cuisines – Calabrian chiles, guajillo peppers and hatch chiles – allows them to do so. As spice aficionados continue to experiment, expect emerging pepper varieties to appear in wings, pizza and pasta.
Hail, Caesar
Caesar salad innovation is at an all-time high. Beyond traditional salads and wraps, recipes featuring Caesar dressing on pizza, pasta and a variety of leafy greens beyond romaine lettuce are gaining popularity. Look for creative combinations of the umami-rich dressing with flavors like miso, tahini and black garlic.
