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GLP-1 food and drink innovation: “Flavour still matters”

Many GLP-1 users have altered flavour preferences, becoming highly nuanced and “complex” with important implications for how brands formulate, says the Institute of Grocery Distribution.

According to UK non-profit Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), usage of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, has almost doubled in the UK, up from 3.1% in June 2025 to 6% in March 2026. Awareness is also rising, with 94% of UK adults now aware of weight loss drugs, up from 88% in June 2025.

Crucially for the food and beverage industry, IGD said GLP-1 usage is “actively reshaping how food tastes, with many users reporting altered flavour preferences”. And this, it said, holds important implications for industry and new product development efforts.

GLP-1 users experience “complex” flavour preferences

For GLP-1 users, IGD said “flavour experiences are complex”. According to its research findings, 59% of users cite a decreased preference for fatty foods; 49% for sweet foods; 37% for creamy foods; and 32% for salty foods. By contrast, 27% show an increased preference for sweet or creamy foods and 32% are enjoying spicy foods more.

Speaking to Ingredients Network, Caroline Young, shopper insights manager at IGD, said: “Fatty and highly indulgent flavours are often less relevant with many users preferring simple, familiar flavours that are easy to tolerate.”

However, whilst food enjoyment tends to be reduced as food becomes more functional than emotional for some GLP-1 users, Young added: “Flavour still matters, and many users are still enjoying food and even wanting to treat themselves, albeit in smaller ways.”

Taste, therefore, has to remain a priority for food and beverage development targeting GLP-1 users, alongside portion size and nutritional composition. “Taste is always important to guarantee repeat purchase,” she said.

Manufacturers must act fast

Young said as GLP-1 usage grows globally, manufacturers must act fast when it comes to targeted product development. “There are a plethora of new products being launched by retailers that target the needs of GLP-1 users but many manufacturers are still watching and learning, and they will be left behind if they don't act soon,” she said.

Laura Jacobson, senior partner for Retail Futures at IGD, said brands already strongly positioned around health are “well placed to win with GLP-1 users”.

Whilst there are clearly some very specific needs and preferences amongst users, a lot also widely align with broader health trends already gaining momentum, Jacobson said, including a stronger focus on protein and fibre, hydration, and getting more nutritional value into smaller portions.

As such, she said many manufacturers can look to simply reposition existing ranges instead of innovate from scratch, working to either speak explicitly to the GLP-1 audience or communicate more broadly around “overlapping health needs and missions”.

Young agreed, noting GLP-1 users should certainly not be considered a “niche segment” given how much overlap there is across needs, expectations and preferences with other consumer groups.

Smaller portions, for example, also appeal to elderly consumers and high-protein products are important for those looking to build muscle. “Consider how innovation and messaging can appeal to both GLP-1 users whilst at the same time appealing to a broader base.”

Jacobson added “the most strategic players” are taking a “solution mindset” to work out how products can support GLP-1 users as wider routines change. “That could be creating easy dinner options for them and their families, alternative options for celebrating a special occasion, or staying on track whilst they're on-the-go.”

The 'nuances' of GLP-1 use

For companies wanting to successfully engage GLP-1 users, Young said it will also be “increasingly important” to understand the nuances within the GLP-1 user base. “Consumption preferences and shopping behaviour differ depending on their motivation for starting the medication, so manufacturers need to understand those nuances to successfully target those groups,” she explained.

Matthew Berry, global insight manager for food, cooking and meals at Euromonitor International, agreed, noting that tracking the “increasingly complex” evolution of GLP-1 medication usage, as supplements, microdosing, seasonal usage, pills, and even some multi-agonists garner pace beyond injectables, will also prove key.

“What I'm really watching for is how some of these newer formats start to affect the picture,” Berry said. “There has been some good research done on what GLP-1 use does to food consumption patterns, but little to none of it has been done on people taking the pill formats or multi-agonists. What I think the key story of 2026 and 2027 is going to be is considering how usage is diversifying, at least in the United States, and what that means.”

The other key story is around the “globalisation of demand”, he said. “The expiration of patent protections in many large markets this year means that these drugs are arriving at much more accessible price points in markets where they have previously been pretty marginal. The US has, so far, been leading the way when it comes to devising strategies to deal with rising GLP-1 use and I think, increasingly, Americans will be learning lessons from abroad as usage spreads.”