The beverage market has changed. Those who still haven’t realized it will feel it in their revenue.

Brazilians are drinking differently. The food and beverage industry generated R$1.39 trillion in revenue in 2025, an 8% increase compared to the previous year, according to ABIA. For 2026, the association projects real sales growth between 2% and 2.5%, driven by the domestic market.¹ But volume alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Beneath this growth, the product mix is changing, consumers are changing, and the categories that once dominated shelf space are now under pressure.

Those who understand the nine macro trends shaping this market today will formulate the right product at the right time. Those who continue betting on what has always worked will realize the problem when it is already too late to react.

1. Consumers are drinking less — and choosing far more carefully.

The starting point for any serious analysis of the beverage market in 2026 is consumer behavior. The biggest shift is not in the product itself. It is in the people buying it.

Research from IWSR shows that global consumption of non-alcoholic beverages grew 9% in volume in 2025. Sales of zero-sugar energy drinks increased 25% during the same period. Zero soft drinks grew 10%.² Generation Z and millennials have adopted a lifestyle where pleasure and awareness coexist. And when they need to choose between the two, awareness usually wins.

This movement already has a name in market research. Euromonitor International calls it “Zebra Striping” — the habit of alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during the same social occasion.³ Consumers are still attending the same social moments, but they are choosing what goes into the glass with far more intention than before.

For the industry, this means products that cannot justify their presence in the shopping cart will be left behind. What remains are products that deliver functionality, taste, and a story consumers can tell themselves when they read the label.

2. Generic Ozempic entered the market. The industry’s equation is about to change.

In March 2026, semaglutide lost patent protection in Brazil. The 4th Panel of the Superior Court of Justice unanimously denied Novo Nordisk’s request for a patent extension, generic versions are already queued at ANVISA, and the market is expected to grow significantly as more affordable alternatives arrive.⁴

The impact on purchasing behavior has already been documented abroad. A PwC survey (2024) showed that GLP-1 users reduced spending on food by approximately 11% across most categories, with the sharpest declines in sweet and salty snacks.⁵ A Cornell University study published in the Journal of Marketing Research (2025) confirmed this trend: households with GLP-1 users reduced total grocery spending by 5.3% within the first six months of treatment, reaching 8.2% among high-income households. Fast-food spending dropped 8%.⁶

For alcoholic beverages, the scenario is even more drastic. According to Morgan Stanley, assuming a 75% reduction in alcohol consumption among users — a figure supported by clinical studies — widespread GLP-1 adoption in the United States could reduce total alcohol demand by up to 55%.⁷ EY-Parthenon already reports that 44% of users drink less after starting treatment, and 82% maintain that habit even after stopping the medication.⁸

The issue goes beyond appetite suppression. Clinical studies show that up to 40% of the weight loss associated with GLP-1 therapies may come from lean body mass.⁹ This creates a new and growing demand: consumers eating less now require more nutrition per serving, especially protein, fiber, and micronutrients. The first companies to respond to this demand will capture a market that is still being formed.

3. Clean label is no longer a differentiator. It is now a requirement.

The global clean-label ingredients market reached US$28.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit US$89.7 billion by 2034, growing 12.2% annually, according to Global Market Insights.¹⁰

The movement itself is not new, but it has reached an inflection point. Labels are no longer secondary details — they have become the protagonist. Consumers are rejecting long ingredient lists they do not recognize, and this rejection is directly reflected in purchasing behavior.

For energy drinks, soft drinks, and protein beverages, this has a practical implication: reformulation is no longer a marketing initiative. It has become an urgent industrial decision. Red Bull and Monster have already reformulated entire product lines into zero-sugar versions. Demand for energy drinks made with clean ingredients, naturally sourced caffeine such as guaraná, green tea, and guayusa, and without artificial additives is strengthening brands that positioned themselves early.

And the trend goes beyond zero sugar. It includes plant-based sweeteners, natural flavors, and traceable ingredients. Consumers want to know where what they drink actually comes from.

4. Flavor became a brand strategy.

In Europe, the spicy trend has reached beverages. What started in the U.S. with spicy cocktails like the “Spicy Margarita” crossed the Atlantic and is now influencing product development, with the first signs already appearing in the Brazilian market.

The broader movement is the combination of sweet and spicy flavors dominating launches across multiple categories, reflecting a shift in consumer appetite toward more complex sensory experiences. According to Kerry, bold creativity and multisensory experiences are at the center of product development in 2026.¹¹

For energy drinks, this represents a clear opportunity for differentiation. Flavor is no longer just a product characteristic — it has become the brand’s identity. In the energy drink market, where sensory perception is the main driver of repurchase, tropical aromas, bold flavor profiles, and unexpected combinations will define the next category leaders.

5. RTD is no longer just a format. It has become where everything will happen.

The global ready-to-drink beverage market generated US$732 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach US$1.2 trillion by 2032, growing at an annual rate of 6%.¹² This has reconfigured the beverage market itself.

Cans and ready-to-drink bottles have become the preferred vehicle for every other trend: clean label, functionality, protein, fiber, adaptogens, gut health, and sugar reduction. Powdered or concentrated products still have a market, but growth is happening in ready-to-drink formats because that is where consumers are willing to pay more and discover new products.

For manufacturers and formulators, the technical challenge has become more demanding. Products need to remain stable throughout a 12-to-18-month shelf life, perform under acidic pH conditions, withstand pasteurization or UHT processing, and maintain flavor and appearance from the day of production to the last day before expiration. Having the right ingredient is not enough if it sediments, turns cloudy, or loses functionality during industrial processing.

6. Gut health: from niche topic to purchasing criterion.

Gut health has become a priority for most global consumers, and this concern is moving directly onto beverage shelves. Launches featuring prebiotic and probiotic claims in soft drinks and energy drinks grew 51% in 2025, according to Innova Market Insights.¹³ Consumers have learned that gut health simultaneously impacts immunity, skin, mood, and energy levels.

For the industry, this creates two simultaneous movements: the opportunity to add gut-health claims to existing products, and the risk of losing consumers to competitors who moved first. Soluble fiber is the cleanest ingredient to capture this movement, without the adverse effects associated with conventional fibers and with the added benefit of clean-label positioning that reinforces the product’s natural appeal.

7. Beverages that only hydrate are losing relevance.

The global functional hydration beverage market could reach US$66.6 billion by 2034. In Brazil, the category is growing at 7.33% annually between 2026 and 2033 — well above the industry average.¹⁴ Consumers have learned that beverages can serve as a vehicle for nutrition, not just hydration.

The “Beverages with purpose” trend, identified by Innova Market Insights as one of the ten major forces shaping the food and beverage market in 2026, describes products that combine hydration with electrolytes, minerals, protein, probiotics, or prebiotics — and communicate this value clearly on the label.¹³ Consumers do not want to guess the benefit.

Flavored waters, reformulated sports drinks, protein RTDs, and electrolyte-enhanced energy drinks are the fastest-growing categories within this movement. The flavored water market alone is expected to surpass US$29 billion by 2031. Companies still developing products for this category as if they were simply flavored beverages are already behind.

8. Adaptogens have moved beyond the wellness niche. They are now inside the energy drink can.

Ashwagandha, ginseng, reishi mushrooms, rhodiola. Until recently, these ingredients were mainly found in supplements sold in specialty stores for a very specific audience. In 2026, they are appearing on café menus, supermarket shelves, and in the formulations of energy drinks and RTDs aimed at mainstream consumers.

Innova Market Insights identifies stress as the leading mental health concern consumers are trying to address through food and beverages.¹³ This has created an entire category of “mood drinks” — products promising focus, calmness, clean energy, or anxiety relief, depending on their positioning. Adaptogenic teas, rhodiola-based energy drinks for mental focus, and beverages containing L-theanine for calm energy are growing across every relevant market.

For the Brazilian industry, this remains an opportunity window that has not yet been systematically occupied. Adaptogenic ingredients create shelf differentiation, support legitimate functional claims, and appeal to consumers seeking both cognitive and emotional performance. The companies capable of combining this positioning with strong flavor and convenient formats will create an entirely new category in Brazil.

9. Protein, fiber, and intelligent sweetening: the new formulation triad.

The previous eight trends converge into one technical challenge: how do you reformulate a product to deliver more value in less volume, with a clean label, effective flavor, real functional benefits, and a cost structure that makes the business viable?

The answer lies in intelligent ingredient selection.

Sugar-free sweetening without aftertaste

Raw sugar prices in the international market have fallen to their lowest level in five years, and part of this decline is already being attributed to the GLP-1 effect in USDA projections. For the industry, this reinforces an already existing financial argument: replacing sugar reduces cost volatility, lowers calories, and appeals to consumers who read labels carefully.

The challenge lies in execution. According to Cargill’s Sweetness Spectrum Report (2023), more than 55% of consumers view artificial sweeteners negatively.¹⁵ The flavor modulation technology used in Total Ingredientes’ EdulTAZ line solves this problem on an industrial scale.

EdulTAZ PWi and PW use high-intensity blends (acesulfame K, sucralose, and flavor enhancers) to replace 100% of the sugar while maintaining a sensory profile close to sucrose, without metallic or bitter aftertastes. They are the best cost-benefit option for high-volume reformulations such as soft drinks, energy drinks, and ready-to-drink beverages.

EdulTAZ MF goes further by using naturally sourced sweetening systems. Zero calories, vegan, and formulated with minimal additives, it is the ideal positioning for premium and clean-label products that need to communicate naturalness on the label without compromising sensory performance.

Protein that works inside the product

The growth of the “beauty from within” and active nutrition markets is now well established. Consumers using GLP-1 medications, exercising regularly, or looking to age well want protein in their beverages — but they also expect that protein not to cloud the drink, create off-notes, or destabilize shelf life.

TAZCol Instant meets these requirements with proven stability under acidic pH conditions and UHT processes, instant solubility, and neutral flavor. When combined with essential amino acids, the system mimics a complete protein, enabling the dual claim of “Collagen” and “Source of Protein” under RDC 54 regulations.

For energy drinks, soft drinks, and RTDs seeking entry into the functional beverage category with a legitimate value proposition, it is a solution that R&D teams do not need to recalibrate batch after batch.

Fiber nobody notices — but every label now needs

More than 30% of GLP-1 users experience constipation.¹⁶ At the same time, mainstream consumers are becoming increasingly focused on gut health. Adding conventional fiber to beverages often creates problems: bloating, gas, and cloudiness.

FibreGum B solves this differently. It is an acacia gum fiber with 90% soluble content, complete stability at pH levels as low as 2.0, no precipitation throughout shelf life, and no impact on color or texture. It enables gut-health claims with a clean label — listed simply as “Acacia Gum Fiber” — without the sensory drawbacks that make consumers switch brands.

In practice: how this becomes a product

A reformulated energy drink for 2026 could combine these three pillars inside one can. EdulTAZ for clean sweetness and calorie reduction. TAZCol Instant + amino acids for protein differentiation and premium claims. FibreGum B for gut health without compromising sensory experience. High-impact natural flavors (tropical, guaraná, berry) to create the flavor identity that defines category leaders.

The result is a product designed for consumers who drink less but demand more, prepared for the post-GLP-1 world, built around a clean label, delivering gut health benefits, functioning as a “beverage with purpose,” and sustaining a value narrative that justifies premium pricing — all inside a stable RTD can from the first day of production to the last day before expiration.

Those who wait will end up chasing a position that has already been taken.

The beverage market is not going to shrink. It is going to split in two.

On one side: commoditized volume, pressured by GLP-1 adoption, appetite reduction, and lifestyle changes.

On the other: value — products delivering more per serving, intentionally chosen by consumers, and capable of sustaining higher margins.

The window to position yourself on the second side is still open. But the time available to formulate, validate, and launch products has limits. The brands using the right ingredients now will already be on shelves when the wave fully arrives. Those waiting for confirmation will find the space already occupied.

Total Ingredientes acts as a technical partner throughout this process, from ingredient selection to production-line validation.

Request a Formulation Feasibility Study and product samples for testing.

References

ABIA — Brazilian Food Industry Association. 2025 Industry Report. March 2026. Available at:https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/economia/noticia/2026-03/industria-de-alimentos-e-bebidas-cresceu-8-em-2025-diz-abia

IWSR. Global Non-Alcoholic Beverage Volume, 2025. / Stantec. Global Zero Sugar Energy Drink Sales Report, 2025.

Euromonitor International. Zebra Striping Consumer Behavior Report. 2025.

STJ — 4th Panel. Unanimous decision denying semaglutide patent extension (REsp 2.240.025). December 2025. CNN Brasil, March 2026.

PwC. GLP-1 Trends & Impact Survey, June 2024. Available at:https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/business-model-reinvention/glp-1-trends-and-impact-on-business-models.html

Cornell University / Numerator. “The No-Hunger Games: How GLP-1 Medication Adoption is Changing Consumer Food Demand.” Journal of Marketing Research, December 2025. Available at:https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/12/ozempic-changing-foods-americans-buy

Morgan Stanley Investment Management. “Next Order Effects of Increasing GLP-1 Use.” 2025. Available at:https://www.morganstanley.com/im/en-us/individual-investor/insights/articles/effects-of-increasing-glp-1-use.html

EY-Parthenon. GLP-1 Consumer Survey. March 2025. Available at:https://www.ey.com/en_us/insights/consumer-products/glp-1-shifts-alcohol-market-dynamics

Neeland, I.J. et al. Changes in Lean Body Mass with Glucagon-Like Peptide-1-Based Therapies and Mitigation Strategies. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2024. Endocrine Society ENDO 2025.

Global Market Insights. Clean Label Ingredients Market. 2024–2034.

Kerry Group. Taste Charts 2026 / Creatively Bold Food & Beverage Trends. 2026.

Fortune Business Insights. RTD Beverages Market. 2024.

Innova Market Insights. Top Ten Trends 2026: Shaping the Future of Food & Beverage. 2025.

Global Market Insights / Deep Market Insights. Functional Hydration Beverages Market Brazil 2026–2033.

Cargill. Sweetness Spectrum Insights Report. 2023.

Wilding, J.P.H. et al. STEP 1 Trial — Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. NEJM, 2021.