Hamburg, February 2025 – Dairy products are seeing worldwide revenue and sales growth, according to market research firm Innova Market Insights. One of the major drivers of this is new product launches, which grew by 2.6 percent in the last five years. West Europe accounts for the lion’s share of launches at 36 percent, followed by Asia and Latin America. Yogurt and cheese, in all their varieties, are among the most popular categories. A major reason for the success of this category is, doubtless, the fact that it addresses the ongoing megatrends of health, indulgence, and convenience while repeatedly presenting itself in fresh new ways, as Hydrosol shows with the example of the latest Innova Top Ten Trends.   

Ingredients with added value

According to Innova, “Ingredients and beyond” is one of the central trends for 2025. The quality of the ingredients is a major purchase criterion. Consumers want ingredients with added value, such as health benefits, nutritional advantages, freshness, shelf life, or naturalness. An example of this trend is protein enrichment. According to Innova, the main priority is no longer just the protein content alone but the quality of the protein, its bioavailability, and its absorption in the body. Hydrosol has developed a stabilizing system for the production of milk-based meal replacement drinks that meet these requirements. In addition to high protein content, the system also contains fiber for a satiation effect. To go with this system, sister company SternVitamin has developed a micronutrient premix add-on that delivers essential vitamins and minerals, covering 30 percent of the reference daily requirement.  

Tradition Reinvented

Reviving or reinterpreting culinary childhood memories: According to Innova, the “Tradition Reinvented” top trend can be cultural differentiation by country, region, or microregion, or a blend of different influences. Products, ingredients, recipes, seasonings, and packaging forms can express traditions classically or in new ways. Hydrosol addresses this, for example, with new ideas for spreadable processed cheese preparations. Thanks to the flexible stabilizing system, these can be made with the addition of cheeses like cheddar. They can be packaged in traditional triangles, as is usual in the West European market, or in jars, as is often done in the Middle East.  

Wildly inventive

Mochi with ice cream filling and lemon pie cookie dough, protein shakes with crispy castella cake croutons, cornflakes and maize, or cheese sticks with extra calcium and strawberry flavor – the wilder the better is the idea. The focus of the “wildly inventive” top trend is new and exciting taste experiences. These products can be fusions of two categories, like snacks and main courses. They can also be unexpected combinations of sweet and spicy flavors, also known as “swicy”, or combinations of different product types like lemon pie mochi ice cream. Milk mixed beverages are also ideal for these flavor adventures. With the stabilizing systems of the Stabiprime range, Hydrosol enables the simple production of high-quality milk mixed beverages. Sister company Olbricht Arom provides creative flavorings, from spicy classics like chili chocolate to new ones like caramel popcorn, cheesecake lime, or hot honey coffee. Enrichment with added vitamins and minerals is easily possible, as Hydrosol shows with its Best Ager concepts.  

Nourishment from within

The Best Ager concepts, which Hydrosol developed together with its sister companies SternVitamin and OlbrichtArom, are aimed at the 55+ generation, for whom fitness, an active lifestyle, and, most of all, good nutrition are important. One example is yogonaise, a mayo sauce containing 20 percent thermized and fat-reduced yogurt. Its calcium enrichment contributes to normal digestion and gut function. It also has a reduced fat content of 18 percent and is high in fiber. With these added health benefits, yogonaise checks the boxes on the current “Nourish from within” Top Trend identified by Innova. Its creamy texture and fresh flavor also offer high purchase motivation for new opportunities in the market for deli foods.  

About Hydrosol 

Hydrosol GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in Ahrensburg near Hamburg, Germany, is a fast-growing international supplier of food stabilizers with subsidiaries around the world. Its specialists develop and produce tailor-made stabilizer systems for dairy products, ice cream and desserts, delicatessen foods, and ready meals, as well as meat, sausage, and fish products. With an international network of 19 subsidiaries and numerous qualified foreign representatives, the company is represented in the world’s key markets. As a subsidiary of the independent, owner-operated Stern-Wywiol Gruppe with a total of twelve sister companies, Hydrosol can make use of many synergies. The company has access to the knowledge of some 125 R&D specialists and to the extensive applications technology of the large Stern-Technology Center in Ahrensburg, Germany, as well as shared production facilities and the Group’s own logistics resources. This lets it offer customers a high degree of flexibility and innovation. With revenues exceeding 672 million euros and some 1974 employees around the globe, the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe is one of the world’s most successful international suppliers of food & feed ingredients.