If you haven't refreshed your food product labels in a while, this is the year to do it. The global economy has been radically altered over the past decade and impacted how people buy food and beverages — and what they buy.
To remain competitive, attract new buyers with shifting food preferences, and grow in this new reality, food and beverage brands must rethink how they present themselves to the world. And that starts with your most visible branding element: your product labels.
Whether you're managing an established food brand or launching your first product, what shoppers want from your label has changed more in the last three years than in the decade before it. In this blog, we share five current trends reshaping the food and beverage buying landscape, along with practical guidance on how to adapt your food product labels to stay competitive.
At a Glance: What Today's Shoppers Want From Food Product Labels
- Inflation is pushing consumers toward new and private-label brands, and first impressions still matter even at lower price points.
- E-commerce grocery shopping is now standard behavior, and food product label design needs to work as well on a phone screen as on a store shelf.
- Sustainability spans generations now and is increasingly regulation-driven, not just values-driven.
- Clean, simple ingredient lists and health-forward claims are winning with today's more-informed shoppers.
- Nostalgia and permissible indulgence are strong purchase motivators alongside health consciousness.
- Brands that speak to multiple trends at once, without losing label clarity, are the ones outperforming right now.
How Is Inflation Changing Shoppers’ Impressions of Food Product Labels?
Inflation is squeezing shoppers, making them more sensitive to the value of a food product and more willing to switch to other brands if it means a lower price.
As prices climb and leave store inventories spotty, many consumers are open to alternatives to their favorite food brands. Affordable private labels, or store brands, are especially having a moment.
Lowering price points can also create an opening in the food product market for smaller regional or local brands that would usually cost more but hold a competitive advantage in some volatile markets with less reliance on large supply chains.
Consumers may also be making more cautious purchasing decisions by buying less overall or buying in bulk for more value wherever possible.
How Should My Custom Food Labels Respond to Price-Conscious Shoppers?
Food and beverage buyers in 2026 want quality products at affordable prices, which should be reflected in your custom food label.
Don't expect to win new customers just by costing less or being in stock. First impressions still matter. Attractive packaging and cohesive, thoughtful branding have helped create cult followings for private labels from stores like Target, Trader Joe's, and Costco.
The key is to offer value with a brand commitment to quality, so customers feel confident taking a risk on a smaller or lower-priced brand. Fortunately, a distinctive product label design can convey this.
Also consider making your branding more prominent on food product labels rather than relying solely on small UPC stickers. Branded green marketing is increasingly popular: One survey showed that despite cost-of-living concerns, some consumers are willing to pay almost 10% more for sustainable products. With so much choice in the food and beverage market, consumers connect with stories and brands that align with their values. Use your product label to tout your brand's freshness, purity, or local origins.
Whether you're chasing new buyers or holding onto loyal ones, knowing what today's shoppers actually want from their food and beverage labels can make all the difference.
How Has Online Shopping Changed Food Product Label Design?
Since 2020, online food and grocery shopping has surged, making the design choices of a food product label all the more important as shoppers rely more on face value. Consumers are increasingly using AI tools and algorithmic recommendations to discover and reorder products.
About 1 in 5 U.S. residents reported buying groceries online at least once in the last month, according to recent USDA research. People like shopping for groceries online for the same reason they shop for everything else online: convenience.
How Can I Make My Custom Food Labels Look Better Online?
Your label imagery and product data need to be optimized for the digital shelf as much as the physical one. What sells on store shelves may have a harder time getting attention online.
Many people shop for groceries on mobile devices, where fine product labeling details and tiny text get lost. A busy food product label design may look muddy on a phone screen, whereas a cleaner design with a few bold colors tends to communicate your message more effectively.
Keep in mind: 64% of consumers pay more attention to food labels now than they did five years ago, so your product's appearance really does matter. Think carefully about what you want your label to say about your brand, and work with a skilled label designer and experienced label printer to make your vision a reality.
Online grocery shoppers who can't inspect items in stores also want reassurance that their purchases haven't been tampered with. Tamper-evident labels can provide the confidence your customers are looking for and build lasting trust in your brand.
Does Sustainable Food Packaging Still Matter to Today's Shoppers?
Sustainability is no longer just a Gen Z preference. It spans generations, and it's increasingly regulation-driven for food manufacturers.
Consumers of all ages scrutinize product labels to learn about your brand's values. According to a 2024 report, 85% of consumers say climate change has directly impacted their daily lives, and they're shopping more mindfully as a result. They want to see tangible sustainability practices in the products they buy, down to production methods and eco-friendly packaging.
As sustainability values grow across generations and more food manufacturers aim to meet that demand, regulations around sustainability claims have become stricter. Working with a knowledgeable label printer helps ensure your next food label printing job doesn't end up tangled in compliance issues.
How Can My Food Label Printing Choices Reflect My Sustainability Values?
Your food label communicates sustainability even to shoppers who aren't primarily motivated by it. There's a widespread satisfaction in knowing that a product is regulatory-compliant and values clean sourcing and reduced waste.
To reach eco-conscious consumers, feature your brand's sustainability credentials front and center on your product label. One way to do this is with voluntary third-party certification symbols, such as the Non-GMO Project seal and Fair Trade certification. You can also use QR codes or other smart label technology to direct consumers to your brand's sustainability story online.
Many shoppers are also concerned about the environmental impact of product packaging. Speak to your label printer about sustainable food packaging materials and eco-friendly food label printing options. Your printer might recommend:
- Slimming down your custom food label to conserve materials
- Choosing sustainable label materials such as FSC-certified paper or eco-friendly packaging options
- Removable labels to promote reuse, recycling, or composting
- Reducing label liner waste by using thinner liners or participating in a liner collection and recycling program
What Do Health-Driven Shoppers Want to See on Food Product Labels?
Over the past few years, there have been major shifts in what health-driven shoppers want from their food product labels, including greater transparency around ultra-processed foods and simpler ingredient lists that are clear and recognizable.
Consumers are more conscious about what goes into their food and how it impacts their health, particularly with the introduction of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic. For the 1 in 8 adults currently using weight-loss drugs, purchasing habits are shifting toward smaller portions and a greater focus on protein and fiber content, where clear food labeling claims can make a real difference.
Yet 1 in 5 people struggle to understand nutritional information on food labels and are wary of long, multisyllabic ingredient lists. Manufacturers that want to win over consumers and build trust are wise to simplify ingredient statements and provide clear, recognizable information.
Consumers are increasingly using food choices to address specific health concerns:
- Mental health — mood-supporting ingredients, adaptogens, stress relief
- Gut health — probiotics, prebiotics, fiber
- Weight management — protein, fiber, and portion-friendliness
- Healthy aging — collagen, antioxidants, joint support
- Global flavors — growing interest in global cuisines for both flavor complexity and perceived health benefits
Food manufacturers must also stay current with the frequently updated regulatory landscape and new U.S. Dietary Guidelines with updated expectations around highly processed foods.
How Can My Custom Food Label Communicate Health and Function?
Health and function-forward products are increasingly expected in the market, but claims on food labels must be accurate and compliant.
For food and beverage brands leaning into global flavors, calling out ingredient origins or regional certifications on your custom food label, think "Oaxacan-style chili" or "single-origin turmeric from India," gives health-conscious shoppers the specificity and storytelling they're looking for right at the point of purchase. This kind of transparent, specific food label printing approach builds credibility while differentiating your product on a crowded shelf and on the digital shelf alike.
Brands that can credibly tap multiple trends at once, like a gut-healthy, globally-inspired snack with clean ingredients, are setting themselves up for long-term success.
Why Are Comfort and Nostalgia Popular in Custom Food Labels Now?
Alongside health consciousness is a desire for the opposite: food that brings comfort, familiarity, and indulgence in trying times, like the comeback of canned meats. Consumers are drawn to retro aesthetics and simpler times, and products like Spam and boxed goods like Hamburger Helper are seeing renewed interest as a result.
There's a strong and growing market for what the industry calls "permissible indulgence," snacks and foods that feel like a treat but come with some nutritional credibility. Think protein-forward desserts, fiber-rich chips, or portion-controlled comfort foods. These products are outperforming because they meet shoppers where they actually are: somewhere between wanting to feel good about what they eat and wanting to enjoy it.
How Can I Use Nostalgia in My Product Label Design?
Using classic, heritage-inspired product label design, like retro color palettes or vintage fonts, can evoke familiarity and signal simplicity. Sending consumers back in time in the grocery aisle can be a strategic asset, not just an aesthetic one.
Products with indulgent ingredients benefit from cozy, sensory-forward label design and copy. Snack-forward brands can market indulgence while positioning health responsibility, with copy suggesting the food is best enjoyed in smaller portion sizes or as a special-occasion treat.
Putting It All Together
No single trend here operates in isolation. The food and beverage brands gaining ground right now are the ones finding ways to speak to more than one of these forces at once. A gut-healthy snack with clean ingredients and sustainable packaging that photographs well on a mobile screen isn't chasing five trends. It's building one coherent brand story and then telling it on a label that works hard enough to carry that story wherever the product goes.
That kind of intentional product label design doesn't happen by accident. It takes a label partner who understands both the production and strategic sides, and who asks the right questions before anything goes to print. If you're ready to think about what your custom food label needs to accomplish in 2026 and beyond, ”The Complete Guide to Custom Food and Beverage Labels” is a good place to start.
Trends Change. Your Food Product Label Strategy Doesn't Have to Start Over Every Time.
Food and beverage trends move fast, and the brands that hold their own through each cycle are the ones that treat their custom food labels as a long-term strategic asset, not a reactive fix. The five trends covered here won't all peak at the same time, and not every one of them will apply equally to your product or your customer. But taken together, they point to something consistent: Shoppers today are paying closer attention to food product labels than ever before, and what they see shapes whether they trust your brand enough to buy.
That's where an experienced food label printing partner makes a real difference. At The Label Printers, we work with food and beverage brands at every stage, from first launch to full rebrand, to make sure your custom food label says the right things to the right people, in a format that holds up in every environment it needs to perform in.
Ready to talk through what your food product label needs to do next? Contact The Label Printers today.
By: Lori Campbell, President
Lori Campbell is President of The Label Printers and a recognized leader in the printing industry, with more than 40 years of experience in sales leadership, operations, and strategic growth.
Since joining the company in 1982, she has advanced through roles across the organization, gaining a comprehensive understanding of customer needs, production, and business management. Appointed President in 2018, she helps oversee the company's strategic direction and long-term performance.
Lori has been a frequent speaker at industry events and served 14 years on the Board of Directors of TLMI, the leading trade association for the industry. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University.