2026
10
A Year of Innovation in Baking Ingredients and Sugar 2026
2026-04-15T18:01:01+00:00
REP4E2772B1_2C20_4718_A772_B12C201718D6
2995
192654
[{"name":"Ingredients and Additives","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/food\/ingredients-additives"},{"name":"Sugar and Sweeteners","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/food\/ingredients-additives\/sugar-sweeteners"},{"name":"A Year of Innovation","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/report-type\/a-year-of-innovation"},{"name":"Global","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/markets\/global-market-research"}]
Report
en_GB
Baking innovation blends ethics, functional nutrition and premium sweeteners with rising interest in cane sugar and plant-based ingredients. Anis Pauzi, Associate Analyst (Innovation)…
Global
Ingredients and Additives
Sugar and Sweeteners
simple

A Year of Innovation in Baking Ingredients and Sugar 2026

"Baking innovation blends ethics, functional nutrition and premium sweeteners with rising interest in cane sugar and plant-based ingredients."

Anis Pauzi, Associate Analyst (Innovation)

Anis Pauzi, Associate Analyst (Innovation)

Explore the latest innovation in baking ingredients and sugar with Mintel’s global innovation report. The report identifies the major launch activities, pivotal consumer attitudes and most important product development of the year across regions EMEA, APAC, and the Americas.

Key innovation trends in the baking category are analysed and succinctly presented alongside Mintel’s consumer data and insights. So you can understand changing consumer demands and identify future growth opportunities.

This report also presents Mintel’s analysts’ pick of the most innovative launches in the global baking ingredients and sugar market. Understanding innovation in baking ingredients and sugar has never been so easy.

Collapse All
    • What we’ve seen
    • Our pick of the most innovative launches in this review
    • Other innovative launches
    • Global spotlight: private label outpaces branded launches in baking ingredients and sugar
    • Graph 1: baking ingredients and sugar launches, by share of private label, 2021-26
  1. EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA (EMEA)

    • Europe: human welfare claims spike in sugar and sweeteners
    • Consumers are willing to spend more for ethics
    • Human welfare claims surge in sugar and natural sweeteners
    • Graph 2: sucrose and natural sweetener launches with human welfare claims, 2021-26
    • Brands embrace fair trade practices
    • Europe: brands give back to society
    • Help consumers bake for a cause
    • Charity claims increase after years of stagnation
    • Graph 3: baking ingredients and sugar launches with charity claims, 2021-26
    • Brands show support to meaningful causes
    • The Middle East & Africa (MEA)
    • Gluten-free alternatives return on shelf
  2. ASIA PACIFIC (APAC)

    • Asia: high-fibre baking ingredients are on the rise
    • Consumers seek healthier options with dietary fibre
    • High-fibre baking mixes gain momentum
    • Graph 4: baking ingredients and mixes launches with a high/added fibre claim, 2021-26
    • Baking mixes and sweeteners highlight fibre content on packaging
    • Asia: sweetener and sugar launch activity shifts towards premiumisation
    • Low sugar content and naturalness signal premium quality
    • Premium sweeteners and sugar gain momentum
    • Natural alternatives position themselves as premium sweeteners
    • Australia & New Zealand
    • Baking mixes and sweeteners showcase digestive health
  3. THE AMERICAS

    • North America: cane sugar makes a comeback in the category
    • Consumers favour cane sugar for its naturalness
    • Cane sugar gradually makes a comeback
    • Graph 5: sweetener and sugar launches with cane sugar as an ingredient, 2021-26
    • Brands introduce minimally processed cane sugar varieties and blends
    • North America: high-protein claims increase across baking mixes
    • High-protein ingredients drive baking trial
    • Protein claims edge up in baking mixes launches
    • Graph 6: baking ingredients launches with a high/added protein claim, 2021-26
    • Protein baking mixes expand into next-gen concepts
    • Brand renovation/innovation: Kodiak Cakes introduces new protein-packed mix with a limited-time flavour
    • Latin America: brands expand plant-based launches
    • Growing interest in plant-based ingredients
    • Graph 7: baking ingredients and sugar launches with a plant-based claim, 2021-26
    • Baking mixes and sweeteners embrace plant-based ingredients

What is 'A Year of Innovation' Report?

To truly understand a market, it’s essential to look at the products that are shaping it. Our ‘A Year of Innovation’ reports provide a detailed review of specific categories, focusing on the most notable product launches from the past 12 months. These reports are designed to give you a clear and comprehensive picture of recent innovation and its impact.

How We Analyse a Year of Innovation

By deconstructing the past year’s activity, we can provide valuable context for your current and future strategies. Here’s how we do it.

A Deep Dive into Product Launches

The core of these reports is a thorough examination of new products. We go beyond simply listing what’s new. Our analysis delves into the “why” behind each product launch, exploring the strategies, ingredients, and marketing claims that are driving innovation. This helps you understand what’s working, what’s not, and where the market is headed.

Powered by the Global New Products Database (GNPD)

Our insights are built on a foundation of robust data from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD). This powerful tool tracks and catalogues new product launches from around the world. By leveraging the GNPD, we offer a complete exploration of innovative activity within your category, ensuring our analysis is comprehensive, accurate, and relevant.

Uncovering Trends and Consumer Shifts

Our ‘A Year of Innovation’ reports are designed to equip you with actionable insights into how to lead innovation in your category. By studying recent product launches, we can identify shifting consumer habits and preferences. These reports help you connect the dots between what consumers want and how companies are responding. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of emerging trends, allowing you to refine your own product development and marketing strategies with confidence.

$ 2,995 (Excl.Tax)
  • Download today with instant access
  • Multiple formats provided
  • Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports

Get in Touch

If you have a question about a Mintel Report, or you would like to learn more about our products, get in touch with a member of our team today.

Contact us

Trusted by global industry leaders

Tenth Wave logo

Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.

When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.

The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.

Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
Abacus logo

There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.

However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.

Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Waitrose & Partners logo

We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.

Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.

Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Bauer Media Group logo

We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.

They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.

Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
Mediacom logo

Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.

It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.

Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom

Get in Touch

If you have a question about a Mintel Report, or you would like to learn more about our products, get in touch with a member of our team today.

Contact us