From Market Trends to Decision Intelligence
Knowing where consumer demand is heading is essential. Knowing whether your organization can act on that demand quickly, compliantly and profitably is an altogether different challenge.
That distinction was explored in a recent webinar presented by FoodChain ID and Innova Market Insights and hosted by Food Business News. Innova Market Insights’ Tom Vierhile opened the session with a data-driven look at several of the food and beverage trends shaping 2026, while FoodChain ID’s Jason Ewing explored what happens when those opportunities meet the realities of product development.
When a Trend Becomes a Product Decision
Protein continues to surge. Gut health is expanding beyond digestion. Functional beverages are blurring the line between health and indulgence. Consumers are scrutinizing value and looking for greater proof behind sustainability claims.
But identifying an opportunity is only the beginning.
- Can your existing products deliver against it?
- Do you have the right ingredients and suppliers?
- Will the claim hold across every intended market?
- What happens to cost, quality, labeling or customer commitments when a formulation changes?
Those are the questions that determine whether a promising trend becomes a viable launch or a project that encounters expensive surprises later in development.
Is AI Just Making the Same Process Faster … or Does it Change What’s Possible?
The webinar also challenges a familiar assumption about AI. Faster searches, summaries and analysis have value, but what if AI could help teams evaluate consequences and alternatives before resources are committed?
The discussion moves from individual product decisions to a much larger question: What changes when teams can assess the impact of an opportunity across an entire portfolio rather than product by product?
Along the way, Jason examines why trusted AI depends on connected product knowledge and how context separates generic answers from intelligence grounded in your formulations, suppliers, markets and operating requirements.
See Where Trend Intelligence Meets Execution
For R&D and Product Development leaders, this webinar offers a practical bridge between understanding what consumers want and determining what your organization can confidently deliver.
Watch the webinar to see how market intelligence, connected product data and decision intelligence can help food and beverage teams move from spotting an opportunity to understanding what it will actually take to act on it.
Speakers
Tom Vierhile, Vice President, Strategic Insights North America, Innova Market Insights
Jason Ewing, Director of Product Lifestyle Solutions, FoodChain ID