Global food trends for 2026: What exporters need to know now

The world’s biggest food shows can feel overwhelming. Acres of booths. Thousands of products. Every trend, everywhere, all at once. But for Ashley Kanary, Export Development Canada’s (EDC) director of agri‑food strategy, the show floor is where the signal cuts through the noise.

With more than 40 years in Canada’s food sector, Kanary brings a long view shaped by experience across production, processing and export markets.

Fresh from Gulfood—one of the world’s largest export‑driven food trade shows in Dubai—and heading next to SIAL events in Montreal and Paris, Kanary has a clear view of where global food demand is heading in 2026—and what Canadian exporters should be paying attention to now.

When Kanary puts Gulfood and SIAL side by side, one message stands out.

“The first thing is diversification,” he says. “There’s been a big shift in the past year. People want to see what the world has to offer in addition to the United States.”

For more insights, visit EDC’s market intelligence on the Indo-Pacific and Asia, including demand trends, regulatory considerations and sector-level opportunities.

That shift has fundamentally changed how exporters think about growth. “Instead of the world coming to us, we went to the world,” Kanary adds.

At Gulfood, that diversification showed up everywhere—in buyer conversations, country pavilions and the sheer range of products on display. Exporters are no longer chasing a single anchor market. They’re scanning globally, weighing risk, resilience and long‑term demand.

To go deeper on market-specific demand, trade barriers and go-to-market strategy, watch EDC’s Asia-Pacific export strategy webinar for agri-food exporters, featuring practical guidance for Canadian companies expanding in the region.

Alongside diversification, flavour is getting louder—and more complex.

Kanary points to the rise of what the industry is calling “swicy,” a sweet‑and‑spicy flavour profile showing up across cuisines. “It’s actually a thing,” he says, laughing.

Think tropical fruits, like mango, pineapple and guava, paired with heat from jalapeño, or habanero peppers. Add savoury, fermented ingredients and deep umami (one of the five basic tastes that include sweet, sour, salty and bitter) notes, and you have flavour profiles rooted in global cuisines rather than North American fusion.

Hot fruit flavours are also having a moment. Black currant and pomegranate are showing up in seasoned foods, adding tartness, sweetness and spice all at once.

Even familiar street foods are evolving. In Ottawa, long known for shawarma, Kanary is seeing crispy shawarma topped with pomegranate—a small twist that reflects a much bigger global trend.

Demand for protein-rich and functional foods is particularly strong across the Asia-Pacific, where population growth, urbanization and rising incomes continue to reshape food consumption. Explore EDC’s analysis of agri-food export markets in the Indo-Pacific to see where Canadian exporters are finding the strongest opportunities.

If flavour sets the tone, protein and fibre are driving the business case.

“Protein and fibre are the big two,” Kanary says. “It’s about gut health, functional eating and staying full longer.”

That focus has reshaped how he thinks about the sector. In 2025, Kanary’s core priorities included private label, seafood and innovation. For 2026, he’s reset the middle pillar entirely.

“I’ve broadened it and just called it protein,” he explains.

That includes the full suite—seafood, poultry, pork, beef and value‑added protein products such as yogurt delivering up to 25 grams of protein per serving.

At Gulfood, the scale of protein demand was impossible to miss. Entire exhibition centres were devoted to meat and dairy, while separate venues showcased everything else. At Anuga, one of the world’s largest food and beverage trade shows in Cologne, Germany, and other European events, meat and dairy halls were consistently the busiest, Kanary notes.

1. There’s a shift within plant‑based foods themselves. Consumers are moving away from imitation meat and toward authentic, minimally processed plant foods with clean ingredients. “If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, people are out,” Kanary says. That has nudged some consumers who were on the fence back toward traditional meat and dairy, particularly as protein’s role in satiety and nutrition becomes clearer.

2. Canada’s strengths are lining up with global demand. Stable supply, high food safety standards and consistent protein quality matter more than ever.

3. This year’s strong crop has also shifted the economics. A solid harvest of Canadian pulses and grains has helped exports, making Canada a more appealing supplier at a time when buyers are rethinking risk. “There’s been a great crop this year, so prices have stabilized,” Kanary says. “Having a good crop and Mother Nature on your side opens up a lot more doors for us.”

4. Geopolitical unrest has put sustained strain on global wheat and grain supply chains, particularly across the Black Sea region, forcing buyers to look elsewhere. “Canadian wheat is well-known for having higher protein,” Kanary says. “Canada is stable, secure and has food security at the highest levels. We’re a great partner.”

5. Canada’s predictable growing season and reliability are becoming competitive advantages in their own right. “Having confidence in the supply chain is just as important as the price they pay,” Kanary says. “That’s been something that’s really moved the needle for us.”

There is, however, a major watchout for Canadian companies chasing the protein trend.

“It has to taste good,” Kanary says flatly.

At ISM in Cologne—the world’s leading sweets and snacks show—protein was everywhere: Potato chips, nuts, cheese puffs, candy. Most of it, he says, missed the mark.

“There’s a bitter aftertaste with protein additives,” he says. “The person who solves that will win.”

That challenge hasn’t stopped innovation in finished goods, particularly in better‑for‑you snacks and confectionery. Healthy snacks and candy with protein are emerging as a growing niche for Canadian exporters, Kanary says.

He points to Protein Candy, a Canadian company adding protein to gummy candies, as an example of how familiar formats can help bridge the gap between nutrition and taste. “It gives you your added protein,” he says. “That company is growing exponentially.”

Another Canadian startup, Alberta’s Phytokana, is producing a high‑protein cheese powder that actually tastes like cheddar. Kanary plans on making introductions for this company across the supply chain.

“You need to deliver on the customer expectation,” he says. “If you add protein to cheese, it still has to taste like cheese.”

If protein is about what we eat, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are about how we make it. Kanary breaks AI into two clear buckets.

1. In food manufacturing, automation is now a competitive requirement. Kanary sees AI showing up first—and most urgently—on the manufacturing floor. “If you don’t look at artificial intelligence, you will lose,” he says. “Not just in export, but domestically.”
Labour shortages are a reality across rural Canada. Kanary admits it’s impossible at times to find employees to work in the fields or manufacturing plants. Automation is no longer about cutting jobs—it’s about scaling production and staying competitive. “As companies expand by adding AI and automation, roles will change from production into warehousing, or shipping roles,” Kanary says. “You automate production, bring your cost of goods down and become globally competitive.”
Every exporter Kanary speaks to at consumer shows has AI adoption and automation on their radar. They see it as inevitable. “Either you get on the bus, or the bus is passing you.”

2. How consumers are using AI to decide what and how they eat. Increasingly, consumers are using AI tools to decide what to eat—from meal planning to ingredient selection. Asking an AI platform for a recipe, flavour profile, or shopping list is becoming second nature.
That shift will shape demand, flavour trends and product formats in ways exporters can’t afford to ignore, Kanary says.

As exporters diversify, regulatory discipline becomes critical. The most common surprise barrier is labelling and compliance. Kanary says EDC’s key message isn’t to rush the regulatory process.

“Rules vary widely, even within regions, like the Asia-Pacific and Europe. Labelling requirements in Japan are different from Australia and Vietnam, for example. Getting it wrong can mean a product is refused at the border.”

The good news is that information is readily available through EDC, the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) and provincial associations.

“Understand where you’re going and the rules and regulations of importing into that market—some are more stringent than others. Do your homework before you go,” Kanary advises. “You can avoid costly mistakes.”

In some cases, competitiveness may even require establishing a local footprint. More Canadian companies are considering food manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America to offset freight costs and stay competitive.

As EDC deepens our footprint across Europe, Kanary sees several areas of opportunity:

• Produce: Low‑hanging fruit such as potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers and peppers that ship well and align with European demand
  
  
• Commodities: Strong opportunities where Canadian supply can support large European food manufacturers and integrated supply chains
  
  
• Private label: In parts of Europe, private label penetration exceeds 40%, compared with just more than 20% in Canada and the United States. That retail structure shapes consumer behaviour and creates opportunity for Canadian suppliers.
  
  
• Seafood: Canada is a global powerhouse and the world can benefit greatly from what we have to offer.

Above all, Canada’s reputation matters.

“Canada’s standing on the world stage is very strong right now,” says the veteran of Canada’s food industry. “That helps open doors.”

When exporters come to EDC, they’re usually looking for three things: Working capital, connections and advisory support. Fill out a product inquiry form to tell us how we can help.

Financing then helps companies scale production at home, so they can meet new demand abroad. While insurance remains a core offering, EDC is increasingly financing growth directly, reflecting how exporters’ needs are evolving. “We’re so much more than insurance,” Kanary says. “And the numbers are showing that.”

As Kanary sums it up, 2026 blends functional eating with bold, globally inspired comfort food:

• Sweet‑and‑spicy flavours: “Swicy” profiles pairing fruit and heat are moving mainstream.
  
  
• Protein and fibre that deliver: Foods that support gut health and help consumers stay full longer
  
  
• Automation as a competitive edge: AI and automation moving from experimentation to necessity
  
  
• AI‑influenced eating decisions: Consumers increasingly using artificial intelligence to shape what and how they eat

For Canadian exporters, the opportunity is real — but only for those willing to adapt.