From trade turbulence to shifting food trends, May 2025 was a month of recalibration for FMCG brands. In this issue, Charlie Harrison and Ryan Boulter unpack fresh political pressures, evolving attitudes to sustainability, and the growing backlash against protein.
Calm seas (for now): UK and EU play nice, but Trump looms large
Geopolitical tensions and shifting trade agreements are once again testing the resilience of FMCG brands – though it was not all doom and gloom. In May, the UK renewed a key element of its post-Brexit trade framework, extending EU access to British fishing waters until 2038. The agreement restored much-needed predictability to EU coastal economies and preserves vital seafood trade routes, even if it was received less warmly from Britain’s own fishermen. But while this agreement provided a rare moment of stability, Trump’s tariffs are fracturing already pressured supply chains. Meanwhile, droughts and adverse weather linked to climate change has left some FMCG staples – such as sugar and cocoa – struggling to meet demand.
In response, FMCG manufacturers are making production domestic wherever possible, redesigning products for better flexibility to supply shifts, and assessing geopolitical risks with new urgency. However, the pace and unpredictability of global conflict – real or anticipated – make it increasingly clear that survival in this environment depends not just on operational agility but on proactive scenario planning.
Across topics within geopolitics, the US president’s tariffs trumped all in terms of media coverage. 13% of all FMCG reports in May mentioned Donald Trump’s tariffs and their impact on the supply chain. Among these reports, Coca-Cola and Diageo were the most mentioned brands, with the most prominent individual standout story being Diageo’s plan to save $500 million by 2028 in the wake of supply chain instability, which was widely syndicated across UK outlets.
Plant-based industries set to bear fruit
Despite facing some commercial challenges, plant-based food options and a continued focus on sustainability continues to be a key theme in FMCG reporting. In May, Beyond Meat announced $100 million in funding from Unprocessed Foods, an affiliate of the Ahimsa Foundation, despite reporting falling sales and a record-low share price. Elsewhere, Bunge committed $550 million to a new soy protein facility, building on similar moves by Beneo and Cargill in recent years. Broader interest in sustainability also remains strong. Analysts note that Generation Alpha is growing up with plant-based diets, protein bars and food variety as core preferences. All this shows there appears to be a strong future ahead for plant-based diets, and those brands that are noticing now are the ones that will reap the benefits later.
At the corporate level, sustainable finance is still active – particularly in Europe – across areas such as regenerative agriculture, vertical farming and 3D-printed meat. Meanwhile, Mosa Meat became the first cultivated meat producer to seek market authorisation in the UK. The company claims cultivated beef could reduce emissions by up to 93% compared to conventional methods. The US, however, remains an outlier. Republican-led states are looking to ban lab-grown meat, with Montana the latest to do so – bringing it up to three, with more on the way.
“It’s interesting to see the sustainability efforts of FMCG companies still alive and well, and being picked up in the media as a result. With the recent backlash against “woke” initiatives, with DEI at the forefront of this, a withdrawing from such sustainability efforts has been expected. We saw this last year with Unilever’s scaling back of its ESG strategy under former CEO Hein Schumacher, deaccelerating efforts around plastic reduction, wages for suppliers, sustainable sourcing and ecosystem protection. Perhaps after an initial reset in the sector, we’re now seeing a return to sustainability-driven strategies.”
Ryan Boulter, Business Development Manager
It was interesting to note which outlets were more engaged with sustainability-related FMCG news. The Daily Mail dominated FMCG news as a whole, but dropped to fifth for news that focused on sustainability efforts. Instead, the Times took the top spot for Sustainability coverage, followed by the Independent, Financial Times, and Forbes.
Being pro-protein might make you buff, but it’s no longer “sexy”, the experts say
Protein may have been a hero long enough to become a villain – or, at least, to be seen with a bit less reckless admiration. While high-protein claims have appeared on 8.3% of new food and drink launches so far in 2025 – up from 4.6% in 2023, according to FoodBev – mainstream media coverage in May suggests the hype may be peaking. The Evening Standard used the launch of Khloé Kardashian’s Protein Popcorn as a springboard to question whether the protein boom is more marketing than health. The Independent, meanwhile, argued that fibre – not protein – is the real nutritional gap in most people’s diets. And in perhaps the biggest blow, Vogue called protein «unsexy,» taking aim at its association with gym culture and suggesting the trend is losing cultural relevance. The underlying message is not that protein is actually unhealthy, of course. It is more about the need for balance, whole foods, and a more nuanced approach to health. For FMCG brands, it may signal a shift from front-of-pack protein claims to quieter, more considered reformulations.
“Much like with the conversation around plant-based options, protein-added products have faced scrutiny, being seen as ultra-processed foods. The scramble to release products with added protein is clearly to capitlise on the growing popularity of gym culture and healthy living, driving in large part by social media. We’re now entering a phase where consumers are wanting whole foods; high-fibre diets that contribute to good gut health, another trend driven by social media”.
Ryan Boulter, Business Development Manager
Social media analysis of discussions surrounding protein and fibre reveal both how established protein has become as a focal point of healthy eating discussions – but also how fibre is on the rise. Across X, Reddit and Facebook, there are just over 120K posts about protein as healthy addition to your diet – though many of these take the form of recipes which do not explore the health benefits of protein at all. Comparatively, the same platforms saw just over 50K relating to fibre – 44% of which directly compared it to protein and described it as “underrated” by comparison. While protein remains dominant, alternative health options are quickly becoming more and more relevant.
Speak with one of our experienced consultants about your media monitoring and communications evaluation today.
Commentary
FMCG in Focus: May Review
From trade turbulence to shifting food trends, May 2025 was a month of recalibration for FMCG brands. In this issue, Charlie Harrison and Ryan Boulter unpack fresh political pressures, evolving attitudes to sustainability, and the growing backlash against protein.
Calm seas (for now): UK and EU play nice, but Trump looms large
Geopolitical tensions and shifting trade agreements are once again testing the resilience of FMCG brands – though it was not all doom and gloom. In May, the UK renewed a key element of its post-Brexit trade framework, extending EU access to British fishing waters until 2038. The agreement restored much-needed predictability to EU coastal economies and preserves vital seafood trade routes, even if it was received less warmly from Britain’s own fishermen. But while this agreement provided a rare moment of stability, Trump’s tariffs are fracturing already pressured supply chains. Meanwhile, droughts and adverse weather linked to climate change has left some FMCG staples – such as sugar and cocoa – struggling to meet demand.
In response, FMCG manufacturers are making production domestic wherever possible, redesigning products for better flexibility to supply shifts, and assessing geopolitical risks with new urgency. However, the pace and unpredictability of global conflict – real or anticipated – make it increasingly clear that survival in this environment depends not just on operational agility but on proactive scenario planning.
Across topics within geopolitics, the US president’s tariffs trumped all in terms of media coverage. 13% of all FMCG reports in May mentioned Donald Trump’s tariffs and their impact on the supply chain. Among these reports, Coca-Cola and Diageo were the most mentioned brands, with the most prominent individual standout story being Diageo’s plan to save $500 million by 2028 in the wake of supply chain instability, which was widely syndicated across UK outlets.
Plant-based industries set to bear fruit
Despite facing some commercial challenges, plant-based food options and a continued focus on sustainability continues to be a key theme in FMCG reporting. In May, Beyond Meat announced $100 million in funding from Unprocessed Foods, an affiliate of the Ahimsa Foundation, despite reporting falling sales and a record-low share price. Elsewhere, Bunge committed $550 million to a new soy protein facility, building on similar moves by Beneo and Cargill in recent years. Broader interest in sustainability also remains strong. Analysts note that Generation Alpha is growing up with plant-based diets, protein bars and food variety as core preferences. All this shows there appears to be a strong future ahead for plant-based diets, and those brands that are noticing now are the ones that will reap the benefits later.
At the corporate level, sustainable finance is still active – particularly in Europe – across areas such as regenerative agriculture, vertical farming and 3D-printed meat. Meanwhile, Mosa Meat became the first cultivated meat producer to seek market authorisation in the UK. The company claims cultivated beef could reduce emissions by up to 93% compared to conventional methods. The US, however, remains an outlier. Republican-led states are looking to ban lab-grown meat, with Montana the latest to do so – bringing it up to three, with more on the way.
It was interesting to note which outlets were more engaged with sustainability-related FMCG news. The Daily Mail dominated FMCG news as a whole, but dropped to fifth for news that focused on sustainability efforts. Instead, the Times took the top spot for Sustainability coverage, followed by the Independent, Financial Times, and Forbes.
Being pro-protein might make you buff, but it’s no longer “sexy”, the experts say
Protein may have been a hero long enough to become a villain – or, at least, to be seen with a bit less reckless admiration. While high-protein claims have appeared on 8.3% of new food and drink launches so far in 2025 – up from 4.6% in 2023, according to FoodBev – mainstream media coverage in May suggests the hype may be peaking. The Evening Standard used the launch of Khloé Kardashian’s Protein Popcorn as a springboard to question whether the protein boom is more marketing than health. The Independent, meanwhile, argued that fibre – not protein – is the real nutritional gap in most people’s diets. And in perhaps the biggest blow, Vogue called protein «unsexy,» taking aim at its association with gym culture and suggesting the trend is losing cultural relevance. The underlying message is not that protein is actually unhealthy, of course. It is more about the need for balance, whole foods, and a more nuanced approach to health. For FMCG brands, it may signal a shift from front-of-pack protein claims to quieter, more considered reformulations.
Social media analysis of discussions surrounding protein and fibre reveal both how established protein has become as a focal point of healthy eating discussions – but also how fibre is on the rise. Across X, Reddit and Facebook, there are just over 120K posts about protein as healthy addition to your diet – though many of these take the form of recipes which do not explore the health benefits of protein at all. Comparatively, the same platforms saw just over 50K relating to fibre – 44% of which directly compared it to protein and described it as “underrated” by comparison. While protein remains dominant, alternative health options are quickly becoming more and more relevant.
Speak with one of our experienced consultants about your media monitoring and communications evaluation today.