Key Business Outlooks For 2026: Olivier Roques, CEO of BENEO
We constantly track consumer trends and market developments, so that we can support bakery customers in growing their business. Consumers want manufacturers to offer products that meet their modern-day dietary preferences. For example, baked goods which are high in protein or fibre, but also authentic and convenient products that allow for a personalized approach.
We asked the most important players in the European and American baking industry about their expectations for the year ahead. They talked about opportunities, changing consumer expectations, what type of support the industry needs, but also about the drawbacks of an unstable political climate and the challenges that come with labour shortage and energy prices increasing.
Olivier Roques, CEO of BENEO
How do you foresee the global and regional bakery markets evolving, and what are your company’s top priorities for 2026?
This year, we expect interest in weight management to continue impacting the entire food industry. With GLP-1 weight loss drugs still making news headlines, nutrient dense food products that can support consumers during or after medication, or those on a natural weight loss journey, will continue to grow in popularity.
In this context, consumer demand for improved nutritional profiles in their baked goods requires bakery producers to deliver these expected properties. In line with this growing interest, we focus on supporting bakery manufacturers in reformulation with higher protein, prebiotic fibre content and less sugar. These remain key strategies to win in 2026 for BENEO.
Additionally, the supply chain issues and price volatility of eggs require mitigation. This puts competitive solutions for plant-based or hybrid reformulation in the spotlight.
With our portfolio of functional ingredients, BENEO offers bakery producers a comprehensive series of options to meet these requirements.
As competition in the baking industry intensifies, what strategies are you employing to strengthen your market position?
Consumers continue to have a prevention-oriented mindset when it comes to their health, so leveraging our core expertise of combining scientifically substantiated health and nutrition claims with tasty food and drink products will remain our way forward. While doing so, we also grow in offering manufacturers complete solutions, and not only individual ingredients.
We constantly track consumer trends and market developments, so that we can support bakery customers in growing their business. Consumers want manufacturers to offer products that meet their modern-day dietary preferences. For example, baked goods which are high in protein or fibre, but also authentic and convenient products that allow for a personalized approach.
What unexpected developments occurred in 2025, and how did they influence your business operations or strategies?
Working in a global market, no one is immune to the ripple effect resulting from disturbances on the world stage. Like every other business, BENEO had to manage supply chain issues, caused by the US tariffs policies and its multiple consequences across the globe. Our contingency plans allow us to make our supply chains robust and resilient. BENEO is recognized as a reliable partner for ingredient supply. We are not unaccustomed to receiving calls to cover other functional ingredient producer’s supply issues at short notice. While this makes us proud as it demonstrates our reliability, it also requires a flexible approach.
In addition, we have had to juggle the high pressures that have been placed on costs by global instability and climate challenges. The solutions we offer to our customers, must result in cost-effective products for end consumers.
Looking ahead to the next five years, what is your vision for the industry, and how is your company positioning itself to shape and contribute to its future growth?
Macro-developments, such as an ageing population and increasing numbers of overweight or obese people, give nutrition a core role in societies and health systems. Also, personal and planetary health will continue to be increasingly seen as inextricably linked. Consequently, healthier reformulations will only be credible to consumers if they are healthier for the planet. Sustainability will remain a key requirement for the industry. Due to the nature of BENEO’s functional ingredients, and the continued efforts towards more sustainable sourcing and production methods, we are well placed to help producers from the bakery arena and beyond to meet these needs over the coming five years.
Our portfolio of plant-based functional ingredients supports a healthy lifestyle that is focused on prevention, including weight management, mental health, personalized nutrition or plant-based alternatives – through every stage of life, from early-life nutrition to healthy ageing. We complete our customers’ focus on healthy foods by providing solutions that deliver great taste functionalities – a prerequisite to convince end consumers. A tasty product is the best answer to sustain a healthy diet. We will continue to leverage our unique chain of expertise, including the BENEO-Institute that provides decisive insights into nutrition science and legislation, and the BENEO-Technology Center that consults in application technology.