What do fmcg thought leaders predict will be the biggest health trends of 2026? Our panel of leading experts from Ocado, Mars and Vypr share what’s set to shape the year ahead – from UPFs to GLP-1s, functional fibre, gut health and much more.
Health had a huge influence on eating and shopping habits in 2025, and 2026 already promises more of the same. What this means in practice, however, is much less certain.
Will protein continue to be king or will fibre start giving it a run for its money? How many consumers still care about gut and brain health? What’s next for the ultra-processing debate? Can we finally make meaningful progress on fruit & veg consumption? And how will GLP-1 weight-loss drugs shape eating and drinking habits?
To kick off 2026, we are bringing together experts from Ocado, Mars, Pip & Nut and Vypr to get you up to speed on the biggest healthy eating trends for the year ahead.
Backed by exclusive new consumer research, our expert panel will pinpoint how healthy eating habits and motivations are evolving and share their predictions for the coming 12 months. We will look at all the key trends and talking points, including protein, fibre, HFSS, UPFs and GLP-1s, and set out how retailers and suppliers can best respond to emerging health trends and needs.
We’ll also cover how cost of living pressures are likely to affect consumers’ willingness to spend on functional food and drink products, as well as the growing influence of social media and generative AI tools on health trends and eating habits.
Plus, you get the chance to put your health trends questions to our panel.
Register now to join the Grocer Vision webinar on 21 January at 11am
Meet the panel:
Simon Hinks, product director, Ocado Retail
Simon Hinks is product director at Ocado Retail. He has always been fascinated by food – how it’s grown, processed, marketed and consumed. From studying Food Technology at university to travelling the world working with diverse farming operations, this passion has underpinned his natural choice of a career in grocery retail. Simon specialises in developing robust, efficient and sustainable food supply chains and has extensive knowledge in the field leading multi-disciplinary global teams to deliver on customer needs and strategic objectives. His experience spans UK retail and European manufacturing, with a focus on primary production and processing. He enjoys working with suppliers on all scales – from single product launches to complex strategic reviews – alongside experience in R&D, innovation and sustainability. He is never happier than when speaking to someone from the industry and learning something new about food.
Hana Hutchinson, European brand director for Italian, Mars Food & Nutrition
Hana brings over 16 year’s marketing experience in FMCG, with a background in consumer healthcare and food and nutrition. Hana is European brand director at Mars Food & Nutrition, responsible for leading the Italian portfolio of brands across the region. Her previous experience at Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue spans numerous markets and categories including OTC medicines, skincare and personal care, where she was responsible for delivering brand and portfolio growth strategies and embedding new agile ways of working across Northern Europe. Hana is passionate about brand and portfolio strategy, communications, insights and developing high performing teams.
Ben Davies, founder, Vypr
Ben Davies is the founder of Vypr, a leading product intelligence platform that helps brands make smarter, faster product decisions using real-time, data-driven insights.
Starting his career as a buyer for Sainsbury’s and Co-op, Ben developed a deep understanding of consumer behaviour in the food and drink industry, which sparked his passion for driving innovation through data. His entrepreneurial journey spans over two decades, during which he founded five successful businesses across the technology and fmcg sectors.
With Vypr, Ben set out to transform the product development process by providing brands with fast, cost-effective insights that reduce risk and accelerate success. Vypr has rapidly grown into one of the UK’s fastest-growing tech companies and has expanded into international markets, including wider Europe, North America and Australia.
Julia Glotz, moderator
Julia is a writer, editor and consultant specialising in food and drink, with more than 15 years’ experience working in trade media. She was on staff at The Grocer for nine years, including five years as managing editor.
