FiE 2025 live: Roquette reveals how Gen Z reshapes the future of functional yogurt

The dairy and yogurt sectors are expanding to meet consumer demand for improved nutrition, which supports bone strength, protein intake, and gut health. To gain fresh insights that help brands elevate their offerings, Roquette explored the preferences of Gen Z across these sectors. 

The company is presenting these insights at the ongoing Food ingredients Europe (FiE) 2025 trade show in Paris, France (Dec 2–4).

On the show floor, Sandrine Bouvier, EMEA customer marketing manager at Roquette, tells Nutrition Insight that the company focuses on developing solutions that respond to consumer expectations “not just today, but tomorrow too.”

“Gen Z is the demographic that’s poised to have the biggest influence on future eating and shopping behaviors, so it’s essential we understand their values, beliefs, preferences, and choices.”

Pinpointing trending ingredients with the strongest potential for nutrition-forward innovations in yogurt, Bouvier highlights protein, sugar reduction, and biotics.

“Health is such a huge priority for this age group, and therefore the future of the yogurt category, it could be argued that without at least one, ideally two or more, of these attributes, products will lack appeal to large numbers of consumers whose spending power and influence are growing every day.”

How does Gen Z’s nutritional mindset differ from older consumers?
Bouvier: The wonderful thing about Gen Z is that they’re not afraid to say what they think, so we got really frank and honest answers about the importance of transparency and authenticity, as well as the functional attributes they’re seeking from the foods they eat. Certainly, we see a lot of curiosity from consumers of this age; they know what they want, and they’re more likely to look for (and question) information from multiple sources to explore, understand, and buy it.

Sandrine Bouvier, EMEA customer marketing manager (Image credit: Roquette).These research habits are one of the key differences between Gen Z and older consumers. This younger demographic has grown up with far more communication tools and, therefore, far more information at its fingertips than its parents did — and they make full use of that. Gen Z mindsets are more curious but also more skeptical than those of older generations, so brands need to demonstrate honesty and communicate clearly.

When it comes to priorities, unlike older generations, many younger people have grown up with the message that “sugar is bad,” so low- and no-sugar foods are often preferred. And in line with their use of social media, where influencers drive many discussions, protein and gut health are central to a higher proportion of Gen Z diets than those of millennials, Generation X, or baby boomers. The other key aspect is the avoidance, as much as possible, of ultra-processed foods and artificial additives. Gen Z sees these as harmful to people and the planet.

Which Gen Z consumer profiles did you identify, and how do they map onto specific nutritional priorities?
Bouvier: We created four personas based on the research to help customers develop products that truly resonate with Gen Z.

Manuela is a digital nomad, working in different locations, traveling, and socializing. Her priorities are being able to eat on-the-go and balancing health with indulgence, so products that appeal to her will contain protein or fiber and have a great sensory experience without excessive sugar content or calories.

Whereas Manuela snacks between meals, as a busy entrepreneur, William has barely any time for “proper” food. Eating little, often, and commonly on-the-go, nutrition is his absolute priority, along with convenience. Protein is important to keep him at the top of his game professionally and personally.

Matthew is one of the millions of Gen Z vegans. With a specified diet, he’s reliant on plant-based foods to deliver all the nutrition he needs. Nutritional balance is the key for Matthew, but he’s also an adventurer, so he seeks new and unexpected tastes and textures too.

Bouvier says that Gen Z consumers prefer low- and no-sugar products, protein, and gut health support, while avoiding ultra-processed foods.Finally, wellness enthusiast Olivia prioritizes her overall health and well-being. She’s well-educated about the role of food in physical, mental, and emotional well-being and understands the value of biotics. Olivia knows that nurturing her gut health with pre- and probiotics unlocks a wealth of wider health benefits, and so focuses on this.

Did your research reveal any disconnects between Gen Z’s stated health expectations and consumption patterns?
Bouvier: Interestingly, no. Quite often, market researchers find a disconnect between what people say and what they do. But our Gen Z consumers showed us their fridges, freezers, and cupboards and took us shopping with them — for days. They really did “walk the walk.”

What we did notice, though, is room for improvement in terms of foods with multiple benefits. Quite often, they felt healthy products fell short in terms of taste or texture — or offered just one nutritional ingredient where more than one would have been preferred (e.g., protein plus fiber).

How can yogurt manufacturers apply your findings to develop scientifically grounded formulations?
Bouvier: As part of our work, we’ve developed a number of high-protein and/or high-fiber concepts that can help inspire customers. There are many clinical studies on the nutritional efficacy of our ingredients, and we can help customers understand which usage levels can have an effect and what can be claimed on the pack. Ingredient quality and traceability are, of course, paramount.

Ultimately, our aim is to co-create the success stories of tomorrow. Whether that’s working with our applications team in the lab to develop new products or pioneering completely new ingredients together that deliver a healthier and more enjoyable end product, we work hand in hand to optimize recipes, processing parameters, and everything around them. After all, our customers’ success is Roquette’s success.