As appetite-suppressing GLP-1 medications gain traction, new research suggests measurable shifts in food purchasing are emerging. For ingredients suppliers and retail buyers, the implications extend beyond fewer calories consumed to changes in basket size, category mix and the economics of impulse-led food sales. FoodBev explores the latest research.

The rapid uptake of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro is emerging as a new variable in food demand, with implications extending beyond consumer behaviour to product formulation and ingredient strategy.

New research from Cornell University, published in the Journal of Marketing Research, links prescription survey data with detailed household transaction records to examine how food purchasing changes after adopting GLP-1 medications.

The study combines survey responses on medication adoption – including timing, motivation and demographics – with grocery and restaurant transactions from a nationally representative US household panel.

Overall spending: Households with at least one GLP-1 user reduce grocery spending by 5.3% within six months, with higher-income households cutting spending by 8.2%.

Category declines: Most categories see reductions, with the largest drops in calorie-dense, ultra-processed foods. Savoury snacks fall 10.1%, alongside significant decreases in sweets, baked goods and indulgence categories. Even staples such as bread, meat and eggs show moderate declines.

Spending increases: Only a small set of categories shows modest growth, led by yogurt, fresh fruit and functional nutrition products such as bars and meat snacks.

Restaurant impact: Spending at fast-food chains, coffee shops and other limited-service eateries falls by 8.0%, reflecting fewer eating occasions rather than shifts in channel preference.

Persistence and discontinuation: Reductions persist through the first year of use, though magnitude diminishes over time. Users who discontinue the medication tend to revert toward pre-adoption spending and slightly less healthy baskets.

These findings highlight a clear pattern: biologically driven appetite suppression can materially reshape household food demand, creating new challenges and opportunities for manufacturers and ingredients teams as adoption grows globally.

Pressure on volume-driven formulations

The research indicates that reductions are most pronounced in ultra-processed, calorie-dense categories, including savoury snacks, confectionery, baked goods and sweet treats.

These categories typically rely on ingredient systems designed to maximise palatability, repeat consumption and portion flexibility. Even staple categories such as bread, meat and eggs show declines, suggesting that GLP-1 use affects total intake rather than simply reallocating spend toward 'healthier' alternatives.

The effects extend beyond retail. Spending at fast-food chains, coffee shops and other limited-service restaurants falls by 8.0% following GLP-1 adoption, reinforcing evidence of fewer eating occasions rather than changes in channel preference.

From an ingredients perspective, this raises questions about long-term demand for systems optimised around indulgence, mouthfeel and craving stimulation – particularly in markets with high GLP-1 penetration and among higher-income consumers.

Limited but telling areas of resilience

Only a narrow set of categories show increased spending, and even then at modest levels. These include yogurt, fresh fruit and select nutrition-oriented products such as bars and meat snacks.

The common thread is not premium positioning but functional relevance: protein content, perceived satiety, digestive health and nutritional efficiency. For ingredients suppliers, this points toward continued demand for:

• Protein systems that deliver satiety at lower portion sizes

• Fibres and texturisers that support fullness without volume

• Formulations that prioritise nutrient density over caloric load

Importantly, the research does not suggest a wholesale shift toward 'better-for-you' indulgence. Instead, it signals less food, fewer eating occasions and lower tolerance for excess.

Formulation strategy under appetite suppression

One of the more challenging implications for manufacturers is that traditional reformulation levers – such as reducing sugar or fat while maintaining portion size – may be insufficient in a GLP-1-influenced environment.

If consumers are physiologically inclined to eat less, products designed for smaller portions, slower consumption and functional benefit may outperform those relying on sensory intensity alone.

This has implications for:

• Portion architecture and serving size assumptions

• Cost-in-use modelling for high-value ingredients

• The balance between flavour delivery and nutritional signalling

For beverage formulators in particular, the findings may reinforce demand for functional drinks that replace, rather than accompany, food occasions.

Volatility and segmentation complicate forecasting

The research also highlights high discontinuation rates. When consumers stop taking GLP-1 drugs, food spending tends to revert toward previous levels – in some cases shifting back toward more indulgent categories.

For ingredients teams, this suggests a more fragmented demand landscape, split between long-term users, intermittent users and non-users. Product portfolios may need to accommodate all three, rather than assuming a linear shift toward reduced consumption.

Formulation strategy under appetite suppression

One of the more challenging implications for manufacturers is that traditional reformulation levers – such as reducing sugar or fat while maintaining portion size – may be insufficient in a GLP-1-influenced environment.

If consumers are physiologically inclined to eat less, products designed for smaller portions, slower consumption and functional benefit may outperform those relying on sensory intensity alone.

This has implications for:

• Portion architecture and serving size assumptions

• Cost-in-use modelling for high-value ingredients

• The balance between flavour delivery and nutritional signalling

For beverage formulators in particular, the findings may reinforce demand for functional drinks that replace, rather than accompany, food occasions.

Volatility and segmentation complicate forecasting

The research also highlights high discontinuation rates. When consumers stop taking GLP-1 drugs, food spending tends to revert toward previous levels – in some cases shifting back toward more indulgent categories.

For ingredients teams, this suggests a more fragmented demand landscape, split between long-term users, intermittent users and non-users. Product portfolios may need to accommodate all three, rather than assuming a linear shift toward reduced consumption.

A structural input into innovation planning

While the study focuses on US data, GLP-1 adoption is expanding globally, with approvals, reimbursement debates and supply constraints shaping uptake across Europe, parts of Asia and the Middle East.

For food and beverage manufacturers, GLP-1 drugs are unlikely to eliminate demand for indulgent products. But they introduce a structural constraint on volume growth in certain categories – one rooted in biology rather than price, regulation or consumer sentiment.

For ingredients innovation teams, the challenge is to design formulations that remain relevant in a market where eating less may become as important as eating differently.