Big Food pours millions into rebrands as obesity drugs reshape U.S. demand

Bags of potato chips from Pepsico's Frito-Lay division are shown in New York. (Mark Lennihan / AP)

Global food and beverage companies from PepsiCo to Coca-Cola are focusing on shorter ingredient lists and smaller pack sizes in 2026 as more people take appetite-suppressing GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.

Companies that previously took a wait-and-see attitude now see GLP-1s as here to stay. So far this year, nearly three dozen companies outside the healthcare industry have mentioned GLP-1 drugs or weight loss on their earnings conference calls, up from 14 for the same period a year ago, and just five two years earlier, according to LSEG data.

Diet changes linked to GLP-1 drug use could mean up to US$12 billion in snack sales lost over the next decade, according to EY-Parthenon estimates. Adoption of GLP-1 drugs, which suppress appetite and are mainly prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, more than doubled in the 12 months to December, with about 20 per cent of U.S. households now including at least one user, according to a PwC analysis.

Peter ter Kulve, CEO of Magnum Ice Cream, said GLP-1 users continue to eat treats, but they exhibit “a stark reduction of mindless munching and binge eating.”

Coca-Cola’s incoming top boss urged faster innovation on his first analyst call as CEO-elect last week, while Kraft Heinz’s new chief halted a planned split of the company and instead announced $600 million in investments this year to revive long-neglected staples such as its meat and cold cuts business Oscar Mayer.

GLP-1s rewrite demand

Capital expenditure is expected to rise for most Big Food companies this year, jumping as much as 23 per cent for General Mills, according to LSEG-compiled data.

PepsiCo has launched a line called “Simply NKD” to reformulate its snacks, and is rebranding products such as Lay’s and Gatorade by removing artificial colors.

PepsiCo will also begin testing mini-meal options with its Sabra and Siete brands in the U.S., CEO Ramon Laguarta said at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference on Wednesday.

“I think there are more opportunities than threats, but there are both,” Laguarta said on a post-earnings call earlier this month.

Coca-Cola ramped up production to meet growing demand for its protein-infused Fairlife milk late last year. General Mills launched higher protein Cheerios cereal in December 2024 as it grapples with competition for breakfast foods.

“We expect GLP-1 and other anti-obesity drugs to have a lasting influence in the food and nutrition landscape, nudging some consumers towards smaller portions and more nutrient-dense protein and fiber-forward foods,” General Mills’ CEO Jeffrey Harmening said at the CAGNY conference on Tuesday.

All in on R&D

Conagra Brands is investing in snacks such as its Slim Jim meat sticks, nuts and seeds, and issued a report last year that highlighted rising demand for protein-forward, portion-controlled and nutrient-dense foods, especially among Gen Z and millennials.

“There’s not anyone out there that’s not designing, putting R&D dollars against this trend,” said Peter Mangan, managing director at Portage Point Partners.

Smaller businesses are seeing the opportunity as well. Snap Kitchen, a private Austin-based company that provides curated daily meals to roughly 35,000 customers annually, invested in expanding its menu with products containing higher fiber, lean protein density, and ingredients shown to promote satiety to reflect changing tastes, said CEO Mitchell Raisch. “The GLP-1 opportunity has sharpened our focus and accelerated our pipeline,” he said.

GLP-1 users on average consume 40 per cent fewer calories, according to PwC’s analysis of data from consumer insights firm Numerator. Dessert consumption is down 84 per cent, and alcohol use is down by 33 per cent, while fresh produce intake is up by more than 70 per cent. Family grocery baskets are four per cent to six per cent smaller, according to the data, while single-person households have experienced declines of up to nine per cent.

“We’re just starting to scratch the surface on the ripple effects of this type of physiological disruption,” said Ali Furman, PwC U.S. consumer markets leader.

(Reporting by Juveria Tabassum and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru, Alexander Marrow in London; editing by David Gaffen, Devika Syamnath and Alan Barona)