On 8 October 2026 Mars set out what it expects people to be eating in 2036: more fibre, more personalisation, more solo meals, and food developed faster with AI. Mars is not a dairy company. Its view still matters to dairy, because it describes the plate dairy will compete for.
We set the Mars view against what the largest dairy and dairy-ingredient companies have published and said in 2025 and 2026: FrieslandCampina, Arla, Fonterra, Danone, Nestlé, Lactalis, Müller, Saputo, Glanbia, Kerry, Dairy Farmers of America, Yili and Mengniu.
Protein has become infrastructure. Every company reviewed names it. The strongest 2026 results are protein-led, and the capital is following, from Fonterra's additional 1 billion New Zealand dollars to Saputo's plant expansion in New York State.
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Published by The Dairy Mail, Dairy Connect: https://www.dairy-connect.com/the-dairy-mail/the-next-plate/
