GLP-1 drugs have created a unique opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers, as companies are retooling and developing new products as GLP-1 users seek healthier options to support their weight-loss goals.

The transitions touch every area of the business, from research to manufacturing to sales and marketing.

The industry is proving remarkably agile in seizing this opportunity. But the transition also raises risks that even savvy managers may not have considered, such as supply chain exposure, worker and product safety, and even potential litigation around labeling.

How did we get here?

As more people use GLP-1 for weight loss, these consumers are expected to make up more than one-third of the entire U.S. food and beverage market by 2030.1 Already, GLP-1 injectable drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are causing major shifts in consumer demand, often away from calorie-dense, processed food, such as savory snacks,2 to food high in fiber and protein.

Demand for alcoholic beverages is expected to decline in favor of “functional” products that improve hydration or that address stress.3 And the likely introduction of a GLP-1 drug in pill form is expected to accelerate these consumer trends.4

Food and beverage makers are already responding, making changes to product lines and formulations, with at least one industry player producing food labeled “GLP-1 friendly.”

However, changing products or reformulating old ones requires new ingredients, new production lines, new packaging and new safety protocols. Doing so on the fly introduces risk — which producers may not realize exists — to assess and mitigate before it becomes insurance claims.

The risks of GLP-1s on food and beverage makers

Understanding these risks is the first step in managing them. Here are five such risks:

  1. Supply chain risk. Companies may need to add or change suppliers as product lines evolve. This creates competition for the same supplies and exposes companies to disruption when an ingredient becomes scarce without a backup source.
  2. Production line risk. Reimagining products can entail a significant change in how a production line works, raising the risk of malfunction or system failure, particularly with entirely new products. Food safety protocols must also keep pace.
  3. Recall risk. Recalls for mislabeling or food safety issues are endemic to the industry, and recall risk only rises when a company launches a product it has never made before.
  4. Worker risk. New products, lines and packaging mean workers take on unfamiliar tasks. Without proper training and safety planning, the risk of injuries — and the liability that comes with them — rises significantly.
  5. Packaging risk. Class-action lawsuits tied to packaging misrepresentation around phrases like “all natural” have been on the rise. Marketing products as GLP-1 “adjacent” can attract similar scrutiny, making careful labeling essential.

Managing these risks will not be straightforward

Taken as a whole, these complex risks are not tackled easily. But they are manageable, and the insurance market is encouraging. For instance, product recall coverage (for the moment) is inexpensive with ample capacity, and business interruption insurance can effectively backstop against supply chain disruption.

Because of the rapid pace of change, it’s not surprising that others in the industry or risk management haven’t addressed — or even recognized — these emergent risks. The best first step is a thorough evaluation with your insurance broker to identify exposures, implement mitigation strategies and find the right insurance coverages as you ride the GLP-1 revolution to success.

Contact HUB International’s food and beverage experts to understand and contain the risks of quickly pivoting in response to the GLP-1 drug revolution.

1 FoodDive, “GLP-1 users to make up 35% of food and beverage sales by 2030: report,” November 25, 2025.
2 Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, “The No-Hunger Games: How GLP-1 Medication Adoption is Changing Consumer Food Demand,” December 8, 2025.
3 Alix Partners, “GLP-1 drugs stir change in the beverage industry,” February 5, 2025.
4 Reuters, “Weight-loss pill approval set to accelerate food industry product overhauls,” December 24, 2025.