Gibson Dunn’s Consumer Products and Retail team highlights several of the most significant legal trends we expect to shape litigation, regulatory compliance, and dealmaking for food and beverage companies in the year ahead.~~As the food and beverage industry enters 2026, companies face a changing legal environment shaped by an expanding litigation landscape, evolving regulatory frameworks, and renewed transactional activity. Shifting consumer expectations around nutrition, sustainability, and transparency, combined with heightened enforcement, plaintiff-friendly developments in key jurisdictions, and the growing influence of technology and third-party litigation financing, are driving new strategic considerations across the sector. Below, Gibson Dunn’s Consumer Products and Retail team highlights several of the most significant legal trends we expect to shape litigation, regulatory compliance, and dealmaking for food and beverage companies in the year ahead.~~Litigation~~Regulatory~~Transactional~~The following Gibson Dunn lawyers prepared this update: Andrew Fabens, Perlette Jura, Saee Muzumdar, Elizabeth Papez, Katlin McKelvie, and Al Kelly.~~Gibson Dunn’s lawyers are available to assist in addressing any questions you may have regarding these developments. Please contact the Gibson Dunn lawyer with whom you usually work, the authors, or any leader or member of the firm’s Consumer Products and Retail practice group:~~Andrew L. Fabens – New York (+1 212.351.4034, afabens@gibsondunn.com)~~Perlette Michèle Jura – Los Angeles/Washington, D.C. (+1 213.229.7121, pjura@gibsondunn.com)~~Saee Muzumdar – New York (+1 212.351.3966, smuzumdar@gibsondunn.com)~~Elizabeth P. Papez – Washington, D.C. (+1 202.955.8608, epapez@gibsondunn.com)~~Katlin McKelvie – Washington, D.C. (+1 202.955.8526, kmckelvie@gibsondunn.com)~~© 2026 Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  All rights reserved.  For contact and other information, please visit us at www.gibsondunn.com.~~Attorney Advertising: These materials were prepared for general informational purposes only based on information available at the time of publication and are not intended as, do not constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. Gibson Dunn (and its affiliates, attorneys, and employees) shall not have any liability in connection with any use of these materials.  The sharing of these materials does not establish an attorney-client relationship with the recipient and should not be relied upon as an alternative for advice from qualified counsel.  Please note that facts and circumstances may vary, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.~~Download PDF~~