Top 100 Food Brands for 2025
- Nestlé remains the world’s most valuable food brand at $20bn
- Yili is the top dairy brand globally at $11.2bn
- Lindt enters the top 10, boosted by strong price acceptance and premium appeal
- Cadbury climbs to #13, up from #19 last year
- Heinz improves to #21, but still misses the top 20
Brand Finance has released its list of the world’s Top 100 Food Brands for 2025.
The food industry boasts an estimated 500,000 brands worldwide (Nielsen Media). Making it into the top 10 most valuable is an extraordinary achievement.
Let’s take a look at the top performers.
Top 10 most valuable food brands
| Brand | Brand value 2025 | Brand value 2024 | Brand rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nestlé | $19,969m | $20,769M | AA+ |
| Lay’s | $12,721m | $12,021M | AA |
| Yili | $11,221m | $11,606m | AAA- |
| Tyson | $9,904m | $8,266m | AAA- |
| Danone | $8,271m | $8,026m | AA- |
| Kellogg’s | $6,026m | $6,092m | AA- |
| Doritos | $5,392m | $4,636m | AAA- |
| Uni-President | $4,992m | $3,709m | AAA |
| Barilla | $4,989m | $4,140m | AAA |
| Lindt | $4,915m | $4,294m | AAA |
Discover the full Top 100 Food Brands 2025 here.
Top 10
With a brand value of $20.0bn (€17.23bn), Nestlé has taken the top spot for an incredible tenth year running. And while its value has dropped 4% – $20,769m down to $19,969m – its brand value remains more than $7.0bn greater than its closest competitor, Lay’s, which holds a value of $12.7bn.
According to Brand Finance research, Nestlé notes strong consumer familiarity (9.7), understanding (7.6), and credibility (7.4), but lower engagement (5.8), preference (6.3), and price acceptance (6.3). These scores underline the challenge Nestlé faces in maintaining its premium pricing position without alienating price-sensitive consumers.
Chinese brand, Yili has maintained its position as the world’s most valuable dairy brand, at $11.2bn.
In fact, all of the top five entries – Nestlé, Lay’s, Yili, Tyson, Danone – have held firm to their positions from last year.
The rest of the top ten – Kellogg’s, Doritos Uni-President, Barilla, Lindt – are up on their previous year’s performance.
Sneaking into the top 10 is chocolatier, Lindt, with a value of $4.9bn. The Swiss brand enjoyed a 14% value increase, taking it from 11 to 10 in the global rankings.
Brand Finance research reveals that Lindt achieves a perfect 10 out of 10 score for price acceptance in core markets, including Germany, France, Spain, the UK, and Switzerland, showcasing its ability to command a price premium and defend margins.
“Lindt’s strong performance across key research metrics is reinforced by consumer perceptions,” says Henry Farr, valuation director of Brand Finance.
Data shows that 63% of UK and 56% of Swiss consumers view Lindt as ‘expensive but worth the price’. These are the highest percentages among chocolate brands in both the UK and Switzerland. Similar sentiments are shared in Germany, with 57% of consumers signalling price acceptance and 60% associating Lindt with ‘great taste,’ highlighting its strong brand appeal and ability to validate its premium pricing – a significant competitive advantage.
Cadbury sits just outside the top 10 at 13 – a marked improvement on 2024 where it came in at just 19.
By contrast, Hershey experienced a fall in fortunes, dropping to 16 from 15.
Surprises
Perhaps most surprisingly, food giant Heinz doesn’t make the top 10. In fact, it’s not even in the top 20. The famous producer of products such as Heinz Beans and Heinz Tomato Ketchup comes in at 21. Though that’s a marked improvement from 2024 where it scraped into the top 30 at number 29.
What the future holds
With competition fierce and consumer expectations evolving, the 2025 rankings highlight the power of brand perception, pricing strategy, and global reach. As the food industry continues to innovate, next year’s list may hold even more surprises.
