Take a bite of new trends

2020 was indeed a year of disruption and a proof that nothing stays the same — neither in life nor in business. The way we socialize, work, travel (the lack of travel) and buy has been impacted and altered in many ways. Consumers have changed behaviour. And what about the things we eat? A new year and changes equals new possibilities and the potential to think differently. So, let’s take a bite of new trends!

Here are the Top Trends from Innova Market Insights.

Transparency Triumphs

In light of transparency dominating consumer demand in 2021, increasing transparency to meet evolving ethical, environmental and clean label consumer demands is key. Brands adopting and pairing new packaging technologies such as invisible barcodes and near-field communication technology with creative, meaningful storytelling will be successful. Meanwhile, the consumer lifestyle trend toward cleaner living is broadening and heightening expectations around what constitutes a clean label. Aspects include human and animal welfare, supply chain transparency, plant-powered nutrition and sustainable sourcing.

Hybrid Consumer - Product Mashups

According to Innova Market Insight, the consumers of the future are complex composite beings who actively explore and enjoy the good hybrid life. It is a life full of combinations and possibilities rather than limitations. It is a life that combines the best of all worlds. This also goes for the trends we see in the food and beverage industry. So, if you fancy a pizza with peach-flavoured cheese tea on top of the crust or simply look for fantastic product mashups with taste combinations and sensory sensations, then you a probably a hybrid consumer.

Plant-Forward

As plant-based trends reach global phenomenon status, this year’s Top Ten Trends report sees a renewal of 2020’s “Plant-Based Revolution Trend”. As a natural progression, this years’ “Plant-Forward” theme spotlights expansion to different regions and categories in 2021. The accelerated demand for new plant-based formats and more sophisticated alternatives is forecasted for upcoming successful launches. In particular, lab-grown foods have the potential to disrupt the industry with acceleration from animal welfare interests. The Innova Consumer Survey 2020 indicated that the top four reasons for considering plant-based alternatives were health, diet variety, sustainability and taste.

Tailored to Fit

Personalized nutrition is in the spotlight as consumers look for food and beverage options that fit their unique lifestyles. Sophisticated personalized nutrition advice on functional foods is still expensive, but the emergence of tech platforms allows for comparable customer service via automation.

Consumers expect a tailored approach to eating, with technological breakthroughs, new launches and exciting sensorial experiences providing the opportunity for customized lifestyles to extend to food and beverage consumption. The Innova Consumer Survey 2020 showed that 64 percent of global consumers have found more ways to tailor their life and products to their individual style, beliefs and needs.

New Omnichannel Eating

As foodservice and retail domains increasingly overlap, consumers can eat what they want, when and where they want it. Consumers are seeking convenience, richer experiences and accessible indulgence. Traditional hospitality is getting edged out, particularly with COVID-19 giving consumers more time to stay at home and sharpen their own culinary prowess. Meanwhile, increased home cooking is driving the use of convenient meal kits/starters and more sophisticated ingredients, resulting in new food experiences. The Innova Consumer Survey 2020 found 46 percent of consumers believe restaurant-branded products are a convenient way to attain the restaurant experience and flavours at home. Along with restaurant delivery growing, consumers can now directly access many specialty products that were previously only accessible via foodservice.

In Tune with Immune

Ongoing anxiety stemming from COVID-19 will encourage consumers to prioritize their immune health into 2021. Six out of ten global consumers are increasingly looking for food and beverage products that support their immune health. Immunity-boosting ingredients will play a significant role in the coming year, while research and interest in the role of the microbiome and personalized nutrition as ways to strengthen immunity will accelerate.

Lactosan cheese products

Take a look at the Lactosan product range here