Do you are a friend who has an online shop or food business? Are you interested on what’s new food trends are forecasted for the next year? Then you should read this post. Mintel, a global market intelligence agency has recently published their consumer food and drinks futures trend for 2018.
They have found similar consumer sentiments to our own research here at Orangutan Alliance HQ, regarding the rise of consumer demand around ethical and environmental labelling for products.
Full disclosure on food continues to be high on the agenda as is individuality and sustainability. We have listed below some general themes from their report.
1. Full Disclosure
Full disclosure on food labels is a growing trend that is here to stay.
Internationally, consumers are looking for transparency in the supply chain not just for health and safety reasons but also for ethical and environmental reasons. Many consumers around the world lack trust in regulatory systems and manufacturers because of product recalls, scandals and suspicion.
Ethical and environmental claims on packaging such as environmentally friendly, palm oil free, animal and human welfare claims has seen a rise of 22% between 2016 and 2017. Consumer skepticism has seen the need for food and drink manufacturers to be forthcoming about their ingredients, production processes and supply chains.
According to Mintel, Food and drink transparency serve a single purpose – to help consumers feel more confident about the safety and purity of the food and drink they purchase.
While this report was primarily done for food, we are seeing a similar trend in the beauty sector.
2. Self Care
Consumers are looking for ways to escape stress and overwhelm in their lives, and are trying to focus back on self-care and balance. They are developing their own definitions of what a healthy diet and lifestyle means and what permissible indulgence is. Manufacturers are responding with products that try and achieve health and indulgence. Products following this trend include chamomile infused drinks that mix relaxation and indulgence and super juices that provide a healthy boost.
Generally consumers try to eat healthily using more natural and nutritional ingredients of fruits, vegetables, grains, and spices, but balance good food, with a healthy indulgence of occasional treats that provide relaxation and self care properties.
3. New Sensations
Encounters that appeal to multiple senses can provide consumers with relief from routine and stress. This includes feast with your eyes experiences that generate like worthy social media posts. Texture and colour continue to be a big trend in 2018 as food and drink companies use the allure of ingredients like turmeric, matcha , activated charcoal, chunky yoghurt, tapioca pearls to create vibrant drinks and “share” worthy experiences.
4. Preferential Treatment
In the bid to save time and money consumers are sampling a variety of channels and technologies when shopping for food and drink. They are looking for prompt, affordable delivery, ease of automatic replenishment and simplicity of synchronisation with devices.
Busy consumers are attracted to e-commerce sites, apps and a variety of online and mobile options. Technology is helping with effortless shopping, convenience and personalised recommendations. Retailer apps will grow and continue to assist with curated content to personalise selections based on on previous purchases or search preferences.
5. Scientific Solutions to Food Supply
Some forward looking companies are developing solutions to replace traditional farms and factories with scientifically engineered ingredients such as laboratory grown meat, plant based burgers and animal free dairy. These new solutions aim to potentially alleviate some of the pressure that our global food supply is under.
While currently this trend is growing in more environmentally focussed consumers, researchers believe it will also appeal to consumers who are concerned about ingredient purity.
