This should be considered: 3 trends in the food industry for 2019
The first trend is — Through the ages («with no age limit»)
Increasing people's attention to their health will affect the food and beverage industry most of all. Manufacturers will use more efficient solutions when releasing products for healthy aging. This is particularly true since the proportion of the inhabitants of the Earth at the age of 60 years is increasing. The increased life expectancy inspires manufacturers to create food and beverages that will help people look and feel young.
Which brands are already in trend
In 2018, the Polish dairy company Bakoma launched a line of yoghurt and yoghurt drinks that do not contain lactose and are enriched with calcium and vitamin D to maintain healthy bones, muscle function and the immune system.
In the list of ingredients of the Italian mixture Geovita Nutrition Good Life Mix includes goji berries and paprika, which have anti-aging properties. American company Fairlife resumed the production of ultrafiltered milk with reduced fat content. The drink contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for people of all ages.
53% of Chinese who have children aged 4 to 12 years old are ready to buy baby food and drinks that are useful for intellectual development.
What’s next?
Manufacturers of products for healthy aging can draw inspiration from companies in the beauty industry and personal care products These products should not be called "anti-aging" because of the negative connotation of the word. It is necessary to act the way these products are associated with increasing life expectancy.In the future, more nootropics will be included in the composition of food and beverages (medicines designed to exert specific effects on higher mental functions), which help improve memory, increase endurance, vitality, etc.Manufacturers will more actively combine new research in the field of nutrition and longevity with practitioners such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. More and more food products will include ginger, green tea extract and mushrooms that are used in medicine purpose.
The second trend is — Elevated Convenience.In retail, there will be more individual sets of food. The appearance of a new generation of "convenient" food should help free up the consumers’ time for other activities.New variants for "convenient" food will actively offer automated 24-hour stores or smart stores such as Amazon Go in the USA or JD.ID X-mart in Indonesia. These are shops where mobile apps and cameras are used instead of cash desks and merchants. The cameras track the buyer's route and put the products taken from the shelf into the virtual basket.
23% of Americans will trust artificial intelligence to plan their meals and grocery shopping.
What do consumers think about this issue?
Consumers in the USA take into account a number of factors in determining which snack ingredients and packaging attributes draw their attention (July 2017).
39% - fruit content
39% - the content of whole grains
38% - the content of vegetables
36% - content of seeds or nuts
23% - resealable packaging
18% - take-away packaging
Due to the fast pace of modern life, some consumers are willing to pay more to save time.
43%-Chinese consumers aged between 20 and 49 order food delivery.
27%-American consumers agree that it takes too much time to prepare healthy food.
22%-Brazilians are willing to pay more if it helps them to save time.
Brands that produce packaged foods and drinks should give a wide array of choices of ready-made meals, nutritious snacks, and healthy drinks.
62%-American consumers are interested in supermarkets that specialize in offering goods for healthy eating.
34%-Chinese aged 20 to 49 would like to see more fresh food on store shelves.
22%-Britons who do the shopping very often say they would like to see more variety of goods for breakfast.
Innovation Director Mintel Lynn Dornblazer says that the trend “elevated convenience” is relevant now for all categories of consumers: “The common denominator: everyone is pressed for time”.
“Stores like Amazon Go will change our perception of 24-open stores. They can also affect how consumers plan groceries and prepare food,” says Mintel food analyst Melanie Zanoza Barthelme.
What's next?
In 2019, the demand for packaged food and restaurant-quality beverages will increase.A variety of retail sets of food will grow. Manufacturers will produce sets for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as sets of snacks and drinks. There will be more smart solutions for mobile devices, home appliances and retail. They will help optimize the purchase of food to help consumers save time.
The third trend is — Evergreen Consumption
Otherwise, “evergreen consumption” is called “responsible consumption”. This term covers all stages of product consumption, from purchase to disposal. The idea of "ethical" consumption is built on the principle of "voting with the ruble." This means that by buying a product, the consumer demonstrates the approval of the ideology of the seller.
It should be noted that a year ago, Mintel researchers highlighted among global trends the need to reduce the amount of waste or food that spoil all over the world. In 2018, the British company Tesco became the exclusive retailer for a number of fruit juices made from so-called ugly fruits and vegetables (they do not fall on the shelves because of their non-marketable appearance).
Nowadays we should note the increasing attention is paid to plastic waste. People are increasingly aware of the damage that plastic bags and straws cause to the planet. That’s where Mintel reveals the trend that Rethink Plastic refers to (“rethinking plastic”). The key components of the next generation of “responsible packaging” will be biomaterials.
Also, the trend “evergreen consumption” touches upon the topic of regenerative (self-regenerating) agriculture. Such agriculture should lead to the improvement of the soil, increase its fertility, increase biodiversity, improve the ecosystem and water quality. In addition, it should reverse climate change and empower agricultural producers.
37% of Britons aged 12–18 consider climate change and plastic pollution to be important environmental issues.
What do consumers think about this issue?
Chinese aged 20–49 living in cities take into account a number of important factors while deciding whether a brand can be called responsible (March 2017) or not.
47% - transparent information on the origin
44% - waste reduction
42% reduction in carbon emissions
41% - environmentally friendly packaging
41% - honest advertising
26% - animal welfare
Many consumers are ready to change their behavior in order not to harm the environment.
58% -Indian consumers living in cities take their bags when they go grocery shopping.
53%-Americans believe that plant products are better for the environment than animal products.
47%-Britons consider plastic pollution to be an important issue.
Many consumers would like to help the food manufacturing industry become more circular.
67% -Britons are ready to act "environmentally friendly" when they see the real results of their efforts
46%-Brazilian middle-class consumers would like to exchange empty packages / used goods for a discount on future purchases.
43%-Indian urban consumers are worried about the effects of air pollution on their health.
About the research: Forecasts for 2019 are based on the conclusions of more than 90 Mintel analysts, as well as food industry experts from Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and the USA.