Although the superfood craze dates back to the early 80s, it wasn't until the 2000s that it really exploded among people concerned about health. This movement is constantly evolving and new superfoods are likely to be added every year. There you have it: 10 of the most popular trends you can benefit from right now and five next to consider. As consumers shift their preferences toward foods that boost immunity and promote health, fermented foods are still on the list of their favorites.
The demographics of the American public are still changing. With one-third of the population already over 55 years old and 31 million boomers turning 65 in the next 10 years, the food preferences and health priorities of older Americans will come to center stage, both in restaurants and in retail stores. For the first time, the food industry will face the development of dual marketing strategies as the 72 million “gourmet” Generation Y people enter the workforce and their parenting years. With drastically different eating attitudes and behaviors from their boomer parents, they have already fathered the first generation of “food-loving” children and will impose even tighter health restrictions on children's food in the coming years.
Three out of 10 consumers (29%) say they use food preparation products that they didn't use three months ago, including food processors, grinders, juicers, slicers, steamers and woks (IHA, 200. While consumers have traditionally turned to comfort foods in difficult economic times, this time they're doing so with a different twist. Regional American foods add zest to the comforting trend. Texas, New York style, Southwest style, Southern style, California, New England, Cajun style, Boston style and Santa Fe are the main “American” statements on menus (Mintel Menu Insights, 200.
A great opportunity lies in teaching consumers how to cook. Four out of 10 Americans (42%) know someone who “urgently needs cooking skills” (AEB, 200. Only 27% of consumers consider that their ability to select and prepare meat is as good as that of their mothers (AMI, 200. Two-thirds of specialty food consumers cook more at home because of the economy.
Nearly six out of 10 (59%) enjoy planning parties, and 86% say that family traditions are important to them (Tanner, 200. Products such as Belgioioso's Unwrap %26 Roll fresh mozzarella sheet, which allows consumers to easily prepare personalized snacks, help to facilitate the process. While American and European classics continue to dominate the soup market, Chinese favorites, Vietnamese pho, and authentic Italian soups are expected to take center stage. Southern, Thai and Chinese cuisine will be the next wave of gourmet salads (Mintel Menu Insights, 200.
Since Generation Y is the one most likely to reduce restaurant visits and 10% more likely than any other group to say that they prefer the taste of food prepared in restaurants, they will be relentless in finding ways to enjoy restaurant-type meals at home (GfK, 200). As this new generation redefines precooked foods, it will place an unprecedented emphasis on flavor flexibility, driving demand for “helpers”, p. ex. Dulcet Cuisine's all-natural ketchups in the Peppery Moroccan, Mild Indian Curry and Orange Chili varieties hit the spot.
Members of Generation Y are the ones who eat the most frequent snacks, always multitask and run, and will create a new generation of gourmet snacks, takeaway foods and tools to improve taste, for example,. Since the biggest baby boom in the country's history is underway, combining the attitudes of Generation Y parents with a healthy diet and gourmet taste will be a win-win proposition. Gerber's new Graduates for Prechoolers healthy foods offer these attributes. The flavors of holidays and destinations are gaining strength.
VIB Beverages offers a holiday drink in the bottle. Maui Pancake Company's pancake and waffle mixes with pineapple, coconut, tropical and banana, macadamia nuts start the day with a tropical adventure. Mojito, Margarita, Cabo and Kona coffee flavors are coming to a wide variety of food and beverage categories. From the point of view of taste, desserts and candies have an adventurous and tasty touch, and are combined with salts, turmeric, wasabi, basil, coriander, ginger, rosemary, chipotle and fennel.
In Europe, fine chocolates are infused with vegetables, for example,. Many consumers also consider alcoholic beverages to be an affordable treat. Nearly 85% of consumers have not reduced their purchases of alcoholic beverages (Brager, 200. Wine ranked fourth among the 10 fastest-growing categories in terms of unit sales in FDMW, with sales increasing by 4.3% last year (IRI, 200.
Adventurous wine drinkers are boosting sales of wines made with little known grapes from emerging regions, as well as wines in organic packaging. At the other end of the spectrum, sales of 3-liter cases of wine increased by 46% last year (Brager, 200. Food allergies and sensitivities represent the third level of consumer concern. More than three-quarters of consumers indicate that they do not buy gluten-free or allergen-free products (IDDBA, 200.
Of those who consulted the ingredient label when buying food, 4% observed the presence of food allergens and 6% looked for allergen labeling (IFIC, 200. Interest in foods that work naturally and whole-food nutrition is likely to be one of the most important health trends of the next 10 years. Mixing naturally “nutrient-rich” foods to obtain products that are high in antioxidants, such as V-8 Fusion, or combining foods that are naturally high in phytochemicals and nutrients, such as Green Giant's Healthy Vision frozen vegetables or Immunity Boost, is a smart strategy. Sports drinks that naturally deliver electrolytes when mixed together represent another new functional direction.
The recognition of serious risk factors in children by health professionals and parents will create a new demand for natural, preventive and functional foods for children (HealthFocus, 200). Since high blood pressure in children tripled in the last decade and one in eight children already had two or more risk factors for heart disease, the American Academy of Pediatrics has required that pediatricians begin monitoring calcium and blood pressure at 2 years of age and complete a lipid profile between 2 and 8 years (AAP, 200). Despite growing concern about their caloric levels, fruit drinks continue to dominate the children's beverage market with a share of 64%, followed by dairy drinks with 12%, bottled water with 11% and sports drinks with 7% (BMC, 200). Bags are an increasingly popular packaging option.
Bagged tuna is the main driver of growth in this category and represents more than 10% of sales (Ramseyer, 200. Ronzoni Bistro pasta is packaged in convenient single-serving bags suitable for microwaves. Kraft's Stove Top quick glasses offer workers another option for enjoying a hearty lunch to go. Asian Sun liquid green tea in packs eliminates the need to dispose of dirty tea bags in the office.
With more consumers cooking from scratch, products that make the task easier continue to have great appeal. Potato Jazz, from Wilcox Marketing Group, allows fresh, seasoned potatoes to be steamed in your microwave tray in 5 minutes. Whether out of boredom, convenience, safety, or economy, consumers are looking for a variety of new and sometimes tried and tested forms of products and packaging to meet their changing needs. Manufacturers that offer practical and efficient solutions without a higher price are sure to capture consumers' attention.
Non-alcoholic cocktails, which were once known lightly as non-alcoholic cocktails, are now very popular, and that trend is only growing and taking hold, according to Fernando Soberanis, executive chef of the Laurel Brasserie %26 Bar in Salt Lake City, Utah, through Food and Wine. Some gastronomic trends start among people and spread virally, such as the numerous TikTok recipes that have spread around the world in recent years, while in other cases a brand selects a certain product, a type of drink or even a specific flavor that it wants to promote, and then does so aggressively. In the culinary world, the ways in which new gastronomic trends emerge are very similar to those in the world of fashion. In addition, their unique food preferences and priorities will force food marketers to adopt a dual mode of marketing, focusing directly on younger and older consumers.
As awareness of the benefits of maintaining a healthy intestine grows, it is to be expected that foods based on a gut-friendly mentality (pickled, fermented, prebiotics and probiotics) will become increasingly popular with customers, as well as plant-based foods. Top consumer safety issues include improper food handling (61%), the safety of imported foods (57%) and exposure to foodborne pathogens (55%). As rapid population growth tests natural resources and food supplies, the days of wasting food are over. Another thing to keep in mind is that adding certain new, modern foods can cause food costs to increase, making those dishes uncost-effective.
That's why we'll also look at three essential questions you should ask yourself to determine if it's worth adding a current food trend. .
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