The Editor Presents: The Consumer Trends Edition
07 Dec 2023 | The World of Food Ingredients
Join The World of Food Ingredients’ editor, Missy Green, for a rundown of the December 2023 edition, which reflects on NPD from the past year and delves into the Top Ten Trends for 2024. Suppliers share their insights on what’s to come for “ingredients taking the spotlight” and emerging themes in F&B innovation. She’ll highlight the key takeaways from articles on flavor and texture, hydrocolloids and coloring alt-seafood. Meanwhile, the latest taste enhancers provide a clean taste to sugar-reduced products and targeted prebiotics open up new opportunities in the gut health arena.
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Welcome to the World of Food Ingredients live edition of The Editor Presents.
I'm your editor, Missy Green, and it is my pleasure to bring you the consumer trends edition because ultimately, everything we do is all about consumer demand.
So, recent research from KAERI found that 98% of consumers are actively trying to reduce food waste, 98%, and that is the subject of a CARI report on extending shelf life and how brands can win over consumers by reducing food waste.
So, if you scan the QR code in the corner, then you can access the report and it also covers some of the reasons consumers are trying to save food.
The impact of food waste on repurchasing, and the top reasons that food goes to waste in the first place in consumers' homes.
So before we waste any more time, right here, let's dive into the food business news.
And as always, put questions in the comment box below as they come to you.
So, in the news, GNT unveiled its 2024 trend, Regeneration rising.
GNT for the second time this year, came out with a concept rather than a color of the year.
So, last year it had the healthy hedonism trend, which was about Gen Z.
This year, it's also Gen Z focused, but more about regenerative agriculture, about upcycling and being eco-conscious.
So, the full report will be released in early next year.
And speaking of the trends, And Nova Market Insights announced their top 10 trends for 2024, and this is always the most exciting part of the year because a lot of hard work goes into identifying the trends and making sure they're backed by numbers.
And this year, it was all about ingredients being boldly labeled on pack.
So, if you follow Enova, I'm sure you know, last year, the top 10 trend was redefining value, and this is a continuation of that because price is not the only consideration consumers make, even though it's so important right now.
Specific ingredients really make the difference.
So, think about, like, pea protein instead of a more general plant protein.
And functional ingredients are also, like, back in the mainstream.
And Luanne Williams, the global insights director for Enova, made the point that we've sort of come full circle since the 1990s when functional foods were just sort of unleashed on the world, and it was this wild west environment.
Of people making all sorts of claims, companies making all sorts of claims, and then, It sort of transitioned into this backlash of, now, we want natural whole foods, and now we're at this point where we're back around and people want the functionality, but also have a natural aspect.
So, if you think about, like, using Acerola as a natural source of vitamin C.
And then another notable trend is that plant-based is still there, still expected to grow, and I realized there was a lot of setbacks in the plant-based space with some companies, you know, having hard times in that sector.
And that was also quite a subject of debate at FIE.
I spoke with Beneo, who just launched a beef analog.
Which is made from microprotein and pee, and one of the board members said, you know, it's actually kind of good that plant-based businesses are closing.
Because it means that we're still not there yet.
And there's a pretty big consensus that plant-based is still falling short of consumer expectations.
So, there's still an opportunity there to grow.
And it also raises the question, you know, how much do we really need to mimic meat.
So, I spoke with a neuroscientist at the Future of Foods, Future of Nutrition summit.
He said that, you know, your food memories are stored really deeply in the emotional part of your brain.
So, when you taste something, which is You know, not exactly what you're expecting, then you have this, like, disappointment, and maybe it won't, you know, never fully make it, that we can completely match that because it's so stored into our long-term memories.
And then also Home Kitchen Heroes was interesting because that was really a direct result of COVID lockdowns, and now people on tighter budgets, people are cooking a lot more at home, and that's where they like to experiment the most.
So, ingredients taking the spotlight.
One of the most important ingredients out there that consumers are looking for is protein.
And at the top left, you can see that Europe is clearly leading in product launch activity, followed by Asia.
Interesting because in Europe.
Does not tend to have protein deficiencies, but they are really after it.
This article takes a look at trending textures and flavors with some interesting product launches like this Mentos drink that has jelly bites.
So, it's a bit of a boba tea experience.
And then on the graph on the left, you have a data, survey from 11 countries asking what makes a product indulgent.
The 36% said crispy, crunchy, and 33% said creamy.
This drink was also very interesting.
It's a canned margarita that's infused with nitrogen for a velvety texture, so kind of like that nitro coffee experience, but then in a cocktail.
CRISPR provide a crispier future, or a more nutritious future.
There's some really interesting possibilities for CRISPR technology, like the possibility of being able to snip out the rice's ability to absorb arsenic.
Now, this is in a really early stages, but there are some products that are already on the market, so it's becoming very tangible now.
In the US, the company Pairwise launched Conscious Greens, and this is a gene edited mustard green which eats like a lettuce but then has double the nutrition of romaine, and they're able to do that by disrupting an enzyme that would normally break down these pungent aromatic compounds.
And then in Japan, there's the Sicilian Rouge high gabba tomato that came to the market to help lower blood pressure.
So, functional foods and just fruits and vegetables that you grow, sort of the next era of this.
The possibilities are, are pretty endless there.
Now, onto our NPD spread.
If you're familiar with the world of food ingredients, you know, every edition, we include a selection of handpicked products that we've sourced throughout Europe, we bring them to the office and we take a photoshoot picture, and next year, we're going to be doing something a little bit different, and we're gonna be expanding to all corners of the world.
So, be on the lookout for that.
We're also in this December edition, go through, you know, what's coming next in the different categories.
In this edition, or in this article, Elizabeth Green spoke to companies working to create alt seafood with authentic visual appeal.
So, one of the most interesting aspects here is that cultivated seafood also needs to consider how to get the color right.
She spoke to a cellular aquaculture company, Mermaid, who uses the red pigment from microalgae to feed their cultivated fish.
And, you know, this is how actual fish would get their color by consuming this microalgae which has this pigment.
So, it's a dual approach to providing the color and the health benefits of this antioxidant.
It's one of several approaches.
Next, we look at some of the most promising flavor enhancers that are coming out.
And there's been a lot of innovation in this space.
I think it also has to do with governments getting more serious about lowering salt and sugar in foods, and of course, it's always a complex solution.
It seems though that behind many of these innovations, there's typically some some form of fermentation.
It's not just to add sweetness, but then to mute off notes that you might get from sweeteners.
So, this article talks a little bit about tagatose, ulose, browsing, and also some savory solutions from tomato and fermentation.
In the realm of hydrocolloids, we heard from Nisha Zalesni from IMR International.
She's the co-author of the Quarterly Review of hydrocolloids, and she's the go to person when it comes to hydrocolloids in general.
She has an amazing view over the whole market.
And she reported that in 2022, supplies were scarce, which led to stockpiling.
Of hydrocoloids in general, a lot of different factors going on, which you can read about in the article.
And then in 2023, companies found themselves sort of with a lot of stock because they were stockpiling in this time of scarcity.
So, 2024 is looking better, but it's also predicted to be an El Nino year, so difficult for climate, which could affect , the lemon crop per pectin and potentially seaweed having warmer waters.
In the ocean.
Lifestyle he used to command attention.
What does it mean?
This is a trend singled out by ADM in its 2024 flavor and color report, which found that consumers are looking for really bold, bright colors that represent themselves and also for indulgence, which can be achieved through really bright and bold colors.
The cultivated meat continues to build momentum, and one of the questions of the industry is, you know, when it becomes actually scalable and plentiful enough, how will brands direct this narrative?
And, will bioreactors be sort of as scary as industrial farming?
So Alex Crisp, who's the host of Future of Foods interviews, spoke with Ira van Eyen, who came up with the concept of respect farms, where companies could sort of keep the idyllic view of a farm with the cows present, but then they are just, you know, every once in a while, it gets themselves removed painlessly.
And that's used to, you know, cultivate meat.
So, this article explores some of the investments that are being made, including, you know, an interview with Cargill, who also believes that cultivated meat will become part of the growing protein pie.
What's in store for 2024, definitely health, indulgence, sustainability, those are the top three mega trends that suppliers highlighted, and, plant-based options are still, or the number one reason that people go to plant-based options is still health.
And, of course, the indulgence aspect also helps to cover maybe off notes or Things that are less desirable as you're trying to consume something healthy.
So next we heard from the editor of Packaging Insights, Louis Gord Langton, and he spoke about bioplastics huge potential, but then also some of the difficulties, right?
So, global bioplastics production is set to triple in the coming 4 years, so, that's huge, but there's a lot of questions, like, You know, what feedstocks are gonna be available?
Is not using fossil fuels, but then cutting down a whole bunch of forests gonna be feasible, or taking things from the ocean, how's that gonna affect biodiversity?
Also some problems with toxicity with natural solutions.
So, many challenges still ahead.
Of course, packaging is also vital when it comes to food waste reduction.
This article covers some of the packaging and ingredient possibilities to tackle the problem, like, like aseptic packs have been really helpful.
Lactic acid derivatives, can also help extend shelf life.
And you can see it there in that bread.
In the health and wellness news, personalized gut health is reaching more consumers through at-home testing.
So, Flore launched their latest, microbiome mapping, and then this is pretty interesting as , the sparkling drink here that has all three biotics.
So it's pre, pro, and postbiotics.
And speaking of prebiotics, they seem to be really taking off.
And it's so interesting because we've always heard about prebiotics as just like food for good bacteria.
But I think it's only recently kind of coming to light how specific it is, you know, so, It's not just Good in general, but there's certain prebiotics that will feed the Pytobacterium longum and B.
Adolescentis, or acromansia.
So, this is the case for Neutral leads Benicaus prebiotics sourced from the sidestream of the carry juice industry.
They found there are these very specific strains that it helps with.
And then also the polyphenols from grapes are associated with a higher acromansia content.
So, very interesting, precision prebiotics is what they're called.
And this article takes a look at some of the opportunities in the market to produce more health-oriented food, which is still delicious.
One example is using a variety of sweeteners or even sugar to deliver fewer calories with less taste.
No compromise the taste.
Same amount of taste.
And then in in this article, we look at ABA.
There's a study about how this naturally occurring ingredient could help improve insulin resistance.
So, this is a natural ingredient from Mediterranean extracts.
And then in the view from the top, I spoke to Sang Yun Lee, who's the executive vice president and head of food ingredients at the Sam Young Corporation in South Korea.
Sam Young is a producer of allulose and other sugar reduction and dietary fiber ingredients, and the company is working with a consortium.
They're part of the consortium to help get IUOse approved in the EU and the UK.
Lee said that since IUOse has been available in Korea, it's totally revolved revived the zero calorie market because brands have finally been able to remove the aftertaste that you get with diet drinks.
So, most recently, IUOse was approved in Australia and New Zealand, and it's already being sold in the US, Japan, Chile.
India and Singapore.
In the US it's very keto diet focused.
There's no added sugar.
So, if you haven't subscribed, now is the moment, and it's also the moment that I can take any questions.
So are there any questions?
Question from Kaitlin Stafford, who's asking, are you and Elizabeth Green related?
Hello, Caitlin.
That, that's an excellent question.
Elizabeth Green is the deputy editor for the World of Food Ingredients.
We are not related, but we do sometimes feel like kind of sisterly.
So it's great to work with her.
Are there any other questions?
We have another question from Krishna Viva.
Where is the industry leaning on the nomenclature of cultivated meat?
Is it cell-based, cultured?
Hi, Christian.
That's a great question.
As an emerging category, there's still not really a consensus about it.
I did see a report from the Blue Nalu did in association with a lot of different companies and, and they submitted it to the FDA saying that cell-based seemed to be the, the resonate the best with consumers.
But I just spoke with GFI, Good Food Institute.
And they said that their studies show that, cultivated meat was the best, and I believe That cultivated meat is more the standard that is being, promoted at the moment.
It was interesting that we talked about cultured farms and that in the article by Alex Crisp, he said he likes the term cultured because It also evokes a feeling of being proper, like a cultured farm where the cows are not killed.
Any other questions?
Maya Scribele asks, is there any way to access this report?
Oh, there is the food waste report.
Yeah, I'll be happy to send you the link if you weren't able to scan that QR code.
It's no problem.
We have another question from Ilona Padawater.
What were some of the top trends at FIE?
OK, so FIE always a great place to meet everybody and discuss the trends.
I think the top thing that I saw was, cost reduction, like, very Very much in focus and sustainability, but that was sustainability and plant-based were sort of merged with cost reduction.
And there was, you know, a plant-based butter that was great, not because of vegan trends, but because it was cheaper than butter.
So, you could just sort of put that into a formula and You know, you could save some money, but still have the same sensory experience, not necessarily promoting it, like, a butter reduced product.
And that was sustainability as , of course, if you're reducing, if you're using less energy, you're saving some money, which is always great in this, in these days.
Are there any other questions?
We don't have any more questions.
OK, no more questions.
All right, it was such a pleasure, presenting this December edition to you.
And I wish you the best of happy holidays ahead, and this is Missy Green signing off.
Green
Missy
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