For those who attended the Lunch! Exhibition at the Excel Centre on the 20th and 21st September, you would have been inundated with buzz foods, words and new launches from within the industry.
Rob Rona, director of new products, services and markets for The Triangle Nutrition Ltd provides expert comment on some of the new and emerging trends, as well as current ones which are going from strength-to-strength.
Food Movements
“We’re still seeing an increase in popularity for current market-dominating trends. The demand for plant-based, natural or vegan products show no signs of slowing down. Whether for ethical, environmental or health reasons, these types of diets are going to continue to grow, and both brands and retailers would be missing out on customers and sales by not catering to them in the future.
We’ve been watching the vegan market for the past couple of years, which is why three of the four Light Bites Popped Chip flavours (Sweet and Smoky Chipotle, Pesto and Sundried Tomato and Roasted Shallot and Cider Vinegar) are certified vegan by The Vegan Society.”
“Cold-pressed products were a thing of the past, but with raw and ethically sourced products increasing in popularity again, the trend is re-emerging. Juices packed with fruits and vegetables from a local supplier or approved farm are a sought-after product due to the health benefit.
Although organic products are still present in the market, their popularity is somewhat dwindling as it’s no longer seen as a luxury or a bonus to a product. A lot of brands are turning to better quality, sustainable ingredients as a selling point to a consumer, and with education, consumers are realising that organic doesn’t always mean better.”
“Another trend which the food industry needs to pay attention to is the rise of products that promote a healthy gut function. Lunch! saw multiple new brands with products dedicated purely to supporting a healthy gut, with more established brands brandishing the proclamation on their packaging. However, it’s a topic to be approached with caution, as research into the benefits are still at the early stages.”
Product Proclamations
“You couldn’t walk down an aisle at Lunch! without seeing health benefits on all product branding – high in protein or plant protein, high in fibre, gluten free, low sugar – consumers in modern culture are much more aware of what they are eating, making conscious decisions on food, and brands acknowledge this.
Protein and fibre are continuing to be a demand for consumers, with gluten free being another perk of a product.These key buzz words and phrases, which are often used in media, are easily picked up by consumers and they become a requirement in their food choices. For example, gluten free products used to be purely for coeliac sufferers, yet now people are choosing to follow a gluten free diet for their own health benefits.
To avoid confusion as to why these buzz phrases are important within a diet, brands need to be educating the consumer. NutriPot have been developed to provide the body with as much nutritional value as possible, and we clearly state the reasons behind the product in our “Science” section of the website. Each pot has over 20g protein, as well as containing 50% RDA of vitamins and minerals, and we highlight these clearly on our packaging.”
Specialist Ingredients
“On the whole, food trends continue to follow the idea of whole, simple ingredients. In recent times, consumers have a greater understanding of how to read nutritional information on a product. In particular, since the introduction of the traffic light system, it’s becoming easier to digest.
With Numai, almost all products have a fully green traffic light system, as we wanted to show that a great tasting and convenient product doesn’t need to mean unhealthy.
We’re still seeing a “nod” towards the superfood categories, despite the word being used less frequently. Turmeric had a large presence at this year’s Lunch!, in both food and drink, and we’re still seeing a high percentage of ancient grains, seeds and nuts on ingredient lists.”
Advanced Processes
“However, the focus tends to be less on the wonder ingredients alone, and more on how it is used. Activated ingredients made a bigger impact at this year’s exhibition, which highlights the fact that it’s not just the ingredients, it’s how they’re presented to us – which we can also see with cold-pressed products.
This may be the start of a new trend. Within modern culture, food trends are constantly evolving, so it’s inevitable that at some point it won’t just be what goes into a product that is considered, but how they are made and presented to a consumer.
We’re seeing this not only with packaging, recycling, reduced plastic and compostable as being a requirement for some, but also with production. Consumers no longer want just good, healthy ingredients, they want to make sure they’re absorbed into the body as quickly as possible to ensure we’re receiving all health benefits without destroying or reducing in the process.”
