What will hit the shelves and what will hit the mainstream
The health megatrend is only just getting started, but the lines between nutritious foods and supplements are already blurred. It leads to nutrient-dense products that feature functional health benefits to support consumer wellbeing. According to ADM research, 31% of consumers buy products to support their health, and 50% state a preference for products with naturally occurring beneficial ingredients.
Buzzwords
Adaptogens, functional ingredients, probiotics, superfoods
Reimagined Basics
New takes on staples, such as pasta, sauces, blended spices, and baked goods due to new shelf-stabilizing techniques and repurposed ingredients such as hearts of palm pasta, applewood-smoked salt, and meat flavored vegetarian products. The omnipresent chickpea will continue to lead this reimagination in alt-foods such as tofu, chips, flour, and cereals.
Baby food for grown ups
While Soylent may have been a decade too early, the category is getting a makeover with products focusing on adults’ health benefits. Think of a fruit mousse with ingredients such as fruits and flaxseeds.
Upcycled foods
Brands and food manufacturers are continuing to find new ways to upcycle ingredients that would’ve previously gone to waste, “we’re seeing a huge rise in packaged products that use neglected and underused parts of an ingredient as a path to reducing food waste. Upcycled foods, made from ingredients that would have otherwise been food waste, help to maximize the energy used to produce, transport and prepare that ingredient.” according to Whole Foods.
Buched-up — Boozed down
While hard seltzer burst onto the scene in 2018, alcoholic kombuchas are a big trend in the beverage category despite the onset of non alcoholic RTD cocktails and beverages. Kombucha’s USP, it is gluten-free, it is bubbly and probiotic cultures can be added for further product differentiation.
Protein Power
Protein trend goes mainstream, formerly reserved for gym members and pro athletes, it has already found a foothold in the yogurt aisle by emphasizing and rebranding dairy products
- Pro Brands Protein Chips with Sea Salt Flavor
- Spicely Organics Organic Italian Protein Seasoning
- Take Two Barley Milk: Vanilla
Plant Power
- Tulsi, an Indian basil variant, said to reduce metabolic stress, primarily used in tea
- Noni, a superfruit and antioxidant that contains more than 100 vitamins and minerals, originally from the South Pacific Islands, supply may be constrained
- Achacha, high in Potassium and Vitamin C, is originally from Bolivia, but has seen commercialization in Australia
- Rambutan, one more superfruit that is relatively common in South East Asian, its similarity to Lychees and a possible take off in travel in 2021 could propell this hairy fruit onto the mainstream
- Calamansi, South Korean, and popular in beauty products already, but also used for lemonades, it could cross the Pacific as part of the ongoing interest in the K-Pop — culture export
Adaptogens
Drinks that can help you focus, cereals that make you tired, sodas that lift the mood. Products containing adaptogens most commonly have such claims, and consumers, especially in North America, love it.
- Los Angeles Cold Press Adaptogens
- OffLimits cereals
- Waterdrop Focus Microdrink
What else ?
Meat and dairy alternatives will continue to progress, but have reached mainstream acceptability, therefore I did not include them as such. Cultured meat, such as recently announced by Eat Just, still faces a long road towards industrial production and regulatory scrutiny.
Adapotgens may see a bit of PR backlash as most products claim effects that have not been backed up for their particular recipe, rather that just one of the ingredients.
Alternative Proteins, various startups are working on them, and have recently discovered previously unknown ones, but as with most new ingredients, it takes time until they can be commercially produced and sold.
So I will close this piece with two already available products that are representative of the aforementioned trends.
Table of Plenty
Ginger Honey and Coconut Immunity Plus Porridge
Chobani Complete
Advanced Nutrition Greek Yogurt Shake: Vanilla
Eat healthy and nutritious everyone, and have a great 2021.
