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Market & Trends
Consumers expected to seek out comfort of indulgence in the midst of uncertainty while focusing on ingredients that help maintain a sense of health and well-being this year.
This year, consumers will likely turn to food and beverages to help them cope with ongoing concerns and a sense of uncertainty driven by several factors expected to continue through 2024, including economic instability, a high cost of living, climate change, fears surrounding job security due to advances in generative AI, and geopolitical tension.
Flavor and affordable prices will undoubtedly be considered non-negotiables among consumers over the coming year, as highlighted in the Global Food & Drink Trends 2024 report published by Mintel, an international market intelligence agency.
In order to withstand the stresses of a fast-paced life, fatigue, and focus on their health and well-being, consumers will continue to seek out foods and beverages offering a sense of comfort in indulgence and functional nutritional products that will help them better face the challenges posed by everyday life.
Must-have ingredients in 2024
Ingredients will play a key role in helping brands meet emerging consumer demands. “Ingredients: Taking the Spotlight” is one of the main trends highlighted by Innova Market Insights for. The global market intelligence firm reveals that one-third of consumers surveyed across 11 different countries stated that they respond positively to certain key ingredients whenever they are highlighted on product packaging.
“Such demand may involve flavor or texture, for example, or other positive associations — a food or drink being considered better for you, for example. Positive associations may be a reflection of other well-loved products, snippets of information taken from social media, or years of poring over information on healthy ingredients online – from ‘superfruits’ to gut-friendly bacteria,” Lu Ann Williams, Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights confirmed during an interview with Food Ingredients First.
Around a third of consumers worldwide believe that rich, exotic flavors and crunchy, creamy textures offer sense of indulgence and comfort to the experience of consuming food and beverages, according to Innova’s 2024 Trend Survey.
Ingredients that have piqued consumers’ interest are exotic flavors, plant-based proteins, sustainable, functional botanicals, and fibers.
According to Innova, nearly 1 in 2 consumers worldwide stated that they are very or extremely interested in fiber-based ingredients. Inova also found that, despite noting a general retraction in spending due to increased in food prices associated with inflation, consumers are still willing to spend more on food ingredients that are aligned with their own personal values.
Such results should encourage brands to explore the concept of highlighting certain ingredients in product packaging and focusing on appealing to what attracts consumers to specific products.
Prevention on the rise: search for immunity and additional benefits drives innovations
Interest in health prevention practices, which became increasingly prominent during the Covid-19 pandemic, will continue to be relevant. Immunity remains a field of development of great potential and has evolved to include a broad range of functional benefits, including resistance in facing challenges associated with a frenetic pace of life, concentration, sleep, stress, beauty, and mental health, among others.
Concerns with regards to weight control have also grown during the post-pandemic era, closely followed by heart and bone and joint health, respectively, Innova concluded as part of its 2024 “Prioritizing Prevention” trend. This movement suggest that functional foods and beverages that reinforce the presence of ingredients with a high added value should becoming increasingly relevant.
When describing its emerging trend for 2024 “H2.O: Quenching the Future”, Innova argues that, while hydration will remain in the spotlight, other benefits including, for example, post-workout recovery and skin health are expected to gain prominence. Innova’s report suggests the number of soft drinks and sports nutrition products that appeal to concerns surrounding hydration claim has increased by 10% over the past three years.
Such demands have the potential to further drive innovation within the food, beverage, and supplements industries.
Several examples of products that reflect this emerging trend towards hydration are presented below:
The evolution of protein
Protein and its development point to another key ingredient of interest to consumers indicative of another trend identified by Innova “Plant-based: The rise of applied offerings”: 42% of consumers surveyed responded that protein is the most important food ingredient.
The existing association between protein and meat, dairy, and plant-based products has been steadily transitioning towards the adoption of new functionalities, including sweetening. Innova adds that plant-based ingredients also play an important role in product narratives and visual appeal, offering examples such as the lion’s mane mushroom, a fashionable functional ingredient, or almond flour, which is linked to the gluten-free movement.
Examples of recent product launches highlighting the latest trends in protein ingredients can be found below:
Sustainability: active role played by brands
Sustainability is sure to remain on the consumer radar in 2024. The “Climate Changes, Comfort Endures” trend says that the consumer will see sustainability more as an expectation and not as a marketing message.
Alarmed by the state of the planet, people expect the food and drink industry to strive to operate sustainably, in a move to help combat the aspects that directly influence climate change and its consequences, such as fires, floods and extreme temperatures.
Mintel’s research suggests that 69% of Brazilian adults and 66% of French adults expect brands to take the lead in addressing environmental issues.
Innova, while describing the “Nurturing Nature” trend, reinforces that “the wellbeing of the planet is currently one of the biggest concerns among consumers, who believe that companies should play an active role in making a difference and protecting nature.” Sustainable packaging and improved waste management practices were cited as secondary priorities that consumers expect from food and beverage brands under the study.
However, Mintel’s study reinforces that because of the rising cost of living, many food and beverage consumers around the world will prioritize affordability and indulgence more when buying a product.
And with this scenario, even the most resilient consumers will be seeking out products that offer a sense of safety and comfort. As part of its “Climate Changes, Comfort Endures” trend, Mintel observed that, in a manner similar to that seen during the pandemic, food and drink will continue to be a major source of pleasure that allows consumers to experience precious moments of joy. “As the climate crisis worsens, it will become increasingly relevant for food and beverage companies to position pleasurable products as a necessity – and not guilt-inducing self-indulgence – during tough times,” the study concluded.
Despite preferring having a change to indulge, consumers also expect brands to offer healthier options, part of a growing demand that is also stimulated by new legislation that pressures food producers to limit the use of ingredients such as sugar, sodium, and fat.
Healthy consumer preference
“A third of consumers stated that the best way to make comfort foods healthier is to limit the use unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar or artificial ingredients, or use natural ingredients,” Innova’s Director of Global Insights explained. Inova’s “Indulging in health” trend points to recent advances in such movements, in which indulgent flavors are gaining prominence in products that are more aligned with a health conscious approach while ingredients recognized as being healthier become more prevalent in categories such as candies.
Local flavors go global: the ‘Local Goes Global’ trend turns indulgence into a sensory journey
Another interesting approach to indulgence foods involves a focus on local flavors, which may potentially become exotic foods if explored at the global level. Exotic flavors allow consumers “travel through flavor”, a movement that gained relevance during the pandemic and continues to remain relevant in the post-Covid era. Such considerations are part of Innova’s “Local Goes Global” trend for 2024, the result of 2 out of 3 consumers responding that they were open to experiencing the flavors offered by global cuisines on the survey.
“The joy that consumers have always felt, and will continue to feel, when discovering new flavors and textures, will result in brands continuing to push the envelope in terms of indulgence,” Mintel concluded as part of its report.
Here are market examples aligned with these trends:
Generation X prompts conversations about healthy aging
Further overlaps can be observed among the biggest trends in food and beverages for 2024.
Generation X (1965-1979) is a driving force behind the debate regarding healthy ageing, a consideration that was once considered taboo. Also referred “the Forgotten Generation” due to the fact that it is often not on the radar among major brands when compared to the younger Millennial (Generation Y/1980-1995) and older Baby Boomer generations, Generation X is actively seeking to thrive through a range of lifestyles and improve their quality of life through the pursuit of health. This phenomenon is what Mintel refers to as the “Age Reframed” trend for 2024.
There are a wide range of opportunities that may be explored by brands, especially considering their unique position of being able to cater to a range of different lifestyles among 40+ consumers, offering solutions that deliver a sense of balance and the appropriate level of nutrition for different needs.
“Learning from the menopause revolution, brands are able to offer products and compositions that address other problems associated with aging, such as heart health and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels,” Mintel concluded. Mintel’s study indicated that 44% of Brazilians that are part of Generation X are interested in diets that will help keep their heart healthy.
Several examples of products that reflect the “Age Reframed” trend are presented below:
Transparency in processes and technological convenience
Growing criticism of ultra-processed products will mean that consumers will pay increased attention to ingredients, nutritional aspects, and methods used to produce food and beverages in 2024, Mintel went on to conclude when discussing the emerging “Trust The Process” trend.
As part of the 2024 Global Food & Drink Trends section of the report, the firm suggested that “clear communication from brands themselves will be required in order to ensure that consumers are able to make informed decisions regarding the way in which processed and ultra-processed foods and beverages are incorporated into their diets.” Such information will allow consumers to better define when and how often they consume processed foods or beverages.
The report also urged brands that produce highly or ultra-processed food and beverages to encourage consumers to reflect on the joy and comfort they get from their products. In a similar manner, clear communication from brands has the potential to allow consumers to better understand how new types of processing and technologies will help feed the world during the climate crisis.
As new and increasingly fast-paced lifestyles emerge, attention to practicality will remain high and continue to develop. Mintel’s “Eating, Optimized” trend for 2024 suggests that a new era of convenience is emerging as more and more consumers become familiar with technologies and that utility and practicality they offer. This will make consumers more trusting of new tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR), which will help them optimize and find balance, for example, when planning the consumption of meals, snacks, and beverages.
Examples of recent product launches highlighting the latest trends in protein ingredients can be found below:
Conclusion
The essential role that foods and beverages play in our lives opens up a vast new horizon of opportunities that will allow manufacturers to meet consumer demands in 2024.
Brands will be poised to help promote healthy ageing among consumers, enjoy the convenience provided by technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, and in particular focus on striking a balance between health and wellbeing and pleasure.
Food producers will also need to dedicate themselves to simplifying communication process, placing on emphasis on their products positive qualities and associated values.