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In contrast to the increasingly urban and digital life, the trend towards saudability in food has progressed consistently in recent years, showing a strong trend in the movement of consumers in search of health and wellness
The new population habits, driven by the increasingly connected and urban lifestyle, is promoting a profound transformation in all corners of the world. In their thirst for managing aspects such as stress and finding compensations, people awoke to the need for more health and well-being in their lives, seeking food as an important ally to promote balance.
Different movements have strengthened healthiness as a macro trend in recent years, expressed in multiple market opportunities to serve diverse audiences, generations and needs, consequently promoting a strong evolution of naturalness in food.
Saudability is here to stay, says nutrition specialist Carolina Godoy, Business Manager at Consultoria Equilibrium, in an interview with the Blog Flavors & Botanicals. A diversity of contexts has reinforced the trend towards healthiness and naturalness in food, including:
– aging of the population and the search for better life quality in old age;
– greater consumer interest in the origin of the products, the process transparency and the food naturalness;
– growth in adherents to specific diets, such as vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian;
– search for functional benefits in food and beverages, etc.;
– increase in diagnoses of gluten and lactose intolerance, for example;
– concern about the incidence of diseases such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes, which has been dictating new opportunities for food and beverages, with appeals such as free from and reductions (sodium, fat, sugar, etc.).
And these behaviors have permeated different generations. To meet most of these market demands, recent studies indicate that plant-based formulations are gaining more and more space in consumers’ diets, because they consider them more natural and nutritious, with the possibility of offering functional benefits within the concepts of mood food and plant -based (plant-based diets without or reduced animal products).
According to a Nielsen study, 69% of global consumers agree to some degree that foods without artificial ingredients are always healthier.
The trend is confirmed by other international agencies for the study of behavior and market intelligence for last year. According to Mintel’s Global Food & Drink Trend 2019 report, the Power to the Plants trend, already indicated in 2016, continues to rise.
In the same vein, comes the Vegetable Kingdom trend, presented by the Top 10 Trends 2019, from Innova Market Insights, which points to the expansion of vegetable-based portfolios this year.
And it is precisely the growing interest for health and wellness that has instigated innovations and guided launches worldwide, exploring appeals such as natural, vegan, free from, clean label and functional benefits provided by plant assets, as a relaxing or energizing effect.
This context confirms that food and beverage manufacturers continue to have ample potential to formulations with more natural ingredients based on fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, spices, herbs and vegetables. And that increases the use of natural ingredients, such as aromas, botanical and dehydrated extracts of fruits and vegetables in the formulations of foods and beverages of the most varied categories of products that are reaching the gondolas.
Check out some releases around the world that are exploring claims of naturalness:
And you, how do you perceive these movements in your market? Is your company aware of these opportunities and investing in portfolio diversification? Tell us!