Around this time last year, Mintel launched its 2019 Global Food & Drink Trends. The three trends predicted an emerging circular view of sustainability, an increasing need for food and drink that keep pace with our busy lifestyles, and that healthy ageing will become a new consideration in people’s diets. As Mintel gets ready to take a 10-year-out forecast with the 2030 Global Food & Drink Trends, we revisit the 2019 Global Food & Drink Trends to see how each of the three predictions evolved in the past year.
Read part one, featuring the sustainability-focused ‘Evergreen Consumption’ trend here.
Elevated Convenience
To match the premium expectations of the consumers in the on-demand age, convenience food and drink will get an upgrade.
In the battle for our short attention spans and hectic schedules, convenient packaged food and drink faces a strong challenge from the rise of fast, easy and affordable mobile and online ordering from restaurants. The ease of access to cheap foodservice takeout or delivery has changed consumers’ habits when it comes to solutions for a quick meal, snack or drink. In Brazil, one in five adults who have eaten out or ordered takeout are using delivery apps more often than in the previous six months.
Packaged food and drink can compete with restaurants by communicating time-savings of convenience food and drink. More than two in five Chinese adults who have ordered food delivery in three months to May 2018 order food delivery to save time. According to US Mintel research on restaurant ordering and delivering, more than four in five adults who have ordered delivery or pick-up in the three months to September 2019 order delivery because it is easy. Packaged food and drink products can offer premium options that can be prepared as quickly, if not faster, and deliver a fresher taste as delivery or takeout. For example, South Korea’s frozen Ottogi Uno Bulgogi Pizza is made with dough that is let to rise for 20 hours and then stone-oven baked, but can be cooked in minutes at home.
Upgraded packaged convenience food and drink can compete with restaurants with products designed to deliver flavors worthy of today’s “foodies.” The term for adventurous eaters has appeared on packaged food in 2019 including frozen appetizers Street Foodie Yum Cha Selection from Australia, Itsu Katsu Udon Noodles from the UK that are “a solution for foodies wanting filling and convenient lunch,” and Lundberg Family Farms Bold Bites tortilla chips that are available in the US in “foodie” flavors such as Korean-Style BBQ. Convenience food and drink also can help foodies recreate viral food and drink trends at home. Capitalizing on viral coffee trends in India, Sunbean introduced a Beaten Caffe coffee paste that can be used to make a coffeehouse-style frothy cappuccino at home.
Through the Ages
Food and drink will build on today’s dialogue about wellness to transition into more solutions for healthy ageing.
With benefits for joint health and skin appearance, collagen has been an emerging healthy ageing ingredient.
Health and wellness is a motivating factor that drives most consumers to consistently look for ways to improve themselves. In fact, just more than one-third of Canadian adults are currently satisfied with their wellbeing. This coincides with forecasts that people will live longer than ever before. As average lifespans in many countries reach 80 years or older, awareness of our longevity is motivating people of all ages to seek out products and services that can help them live longer and be healthier.
‘Through the Ages’ identifies an opportunity for food and drink to take inspiration from the beauty industry and create healthy ageing products that help people prepare for longer lifespans at any age. Consumers are open to food and drink that is naturally rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can improve long-term health such as fruits, vegetables and fish. For example, nearly one-third of Brazilian adults who bought healthy food or drinks in the six months to May 2019 buy healthy food and drink for healthy ageing.
Fortification also can create food, drink and supplement products that are designed to improve bone, heart, joint, brain and eye health. With benefits for joint health and skin appearance, collagen has been an emerging healthy ageing ingredient. In 2019, collagen has appeared in juices, dietary supplements and snack bars.
While many categories can create healthy ageing innovations, sports nutrition and hydration products have specific opportunities to address today’s seniors who are committed to their active lifestyles. In the UK, more than half of adults aged 55+ say getting exercise is a top health priority, which is just less than the three in five who say eating healthy is a priority. Beverages, snacks and sports supplements can provide the energy, hydration, muscle-building and recovery ingredients that seniors of today and tomorrow will need to stay active and healthy.
