Most consumers believe that food and beverage manufacturers should declare if a product has been made with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), new research shows.
In a survey commissioned by Ingredient Communications and conducted by SurveyGoo, 83 % of respondents agreed that companies should declare on a product’s label if it has been designed or manufactured with the help of AI technology.1 More than half of all those surveyed – 55 % – agreed with this assertion strongly and only 4 % disagreed with it altogether.
Nearly two thirds of respondents (64 %) said they believed that food and beverage products made with the help of AI technology should not be described as ‘natural’ – with 12 % disagreeing with this. There was also strong support for regulation, with 78 % of respondents agreeing that the Government should introduce laws controlling the ways food and drink companies can use AI technology to design and manufacture their products. Just 6 % disagreed with this.
A majority of respondents (52 %) agreed with the general point that AI technology is a positive development that will benefit humanity, with 21 % disagreeing. However, when asked how they felt about the use of AI specifically to design and produce food and beverage products, fewer respondents (42 %) said they felt positively about this, with 27 % saying they felt negatively.
Just under half of respondents (44 %) said they believed that a food or beverage product made with the help of AI might be less safe to consume. However, they were split on whether they would be more or less likely to buy a food or beverage product made with the help of AI. Just over a quarter (26 %) said they would be more likely to do so, with 29 % stating they would be less likely.
The survey also revealed a distinct generational split. A majority of Generation Z and Millennial respondents felt positively about the use of AI in the food industry (65 % and 57 %, respectively). The corresponding figure among Generation X and Boomers was markedly lower – 44 % and 25 %, respectively.
Richard Clarke, Managing Director of Ingredient Communications, commented: “Many food and beverage companies have rushed to embrace the benefits of AI technology but it’s important they take care to consider how consumers feel about this. We’ve seen a huge backlash against AI in the arts and entertainment business. To avoid the same fate, food and beverage manufacturers should pause to reflect on whether they are being sufficiently transparent about their use of AI.”
He continued: “As we saw 30 years ago with the furore over the safety of genetically modified crops, it’s easy for misinformation to spread and stir up fear. Food and beverage companies would be wise to implement a communications strategy to ensure the public is kept informed about the ways in which they harness the power of AI tech.”
Other takeaways from the survey included 79 % of respondents agreeing that savings made by food and beverage companies through the use of AI should be passed on to shoppers in the form of lower retail prices.
However, sentiment shifted if this came at the expense of employment, with 40 % considering it unacceptable if the use of AI technology to design and manufacture a food or beverage product meant somebody lost their job – even products were cheaper as a result. A third of respondents (33 %) considered this an acceptable outcome.
1Online survey of 1,040 consumers in UK and USA, conducted October 2024
Most American consumers are now aiming to reduce their sugar intake, and continue to look for new, better-tasting, non-caloric alternatives. Recent consumer research commissioned by food and beverage ingredient innovator, MycoTechnology, Inc., examines attitudes toward sugar reduction and high-intensity sweeteners, uncovering key opportunities in the market.
MycoTechnology partnered with Brightfield Group to gather proprietary, AI-driven insights among a sample of US adult consumers, finding that sugar is the top item people want to reduce in their diets. However, 75% also wish there were better-tasting non-caloric options, highlighting taste as a major pain point in the current market.
Of those who are actively reducing their sugar intake, 71 % report that they do so by eating fewer sweet foods, versus only 31 % that are using products with non-caloric sweeteners, indicating room for improvement across reduced sugar formulations. Additionally, 7 in 10 consumers that use non-caloric, naturally derived sweeteners report that they would be interested in new options. The survey also showed widespread interest in clean label ingredients, combined with negative perceptions of artificial sweeteners.
“This research demonstrates clear demand in the market for new, appealing sweeteners that are derived from nature,” said Caroline Schwarzman, MycoTechnology’s Head of Business Development. “Sugar reduction is top of mind for consumers, but many feel that achieving this goal requires sacrifice—on taste, price or perceived health risks. This trade-off is preventing the reduced sugar market from reaching its full potential.”
In response to this critical food system challenge, MycoTechnology is developing the first ever sweet protein from honey truffles, offering an unparalleled solution for sugar reduction. Following the achievement of several technical and safety milestones, the company continues to scale production and is collaborating with food and beverage innovators to bring Honey Truffle Sweetener to market.
“Innovative fermentation technologies have allowed us to target common challenges, establishing a clean sweetness profile with proven safety and digestibility performance, and low cost-in-use,” added Ranjan Patnaik, Ph.D., MycoTechnology’s CTO. “This new solution is designed to address the top concerns of consumers, presenting an opportunity for food and beverage innovators to meet demands and stand out on the shelf.”
Mintel, the experts in what consumers want and why, has announced three key trends that will shape consumer behaviour in the years ahead. In 2025 and beyond, we’ll witness the human mind, nature and technology aim to find harmony, though not always achieve it. Consumers and brands will live in a pendulum that constantly swings between a sense of control and a loss of control. Mintel’s objective for 2025 is to delve into the nuances of all seven Mintel Trend Drivers (Value, Wellbeing, Identity, Rights, Technology, Surroundings and Experiences) across three different contexts: Home, Community and Globe.
The three consumer trends for 2025 are:
The Home: Under Construction
In an unpredictable housing market, true comfort and authenticity in our homes will come from celebrating imperfections and individuality rather than chasing an ideal that often eludes us.
The Community: Linked Lives
Communities will exist in a collaborative space that defies physical limits, inspired by what brands and consumers can imagine together.
The Globe: Tradition in Transition
The way things have always been done is changing by force as much as choice. Brands will need to embrace this inevitability to sustain progress and relevance.
The Home: Under Construction
Daniel Takacs, Mintel Associate Director, Consumer Trends, said: “The purpose of ‘home’ is evolving, and brands are being put at the forefront to inspire pieces of a home—not a complete home. Consumers are no longer waiting for the perfect functional space to start living. As people rebalance their routines and habits, they are doing so through a lens of optimising their time (e.g. multitasking) and their well-being (e.g. rituals). This contradiction of harmonising productivity with self-care is shaping the future of the home.
“As individuals grapple with the challenges of securing a stable home and accept that ownership expectations don’t always align with reality, familiar comforts will become even more vital. The growth of childless couples, new relationship models and ageing in your own home and communities, will all influence how people want to live. Concurrently, remote work will reshape family dynamics, impacting how children develop attachment bonds in environments where parents are constantly present. Modern home life, where emotional, practical and economic factors all play critical roles, will result in a reevaluation of defined household roles. In the envisioned future, home is not merely a place to live; it is a hub of health, efficiency and personalised comfort.”
The Community: Linked Lives
Daniel Takacs, Mintel Associate Director, Consumer Trends, said:
“In the face of inevitable change, people are looking to form stronger, sustainable and long-lasting connections to help them grow resilient to whatever life throws at them. Driven by a need to prepare for everything from climate change events to political shifts, the complexity and unpredictability of these issues make it neither logical nor desirable to tackle them alone. Consequently, social groups have become a necessary part of how people plan for the future, seeking out intentional companionship and collective support.
“Despite a fear of growing loneliness and isolation, there’s optimism in the fact that self-expression invites community, whether it’s Swifties or coffee enthusiasts. A brand’s tone can foster a sense of belonging and empowerment with its audiences, shaping a space where individuals can thrive and engage positively with each other.
“Ultimately, brands will have to adopt a balanced approach to AI, ensuring it supports human self-expression to mitigate the risk of increased social isolation. Brands will not only be viewed as a resource for products, but they will be central to creating spaces where individuals feel valued and supported.”
The Globe: Tradition in Transition
Daniel Takacs, Mintel Associate Director, Consumer Trends, said: “Consumers can no longer go about their daily lives without an awareness of the global changes at play, from extreme weather to advancing technology. Brands must be acutely aware of the evolving consumer sentiment that swings between moral values and basic needs. Environmental change, technological advancement and ageing populations will cause significant challenges for consumers. Tensions will arise between generations as Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) remain active well into old age, and Gen Alpha (born 2010-25) demand attention.
“In addition, the norms around health and beauty will see a notable shift, with the use of weight-loss drugs and cosmetic surgery becoming normalised. While these trends reflect shifting attitudes towards body image, as consumer expectations evolve, there will be a growing emphasis on transparency, safety and efficacy in health and beauty products. Brands will be called on to address immediate aesthetic desires and also prioritise long-term health, setting the stage for a future where wellness is accessible.”
Tetra Pak has collaborated with a leading company in the European juices, nectars and soft drinks markets to launch the new Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge beverage carton. This innovative portion package stands out on the shelf, with its distinct look and ergonomic design catering to the preference of modern consumers for taller, slimmer packaging. Research1 shows that, with buyers rethinking discretionary spending, a ‘less is more’ design approach is gaining in popularity, characterised by pared back simplicity. Designed for ease of use, the shape of the new paper-based carton package also makes it more comfortable to hold, particularly for smaller hands. Its wide opening ensures a steady flow for easy drinking, while its compact size makes it convenient for on-the-go consumption.
Product wastage is minimised by combining the slanted top of the Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge carton with a DreamCap™ 26 Pro tethered closure. This helps to prevent litter too, as the cap stays attached to the package; therefore, it can be collected alongside the carton once consumers have enjoyed their drink and put the container in the correct bin for recycling.
In addition, the leading European juice brand opted for increasing the renewable share of material in the package to over 85 %, and this translated to reducing the carbon footprint of this carton by 76 %.2 This is achieved by combining paperboard from forests certified to Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) and other controlled sources with plant-based polymers, derived from responsibly sourced sugarcane. Its reduced climate impact is set to appeal to young consumers, who are more likely to make environmentally conscious purchasing decisions (as found in research from Harvard Business Review).3
The Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge is ideal for a wide range of on-the-go beverages, including dairy, juices and functional drinks. Available on the latest Tetra Pak® A3/CompactFlex filling machine, as well as on existing lines through a simple, cost-efficient upgrade, it brings the packaging configurations4 on a single filling machine to five. This versatility enables a quick switching between different packaging sizes and different opening systems, optimising production efficiency5 and broadening the range of on-the-go offerings. The latter helps food and beverage (F&B) brands to select the package that best matches specific consumption needs, therefore, attracting an even wider audience.
When it comes to transportation, the taller and slimmer shape of the package means it is possible to fit around the same number of litres and up to 10 % more packages per pallet,6 meaning fewer shipments while delivering more product.
Francesco Faella, Vice President Business Sector Ambient, Tetra Pak, comments: “By collaborating with a leading European juice brand and launching the Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge, we are answering the industry’s call for added flexibility and stylish design options to help brands stand out on the shelf. Importantly, we are doing this while also addressing consumer preferences and expectations. Based on our recent global research7, environmental concerns remain high for 76 % of respondents, with over 60 % choosing products that have environmentally sound packaging in a bid to protect future generations and one fifth showing preference for containers made of renewable materials.”
1Tetra Pak-WGSN Design Trend Forecast 2023-2024 2Source: Carbon Trust™-verified Tetra Pak ‘Carton CO2 Calculator’ model version 10 (valid from April 2024). Scope: cradle-to-grave measurement of a Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge carton with plant-based packaging materials and additional materials (i.e. cap) compared to a standard Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge with fossil-based plastic. Geography: EU Industry data. For more information, visit carbontrust.com/tetrapak 3https://hbr.org/2023/09/research-consumers-sustainability-demands-are-rising 4The five packaging configurations include the following: Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 200 Edge with straw; Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 200 Edge with DreamCap™ 26 closure or DreamCap™ 26 Pro tethered closure; Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 250 Edge with straw; Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 250 Edge with DreamCap™ 26 closure or DreamCap™ 26 Pro tethered closure; Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 300 Edge with DreamCap™ 26 closure or DreamCap™ 26 Pro tethered closure. 5Addition of three formats in Quick Change, with Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 200 Edge and Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 250 Edge, hence improved flexibility and efficiency when compared with Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 330 Square. 6Compared with the Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 330 package in EU pallet with WASF open ends. 7Tetra Pak’s latest Sustainable Packaging consumer research, run in 2023, comprised a total of 14,500 consumer interviews based on an online questionnaire in 29 markets: Germany, France, UK, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Africa, Egypt, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina.
Good value for money more important than low price – and organic is back
The complexity of world affairs has not lessened since March 2023. World crises have not gone away, rather the opposite. One positive development is that the inflation rate dropped in Europe1. This change is also reflected in the survey by Südzucker regarding consumers’ price sensitivity. If the price sensitivity is decreasing, other aspects of purchase criteria must gain importance in comparison. But what are the growing interests of consumers when buying food & beverages?
Main purchase criteria – naturlness, organic and regionality gain focus
The top three drivers for purchasing food & beverages did not change: taste, health and price. But while taste and price dropped significantly, health remained stable. Aspects like naturalness, organic and regionality, however, are continuing to grow in importance.
Taste as the number one purchase decision remained on a high level and far above from the second important driver – health. The drop may indicate that taste is more and more of a given for the consumer and a must-have. The fact that a good taste and sensory profile is a matter of course is also evident when it comes to sugar-reduced products.
Taste as the number one purchase decision remained on a high level and far above from the second important driver – health. The drop may indicate that taste is more and more of a given for the consumer and a must-have. The fact that a good taste and sensory profile is a matter of course is also evident when it comes to sugar-reduced products. 60 % (incl. Italy) are concerned about how sugar reduction in food/drinks is achieved. In comparison to price, taste went down in Belgium and the UK, while price fell significantly in all countries. One potential reason for consumers‘ decreasing price sensitivity could be explained by the decreasing inflation rate in Europe1; consumers no longer look for the cheapest product, but for the product with the best value for money that also fulfils other consumer needs. It must be clear to consumers what they are getting for their money …
Please download the full Südzucker Consumer Study 2024 for free under www.suedzucker.com.
1Source: Eurostat – Annual inflation down to 2.45 in the euro area (europa.eu)
Explore key generational differences within the global food and beverage industry
The food and beverage industry is constantly evolving, driven by a complex interplay of factors like technology, sustainability, and individual preferences. But one of the most significant influences on consumer behaviour is generational splits. From financial concerns to health priorities, and the growing importance of sustainability, here Innova Market Insights unveil the key drivers behind each generation’s place in the market. It will also explore how these differences translate into specific product preferences, and overall consumption patterns.
Generational profiles
Generation Z trends research indicates that the generation is characterized by their low household disposable income, lack of work experience, and single status. They are in the exploration stage of their careers, highly invested in physical exercise, and prioritise skin health and energy stamina. While they are socially active and enjoy mingling in various locations, digital platforms are essential for their connection and entertainment.
Millennials have more disposable income due to increased expertise and authority at work and are often living with two people’s paychecks. They prioritise exercise and healthy food choices, focusing on heart health and stamina. Similar to Gen Z, they are concerned about stress and anxiety, and prefer socialising at home. However, they are more experienced with technology than Gen Z.
Generation X are characterised by their high income, with many reaching career plateaus. They are physically active and emphasise bone and joint health for healthy aging. Their satisfaction levels are similar to Millennials, with anxiety being a shared concern. They prefer socialising at home and are experienced with technology.
Boomers have a medium income and are often retired with steady income sources like pensions. They prioritise food and are the most concerned about aging. Memory and agility are key concerns, and they prefer socializing at home. While they are digitally acquainted, they are less reliant on technology than younger generations.
Megatrends and generation trends
Key shifts in consumer behaviour across generations are partly driven by global megatrends, including factors like inflation, health concerns, and sustainability.
While inflation and financial constraints are top of mind for all generations, younger consumers (Gen Z and Millennials) exhibit a more optimistic outlook. Generation Z trends research shows 27 % of Gen Z say that they invest into foods, beverages, and experiences that uplift their mood, while older generations (Gen X and Boomers) are more likely to cut back on expenses and prioritise saving.
Across all generations, there’s a strong emphasis on healthy living, with nutritious diets and physical exercise being key priorities. Eating healthily is the number one eating-related value for all generations, chosen by 43 % of consumers, even over affordability. Gen Z is particularly focused on mental health, with stress and anxiety being major concerns. Millennials prioritise energy and stamina, while Gen X focuses on heart health. Boomers, on the other hand, are most concerned with memory and agility, reflecting their age-related concerns.
Sustainability is a growing concern for all generations, with different generations demonstrating more attentiveness to specific types of environmental consciousness. Younger generations are more likely to choose products with low environmental impact, and support brands that advocate for social causes. However, older generations are more prone to minimise their food waste, avoid overconsumption, and prioritise choosing local, seasonal produce.
Health and wellbeing across generations
Generation Z trends research indicates the generation prioritises mental health, with stress and anxiety being their top concerns. They are also highly invested in physical activity and prioritise energy and stamina. Skin health is another significant concern for this generation, reflecting their focus on appearance and self-esteem.
Millennials share similar concerns with Generation Z regarding stress and anxiety, but also place a strong emphasis on heart health and overall stamina. They are motivated to manage their weight for reasons such as enhancing self-esteem and physical appeal, as well as preventing chronic conditions.
Generation X is more satisfied with their mental health compared to younger generations, but they are more concerned about sleep and insomnia. They are also physically active and prioritise bone and joint health, reflecting their focus on healthy aging.
Boomers are the most satisfied with their mental health, but they are concerned about memory and mental agility. They are also highly focused on healthy aging, prioritising bone and joint health, and are motivated to maintain their physical and mental well-being.
Pleasure and enjoyment between generations
Two in five consumers consider freshness as the most important element in enjoying food and beverage products. While this preference is shared across generations, there are some key differences in many other indicators of enjoyment. For instance, seniors prioritise nutrition and realness, while younger generations favour taste discovery and sweetness. Multiple products can be noticed catering to these interests, advertising nutritional, fresh elements, as well as rich, novel flavours.
What’s next in Generation Z trends and beyond?
The distinct generational differences identified through Innova’s consumer trend research can unlock brand opportunities for the future. Gen Z and Millennials are especially concerned with their mental and emotional health. Generation Z trend research shows that the generation tends to invest in food and beverage that uplifts their mood or alleviates boredom. Brands can leverage this through developing products that offer nutrients for mood improvement or exciting sensory experiences to alleviate boredom. Gen Z and Millennials are also keenly aware of their skin health, as it is their top physical concern. Appearance matters to these younger generations, and brands can develop products that tap into these attitudes through promoting skin health related claims on their packaging.
For older generations, their health focus falls on preventing or managing chronic conditions. Functional ingredients in products can help incentivise these consumers in their choices, allowing them to improve their overall health through their diet. Honesty and transparency are also important eating values for seniors, emphasising nutrition and realness as drivers of enjoyment and pleasure in food. Natural and nutritious products will likely continue to be enticing to this demographic.
Consumers today lead more demanding lifestyles that drain their energy levels, fueling the need to relax and rejuvenate. As a result, they are proactive in seeking products that can support mental wellbeing. Brands are, therefore, working to develop ingredients that can ease stress and improve mental health, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Meenakshi Haran, Lead Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The incidence of poor mental wellbeing is at its highest today with consumers generally feeling more stressed and anxious as they deal with challenging economic and social conditions. Indeed, mental wellbeing is a major concern (extremely/quite concerned) for American consumers as attested by 50 % of respondents in a recent GlobalData survey*”
Conscious of the negative health implications of an imbalanced lifestyle, many concerned consumers are paying greater attention to their emotional wellbeing and quality of life. Ingredient manufacturers have taken notice of this growing consumer pursuit of food and beverages that can help them relax and rejuvenate. In March 2024, Caldic North America announced its collaboration with Celesta Company to expand Caldic’s portfolio with Celesta’s proprietary ingredient blends and technologies, including SlumberMor and RnRMor, designed to improve sleep, mood, and relaxation. These innovative offerings are touted to help with functional innovations in the food and beverage industry.
Haran continues: “Millennials and Generation Y (58 % each) are the most concerned about their mental wellbeing, compared with other generations in the current situation*. This trend is driven by health-conscious consumers who are concerned about the impact of diet on mental health.”
Haran concludes: “This high concern motivates consumers to improve diets, carefully consider what ingredients are inside food & drinks, and seek lifestyle changes. Novonesis, a joint venture between Chr. Hansen and Novozymes unveiled a new ingredient, the MindAble 1714 probiotic designed to manage stress, targeted at the food industry. Food & beverage brands should consider launching products using innovative ingredients to align with consumers expectations.”
*GlobalData 2024 Q1 Consumer Hot Topics Survey – US, published in March 2024, 500 respondents
The new edition of the proprietary Symrise trend tool trendscope™ 2024+ has delivered valuable key findings. It provides an overview of current consumer trends and future developments in food and beverages. According to it, health and naturalness continue as the most relevant trend drivers. At the same time, climate-smart innovation and circular consumption is getting more important while digitalisation exerts a fast-growing effect on consumer lives and the industry. By combining qualitative and quantitative research methods the study serves as an important basis for the development of consumer-preferred taste, nutrition, and health solutions.
Consumers today expect a lot from the food and beverage products they choose. They are looking for sustainable, healthy, and tasty options. This leads to the question: How do these expectations translate into food and beverage trends and how can Symrise best respond? trendscope™ provides comprehensive information on trends and investigates how they drive innovation. The results of the tool go into different trendscope™ reports. Symrise uses these insights to translate consumer wishes into innovative food and beverage concepts with inspiring taste, nutrition, and health solutions.
“Consumer behaviors and mindsets change over time and so do their demands for food and beverages,” says Leif Jago, Global Marketing Manager Food & Beverage at Symrise. “trendscope™ allows us to closely monitor and anticipate market shifts. This creates an important basis to design solutions that deliver against these evolving needs.”
Combining qualitative and quantitative research
To decode latest food and beverage consumer trends, trendscope™ combines different methods of analysis. The qualitative research contains for example a meta-analysis of consumer reports, start-up and social media screening, an innovation scan, and insights from the Symrise taste treks with the chef network StarChefs. The quantitative research comprises a meta-analysis of existing studies and surveys and polls related to consumer behavior and mindsets. In addition, social media listening, and AI-based trend forecasting support the findings. This goes hand in hand with an analysis of global urban hot spots. In twelve global locations, Symrise conducted 24 interviews with selected trendsetters like food bloggers, journalists, and trend scouts.
“The tool’s global scope allows us to tailor trends to regional specifics. Based on this, Symrise can develop taste, nutrition and health solutions and tailor them to consumer demands in specific regions and categories. This, in turn, helps our customers to respond to decoded consumer desires with the right food and beverages,” concludes Jago.
The new offer of trendscope™ 2024+
To increase the relevance of trendscope™ further for the Symrise teams and customers, several key changes got incorporated. The current edition puts a spotlight on health as consumer health awareness is growing and has evolved into a key innovation driver. In addition, digitalisation and sustainability are now forming standalone megatrends. Both exert a huge influence on consumer lives and industries. From a research perspective, trendscope™ 2024+ uses more quantitative data sources. This includes social media listening and surveys.
The trendscope™ 2024+ edition got compiled during a global polycrisis. Consumers face a crisis continuum ranging from COVID-19 and its effects to the Ukraine war, rising cost-of-living, surging inflation, and looming recession. As a result, consumers look for stability and emotional anchors. At the same time, they change their buying behavior due to cost-consciousness. Overall, the polycrisis serves as an accelerator of change that boosts or slows down specific consumer needs.
Six global megatrends with several sub-trends identified
Symrise has identified six megatrends. “Digitalisation” forms an underlying macrotrend that permeates all areas of life. It has become a game changer for innovation. The other five items represent trend clusters with several sub-trends.
“Purposeful Sustainability” focuses on the urgency to act in a resource-saving manner. It also includes the consumer wish of making product choices with a positive impact on the climate. Regenerative eating and circular thinking play a key role here. The “Natural Goodness” cluster centers around the wish for natural and clean label plant-based products. This comes with a more critical eye toward ingredients and production methods. Another cluster relates to “Healthy Lifestyle”. Consumers have started considering mental and physical wellness combined. Products supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing experience a boost. At the same time, consumer look for guided health choices to navigate the complex landscape of inflationary health claims. “Emotional Discoveries” presents the wish of consumers for social connection and memorable experiences after the pandemic. At the same time, they demand higher standards of originality, quality and authenticity when discovering new tastes. The “Premium Indulgence” cluster gets strongly characterised by value orientation. Consumers look for indulgent moments in times of rising costs of living. They try to find bliss in little things to treat themselves.
The Symrise experts use these trendscope™ insights to investigate what they mean for the company’s portfolio. “We operate very agile and keep an eye on the competencies we need to address in view of important consumer needs. We want to support our customers in achieving their goals while contributing to Symrise’s sustainable growth,” adds Regine Lueghausen, Vice President Global Marketing Food & Beverage at Symrise.
In recent years, the carbonates industry has undergone a transformation in its product portfolio driven by evolving consumer preferences, changing regulatory measures such as sugar taxes, and increased concerns about health. This transformation trend has been quite visible since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers became more conscious about the impact of sugary drinks on their health. In response to these shifts, companies are investing more in developing new products, with a focus on developing low- or no-calorie carbonates by using sweeteners as alternatives to traditional sugar, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Guida Simoes, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “One of the prominent categories in the carbonates space is diet sodas, which are popular drinks around the world, especially among people who want to reduce their sugar or calorie intake. Almost every popular sugary drink on the market has a “light” or “diet” version – Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, Sprite Zero, etc. Despite their appeal to calorie-conscious people, the effects of diet drinks and artificial sweeteners on health are controversial.”
In response to the evolving trend, major players are constantly innovating and creating different flavors for zero-calorie drinks to attract more consumers. For example, in April 2023, Coca-Cola announced a zero-sugar variant that offers “bold and delicate” flavour profiles during the launch of the Coca-Cola Movement in Spain. Stated to be a collaboration between “Coca-Cola – a beverage company and Rosalia – a Spanish singer”, this launch aims to attract more consumers with healthier products, with sugar-free and calorie-free products in mind.
In 2023, in Western European countries, the market share of low/no-calorie drinks is approximately 34 %, with the UK leading at 54 %, followed by Spain at 45 %, Italy at 18 %, France at 25 %, and Germany at 26 %*. This diversification highlights the varied consumer preferences and market dynamics within the region.
Simoes continues: “Moreover, the interesting correlation between the percentages in the market share of low/no-calorie drinks and the levels of health concerns, as shown by the GlobalData 2023 Q4 consumer survey, adds depth to our understanding. Countries with higher market shares, notably the UK and Spain, demonstrate a higher percentage of consumers 38 % and 42 %, respectively, expressing extreme or significant concern about their health. This showcases a relationship between consumer behavior and evolving product preferences, suggesting that health-conscious individuals are more inclined towards adopting low/no-calorie beverages.”
Simoes concludes: “Tailoring approaches to cater to health-conscious demographics, particularly in markets like the UK and Spain, presents a promising opportunity for growth. For businesses, they can adjust their marketing strategies and innovate products that appeal to consumers who are mindful of their health.”
*GlobalData Consumer Intelligence Center – Market Analyzers, accessed in December 2023 **GlobalData Q4 2023 Consumer Survey, published in December 2023, was conducted with 9068 respondents in Europe
Americans are increasingly longing for the “good old days” amid rapid social and economic changes in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the pressures of modern life, inflation, and the current cost-of-living crisis. Brands are looking to cash in on consumer inclination for nostalgia by bringing pack products and packaging from the bygone era to evoke a sense of familiarity, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Meenakshi Haran, Lead Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Nostalgia is often a sensory experience for consumers who are sentimental about a period or place that they have experienced before. They seek familiar flavours, fragrances, or products that take them back to that time or place. Americans, in particular, are feeling nostalgic about the “good times” and looking for familiarity in the food & drinks products they choose, as affirmed by 67 % of respondents in GlobalData consumer survey*.
“By bringing back old-style flavors and products, brands are hoping to tug at the heartstrings of consumers looking for comfort in fond memories. Olipop, for instance, claims to be a new kind of soda in retro cans, reminiscent of nostalgic packaging designs, while Spindrift a sparkling water brand introduced two new variants inspired by the 1990s when purple grape-flavoured products were popular. Similarly, Oreo debuted its new limited-edition “dirt cake” flavour that claims to be a spin on the classic childhood-favourite, mud-pie dessert.”
Haran continues: “Given the plethora of new product launches that are trying to differentiate themselves and gain a share of the consumer’s wallet, companies should try to differentiate their products and make them stand out on retail shelves. The launch of retro-themed products and packaging reflects an effort to attract consumers. This is corroborated by as many as 29 % of American respondents who claim that new experiences with product purchases are essential, while an additional 24 % state unique/novel features are essential*.”
Haran concludes: “While the desire for retro products is high among American consumers, brands must strike a balance between nostalgia and sensory expectations of visual and taste experiences to keep consumers coming back and drive sales. They need to ensure that there is a right mix of novelty and nostalgia to entice consumers.”
*GlobalData 2023 Q4 Consumer Survey – US, published in December 2023, 500 respondents
Vitamins, minerals and plant protein have emerged as superstar sports nutrition ingredients in new consumer research.
Prinova, a leading provider of bespoke premixes and blends, surveyed 1277 physically active European consumers. It presented them with a list of 20 common ingredients and asked them to pick the five that they most looked for in sports nutrition products.
By far the highest scoring ingredients were vitamins, picked by nearly two thirds (64 %) of consumers, followed by plant protein and minerals. Meanwhile, many ingredients not traditionally associated with sports nutrition also scored highly. Sixteen per cent of consumers looked for products containing fibre, shortly followed by omega-3 (14 %), botanicals (13 %), probiotics (9 %), and oats (9 %).
Prinova believes the findings reflect the growing body of research on non-traditional ingredients for sports nutrition, and the new diversity of the sports nutrition consumer base.
Tony Gay, Technical Sales Director, Nutrition, at Prinova Europe, said: “Not so long ago, sports nutrition was seen as synonymous with protein, but the landscape is already looking very different. The market has exploded as scientific research has revealed the value of a far wider range of ingredients for athletic performance, and that has cut through to consumers. For example, there’s growing awareness that a deficiency of B-vitamins can reduce athletes’ ability to perform high-intensity exercise, while Vitamin C offers benefits for recovery as well as immune health, and minerals can offer benefits in areas like hydration.”
The research also suggests that the plant-based trend has had a major impact on the sports nutrition space. More than four in ten (42 %) consumers named plant proteins as one of the ingredients they most looked for, compared to 26 % who looked for whey or dairy protein, 15 % who looked for egg protein and 8 % who looked for meat protein.
Prinova offers the world’s largest inventory of food-grade single vitamins and is the leading supplier of Vitamins B and C. Its Aquamin range of marine multimineral-complex products is supported by more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
It is also a leading distributor of natural high-quality plant proteins from sources such as rice, pea, lentil, and fava bean, and with Europe’s largest inventory of food-grade amino acids, offers a range of BCAAs, EAAs and NEAAs, from single ingredients to bespoke blends.
The full research is available in a new Prinova White Paper, ‘State of Play: New insights into the changing sports nutrition market’. It can be downloaded at: www.prinovaglobal.com/eu/en/
Shelf life of bottled natural fruit juice (BNFJ) provides relevant information on quality and authenticity for consumer protection. However, existing techniques for monitoring the shelf life of BNFJ are destructive and time-consuming. We report on using laser-induced autofluorescence (LIAF) spectroscopic technique in combination with multivariate analysis for shelf life monitoring of BNFJ. The LIAF spectra data were acquired for nine1 continuous days on three batches of BNFJ samples purchased from a certified retailer. Deconvolution of the LIAF spectra revealed underlying peaks representing constituents of the BNFJ. Principal component analysis (PCA) was able to monitor the trend in the changes of the BNFJ as it aged. Partial least square regression (PLSR) predicted the exact day from the production of the BNFJ accurately at 96.6 % and 98.8 % in the training and testing sets, respectively. We, therefore, propose the LIAF combined with multivariate analysis as a potential tool for nondestructive, rapid, and relatively inexpensive monitoring of the shelf life of BNFJ.
1H. W. Yeom, C. B. Streaker, Q. H. Zhang, and D. B. Min, “Effects of pulsed electric fields on the quality of orange juice and comparison with heat pasteurization,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 48, no. 10, pp. 4597–4605, 2000.
Copyright 2023 Peter Osei-Wusu Adueming et al
The climate impact of food is important to Europeans. Three out of five consumers consider climate impact when buying food according to a new survey by Yara.
Yara International announced the findings in a new European survey on sustainable food conducted by leading international market research company IPSOS on behalf of Yara. The report provides an overview of consumer purchasing habits and sustainable food preferences.
“The report shows that Europeans are highly motivated to buy sustainable food to reduce their climate impact. This should be a wake-up call to the entire food industry,” says Birgitte Holter, VP of Green Fertilisers at Yara. “While three out of five Europeans find the climate impact important when buying food, a majority feel it is not easy enough to understand available information about the climate emission to be able to make sustainable choices. More than three out of four consumers would prefer to be able to read the carbon footprint on the food item,” Holter says.
The world’s food production accounts for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. This new report shows that 58 % of Europeans consider the climate impact important when buying food and beverages. In addition, 51 % of Europeans are willing to pay more for fossil free food items, meaning food produced without fossil sources. However, most people feel that it is not easy to know which food is climate friendly, as 76 % of Europeans would like the carbon footprint to be visible on the food label.
“Decarbonisation of food is possible and that is why we are developing green fertilisers made from water and air using renewable energy, to support farmers and food companies in reducing their climate impact of their food. These voluntary choices must be supported by adequate policies. The EU’s Sustainable Food System initiative, planned for the end of 2023, should therefore create a set of incentives for food systems’ actors to go beyond the minimum requirements and favor low-carbon footprint solutions such as green fertilisers,” says Holter.
In Porsgrunn, Norway, Yara is building the first production plant to run on renewable energy. From here, Yara will produce green fertilisers made without the use of fossil energy or fossil sources. This will result in crops with an up to 30 % lower carbon footprint and up to 20 % carbon footprint reduction in the food produced, making them a powerful solution to grow a decarbonised and fossil free food future. The first green fertilisers are planned to enter production in the second half of 2023.
The market demand for food made without fossil energy sources is high. More than half of Europeans (51 %) said they are willing to pay more for climate friendly food. A clear majority of Europeans (74 %) say food companies need to work to reduce the emissions from their food production.
Key findings in this survey:
58 % of Europeans consider the climate impact important when buying food and beverage items
69 % of Europeans would choose a climate friendlier food item versus a cheaper option. (26 % would choose a fossil free food item, 43 % would choose a low-carbon item)
51 % of Europeans say they are willing to pay more for food made without fossil fuel sources
31 % of Europeans already make sustainable choices when it comes to their buying habits
More than three out of four (76 %) Europeans want to see the carbon footprint of food items on the label
Nearly three out of four Europeans (74 %) believe food companies should work to reduce emissions in their food production
About the survey The survey on the need for sustainable food was commissioned by Yara International and conducted by IPSOS. The panel consisted of 12,000 consumer respondents in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Norway, Sweden and Denmark (1,000 respondents in each country). The data was collected from online interviews during the period of December 1 – 14, 2022.
Naturalness, health, and climate-friendliness play an increasingly significant role in food and beverages. Premium products are also becoming more important. These findings revealed the current version of the Trendscope™ metanalysis, which Symrise conducts regularly. With this trend tool, Symrise provides an overview of current and future developments in food and beverages. The study combines qualitative and quantitative research methods and serves as an important basis for the development of consumer-preferred taste, nutrition, and health solutions.
The Trendscope™ metanalysis provides comprehensive information on trends as well as five dedicated reports for the beverages, culinary, dairy, snacks, and sweet categories. These show items, such as trend manifestations, product examples and emerging flavors and ingredients. “Trendscope™ allows us to continually observe consumer behavior and to examine current trends,” says Leif Jago, Global Marketing Manager Food & Beverages at Symrise. “We consider this very important since consumer wishes for food and beverages change over time.”
Various methods of analysis combined
Trendscope™ relies on a combination of different methods of analysis. The qualitative research contains a metanalysis of consumer reports, start-up screening and social media listening. The quantitative research comprises a metanalysis of existing studies and market reports as well as surveys related to consumer behavior and mindsets. This goes hand in hand with an analysis of global urban hot spots. For this, Symrise conducted twenty-four interviews in twelve locations with selected trendsetters like food bloggers, journalists, and trend scouts.
This combination of analysis makes it possible to precisely decode and validate trends. The tool’s global scope also allows to tailor trends to regional specifics. Based on this, Symrise can develop taste solutions and tailor them to consumer demands in specific categories. This, in turn, helps Symrise customers to respond to these decoded consumer desires with food and beverages.
Twelve consumer trends identified in four clusters
Symrise has identified twelve consumer trends in total, which we can subdivide into four clusters. “Natural Goodness” focuses on consumers who want to make a positive contribution to protecting the environment and the climate with their nutrition. These consumers increasingly value regenerative agriculture and biodiversity. Another cluster relates to “Healthy Lifestyle.” Today, many consumers want to live healthily and to use their nutrition to improve their gut health or immune system. At the same time, they want products that add fun, pleasure, and convenience to healthy eating.
The “Premium Indulgence” cluster represents a third trend. Brands drive it that meet ethical as well as environmental criteria. Personalized offerings are also getting increasingly important. The “Emotional Discoveries” cluster is ultimately concerned with navigating the effects boosted by the pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has led many people to spend more time at home, and they are looking for ways to elevate this experience. They prefer comforting tastes that provide both a sense of security and taste adventures for their inner child.
“The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the development of trends and strengthened existing consumer wishes,” says Jago. “Trendscope™ allows us to understand the changing demands and to react to them. Using our technological expertise, we can develop the corresponding taste, nutrition, and health solutions for our customers’ products.”
Moving beyond the traditional annual colour forecast, GNT has launched groundbreaking research that empowers food and beverage brands to devise tailormade solutions for the modern market.
The growth of the personalization and customization trends is fueling demand for products that appeal to shoppers on a deeper level. Building on more than 40 years’ experience, GNT has developed ‘The Power of Colour’ to help brands create colouring solutions that will connect with their target consumers.
The research combines consumer psychology and semiotics to deliver unique insights into how color generates meaning across products, brands, and categories, enabling manufacturers to create powerful stories and stand out in their category.
Maartje Hendrickx, Market Development Manager at GNT, said: “It’s clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to colour is rapidly becoming outdated. As a service provider, innovation has always been in our DNA and this trailblazing project enables us to help customers find the cutting-edge colouring solutions they need to strengthen their market position and reach new audiences.”
Created alongside professional semioticians, The Power of Colour explores the many ways in which colour sends out messages on a conscious and subconscious level.
For an inside-out perspective, it uses psychology to explore consumer motivations. It examines the tensions that drive product and brand choices, such as the desire for pleasurable yet permissible food and drink.
The second phase uses semiotics to provide an outside-in perspective, showing how colour can help to deliver on these motivations and needs.
Colour codes and cues create a variety of meanings across different cultures, categories, and situations. For example, colour can indicate how to navigate situations and guide decision-making, as in the case of food nutrition labels. It can also signal personal identity, whether through fashion, cosmetics, or even food and drink. Colours evoke moods and emotions, too – red is seen as an energizing shade, for instance, while yellow is associated with joy.
Together, these two perspectives allow brands to build a comprehensive understanding of how colour can be used to cater to different consumer needs and create a compelling narrative.
Jill Janssen, GNT’s Power of Colour lead, said: “Colour can send out any number of messages about brands and products. It might signal a moment of blissful escapism, tell stories about origins and process, showcase powerful ingredients, or help to highlight healthy formulations. The Power of Colour helps brands think about colour in a new way, delving deeper than ever before into its cultural power while also exploring the psychology behind colour trends.”
Tate & Lyle PLC, a leading global provider of food and beverage solutions and ingredients, is pleased to unveil six key trends that are shaping consumer product innovation in the food and beverage market both today and tomorrow.
Consumers today expect more from their favourite brands, not only offering them products that are healthier and tastier, but which have been produced in a responsible and sustainable way.
Beth Nieman Hacker, Market Research Director at Tate & Lyle, said: “By understanding how values, behaviours and appetites are changing, and the drivers behind these shifts, food and beverage brands can launch products that meet the needs of consumers today and better anticipate how these will evolve.”
Tate & Lyle’s global market research team has conducted its own proprietary consumer research, studied hundreds of research papers and data points and, together with Tate & Lyle’s commercial teams worldwide, has identified the following key trends driving consumer purchases:
Transparency: increasing numbers of consumers are seeking healthy food and beverage products they can trust and want to know the source of the ingredients in those products. The clean label movement continues to evolve, moving from all-natural claims to communicating how products are made1.
Plant-Based: consumers are focused on health and sustainability, opting for products that are better for them and better for the planet. They are drawn to products that are plant-based because positive health outcomes and environmental impacts are associated with plant-based eating2.
Sugar reduction: consumers are looking for ways to get healthy and stay healthy. One recommendation to achieve better health is to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet. However, consumers are torn between reducing sugar and maintaining a great taste experience3.
Gut Health: globally, consumers are not getting enough fibre daily. Fibre helps support gut health and consumers are interested in getting more of it in their diet. As awareness of gut health and the benefits a healthy gut can provide continues to grow, more consumers will look for products with gut health benefits4.
Convenience: consumers are digitally connected and time poor, seeking ease, efficiency, and instant gratification from the products they buy, including food and beverages. Whilst convenient products meet the needs of global consumers amidst their busier, more stressful lives, this presents formulation challenges for manufacturers5.
Better-for-you snacking: snacking is an important meal occasion; however, consumers are prioritising their health. “Better-for-you” snacking products are an obvious choice to meet consumers’ health needs6.
Natalya Bright, Market Research Manager, at Tate and Lyle, said: “These global trends play to Tate & Lyle’s strengths as an ingredient provider, with our wide range of responsibly-sourced, almost exclusively plant-based solutions that are label-friendly and support healthy living.
“Since millions of people across the world consume products containing our ingredients every day, the heart of our business is about Improving Lives for Generations, and we’re proud to partner with our customers to do just that while helping them to succeed in the marketplace.”
184 % read ingredient labels, globally. Tate & Lyle Proprietary Research, 2020, 14 countries, percentages are “always” or “sometimes” 248 % of consumers say that they have changed their diets in the last two years in order to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. GlobalData 2020 Market Pulse Survey, Asia Pacific and Latin American, September 2020 358 % of consumers say healthfulness has an impact on buying food and beverages. International Food Information Council Foundation, 2021 Food & Health Survey, April 2020 453 % of global consumers plan to eat or drink more fibre. T&L Global Consumer Ingredient Perception Research, 14 countries, 2020 591 % of global consumers are interested in products that save them time and effort. GlobalData Trend Sights 2020 655 % of global consumers say that they expect snacks to offer a nutritional boost. FMCG Gurus, January 2021, Global
Mintel has today announced three trends set to impact global consumer markets in 2022. From technology that predicts the success of potential romances to brands tackling COVID-19 ‘survivor’s guilt’ and eco-anxiety, this year’s trends include:
In Control: In times of uncertainty, consumers crave a sense of control over their lives. Brands can deliver the information and options that consumers need to feel like they’re in the driver’s seat.
Enjoyment Everywhere: Having endured lockdown, consumers are eager to break out of their confines and explore, play and embrace novel experiences, both virtually and in the ‘real’, physical world.
Ethics Check: While many brands have made their voices heard on controversial topics, consumers want to see measurable progress against their goals.
Dana Macke, Director of Mintel Trends, Americas, comments on how the trends were developed, as well as how they will impact markets, brands, and consumers in 2022 and beyond:
“As experts in what consumers want and why, we’re best suited to accurately predict the future of consumer behavior and what that means for brands. In 2019, we took a bold, new approach to predict the future of global consumer markets and expanded our outlook to 10 years. Mintel’s 2030 Global Consumer Trends – known as the seven Mintel Trend Drivers – were developed as a living, growing prediction model that will adapt to the unforeseen. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, impacting nearly every industry worldwide, our consumer expertise and prediction model meant we were well placed to analyze how it would impact markets. Not only did our 2030 predictions hold true, but the pandemic accelerated many of the shifts we foresaw.
“Looking ahead to 2022, our trend analysis and prediction research are grounded by observations of the seven Trend Drivers over the last 18 months and backed by Mintel’s robust consumer and market data, predictive analytics, action-oriented insights and expert recommendations. We put everything into context to better understand what it means for—and how it could inspire—our clients’ business decisions across industries, categories and demographics, and amid global themes and times of uncertainty.”
In Control
“Feelings of precariousness and financial insecurity both created, and exaggerated, by the pandemic mean that consumers are looking for a sense of control over every aspect of their lives. But misinformation is making it harder to carry out the necessary research to make informed decisions. Consumers need clarity, transparency, flexibility and options to make decisions that suit their individual changing needs and circumstances.
“Brands will need to work harder to deliver reliable information and balance censorship and authenticity. The race for the fastest delivery will evolve to focus on being more flexible, giving consumers more control over when products arrive to fit around their schedules or to match their other specific needs. Consumers’ desire to know potential outcomes will manifest in the development of predictive technologies that can anticipate adverse events. From diseases to likely death dates to relationship outcomes using compatibility profiles, technology will evolve to grant consumers the power to plan with peace of mind.”
Enjoyment Everywhere
“Consumers are seeking sources of joy as the continuing pandemic and other local and global crises have caused them anxiety and stress. Many may be feeling a kind of ‘survivor’s guilt’ and, as a result, brands are recognizing the importance of uplifting people by giving them permission to feel happiness once again.
“While the stress caused by the pandemic may no longer be central to consumer needs for fun and escapism, they will continue to seek enjoyment and playfulness. As brand interactions through campaigns, apps and transactions take on more and more gamified elements in response to consumer interest, expect to also see pushback against it and the instant gratification it offers. This tendency will rise from consumers taking a more mindful approach to pleasure and enjoyment.”
Ethics Check
“Consumer demand for, and expectations of, brands’ ethical commitments are evolving. They have moved beyond simply wanting brands to ‘be ethical’ and are demanding to see measurable, transparent and consistent actions from those they choose to support. Consumers will look beyond a brand’s achievements and strengths; businesses will need to be transparent about their weaknesses, too, where and why they fail and how they plan to address these issues in future.
“All the transparency in the world doesn’t necessarily help consumers to understand the impact of a brand, which is why it’s key to use metrics that accurately reflect the problems brands are trying to solve. If a company isn’t properly measuring what they aim to fix or change, it’s difficult to determine whether progress is being made, let alone communicate that progress in a way that consumers will understand,” concluded Macke.
World leader in human and animal nutrition releases second annual list of global consumer trends
ADM, a global leader in nutrition that powers many of the world’s top food, beverage, and health and wellness brands, released its second annual list of global consumer trends.
(Photo: ADM)
Based on in-depth research from ADM’s proprietary Outside VoiceSM consumer insights platform, ADM provides a breakdown of each growth space poised for takeoff in the new year. These insights are used by the world’s leading consumer brands to fuel product innovation.
Brad Schwan, vice president of category marketing for ADM, explains, “Consumers today continue to navigate a tumultuous environment that has uprooted every aspect of their lives. This has led forward-thinking brands to develop new solutions purpose-built to help consumers establish a sense of normality for themselves, their families and their pets. We’re seeing everything from foods, feeds and beverages that promote gut health to plant- based meat and dairy alternatives to biodegradable packaging.”
Below are the eight key consumer trends fueling current and future global growth that point the way for ADM’s innovation, renovation, and development platforms.
1 Nourishment for the Whole Self
Consumers want to be more proactive about supporting their mind and body through a balanced approach to diet and lifestyle. While this is a long-term trend, the recent global pandemic has placed renewed interest on mental well-being, with many looking for more effective ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Wholesome nutrition is one important way consumers are looking to support their holistic well-being. In fact, ADM Outside VoiceSM finds that 37 % of global consumers expect the snacks they eat to improve their mental well-being.
2. Plant-based Lifestyles
A flexitarian approach to eating has become mainstream as consumers look to functional, wholesome, plant-based nutrition to support healthy, environmentally friendlier lifestyles. In fact, it is expected that alternative proteins will very likely account for 11 % of the total protein market in 20352. This is being fueled, in part, by COVID-19, which has accelerated interest in plant-based, as a health-forward alternative for consumers who are paying close attention to their body’s nutritional needs. Food and beverage brands, in response, are broadening the landscape of nutrient- dense plant-based options for consumers, aiming to meet their growing demand for products that are sustainable, health and wellness oriented and safe.
3 Microbiome as The Root Of Wellness
Awareness of the microbiome as central to wellness has grown over time. Data from ADM Outside VoiceSM indicates that 58 % of global consumers are aware of the potential benefits that bacteria in the digestive system can have on their overall health. Today’s consumers are looking for foods, beverages and supplements that support gut health and overall well-being. Linked by consumers to immune function, aspects of metabolic health and even mood, mental acuity and feeling energized, consumers’ approach to supporting a healthy gut is evolving from reactive (seeking foods to alleviate discomfort) to proactive (tailored and customized pre-, pro- and postbiotic solutions), as they strive to achieve greater empowerment over their personal health and well-being.
4 Clean & Transparent Sourcing
Consumer demand for ‘clean label’ products, which they consider to consist of real, kitchen-level ingredients, has become table stakes. Today’s shopper is consistently searching for foods and beverages containing real, simple ingredients that can help promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. This has led to a desire for transparency across the entire product lifecycle, from how it’s made to how it’s packaged, and beyond. This is especially true during COVID-19, with consumers placing an increased emphasis on learning where their food comes from and trying to ensure the health and safety of themselves, their families, their pets and their communities. As consumers become more sophisticated in their understanding of the products they consume, 58 % of global consumers say they will be more attentive to locality claims as a result of COVID-195.
5 Humanization Of Pets
Pets are more commonly seen as part of the family – a trend that has been present over time but accelerated in strength during the pandemic. This extends to what their pets eat, with many pet parents transposing their purchasing values and preferences onto their furry companions. There’s been a 41 % increase in “all natural” pet foods launched globally3. Likewise, ADM Outside VoiceSM also found that 30 % of global pet owners spent a significant amount of time researching the best food options in the last year1. As consumers are challenged with changing lifestyles and a return to work, they will continue to monitor their pets’ overall well-being to ensure they’re providing foods and supplements aimed at helping them care for their minds and bodies.
6 Precise & Responsible Animal Feeding
The interconnectedness of the animal product supply chain is top of mind for today’s consumer. There is an increased demand for optimized feed solutions that support human and animal nutrition in an efficient, environmentally friendly manner for a range of animal species. This is driving brands to begin providing digital documentation explaining how the animal was raised, particularly related to its consumption of antibiotics and/or growth hormones. Nearly half (49 %) of consumers are willing to pay a premium for products with high quality assurances and verifiable safety standards4.
7 Sustainable Goodness
Consumers see sustainability as a moral imperative as they connect it to what is right and ethical, their community and the environment. In fact, 47 % of global consumers say they are now more attentive to sustainability claims5. This has sparked demand for ethical production and sustainable sourcing practices – such as regenerative agriculture and carbon negative production to protect the food supply of the future. Brands are responding by taking positions on environmental matters, aiming to reflect their commitments to increasing the sustainability of their production and distribution systems.
8 Advanced Renewables & BioSolutions
Today’s consumers are more conscious of the environmental impact of their consumption and the food system at large, with a specific focus on the use of finite materials and physical waste. With 38 % of global consumers being willing to pay more for products made with sustainable materials5, conscientious consumers are paying close attention to seeking out food, personal care and home care products that support the needs of their families, the environment and their local communities. And, consumers increasingly believe that companies should take greater responsibility for reducing waste and energy use from development to disposal.
Each of these growth trend spaces represents an opportunity for forward-thinking brands eager to maintain relevance with today’s consumer. ADM, a global powerhouse in human and animal nutrition, is positioned to provide these brands with the insights and novel solutions needed to meet consumer needs as they evolve in today’s ever-changing marketplace.
1ADM Outside VoiceSM 2Boston Consulting Group and Blue Horizon Corporation, Food for Thought, The Protein Transformation Report, 2021 3Mintel, The Future of Pet Food 2021 report 4Nielsen, Quality and efficacy may beat out price sensitivities amid coronavirus concerns, 2020 5FMCG Gurus: How Has COVID-19 Changed Consumer Behavior, Q21
Following PepsiCo’s introduction of Pep+, a policy that aims to improve the company’s agricultural footprint by addressing its packaging processes and greenhouse gas emissions;
Holly Inglis, Beverages Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:
“Pep+ will keep PepsiCo ahead of the competition amid consumers’ ever-increasing demand for sustainability. The policy will be popular with the 70 %* of global consumers that stated they prefer ingredients that are sourced sustainably and ethically.
“GlobalData notes that consumers are yearning for drinks that are both better for them and better for the planet. Therefore, focusing on beverages that are thought of as ‘healthy’ and ‘sustainable’ such as dairy alternatives, flavoured waters and iced teas may be a good bet in the long term given their historical popularity in a number of markets across the globe. If PepsiCo continues to utilize these categories like Lipton, in combination with the new policies, the company will be able to get a big leg up on its competitors.
“It is clear that consumers are watching brands’ actions closely, as well as changing their purchasing habits based on how brands respond to the environmental crisis. GlobalData’s Q1 2021 global consumer survey reports that 33 %** of people worldwide like to see news about a brand’s sustainability initiatives.”
*GlobalData’s Q2-21 Consumer Survey – Global – Combined responses: “somewhat appealing” and ‘very appealing” for the question “how appealing do you find the following? Sustainably/ethically sourced ingredients” **GlobalData’s Q1-21 Consumer Survey – Global
German consumers have been turning away from juices in the last five years* as these drinks are considered to have a high sugar content. Therefore, juice makers are turning towards innovations in wellness drinks that are clear about their ingredient and nutritional benefits. Leading data and analytics company GlobalData says prebiotic juices with ingredients such as banana, garlic, apple and cocoa have the potential to be the next big thing in Germany.
Holly Inglis, Beverages Analyst at GlobalData comments: “The German juice market has seen a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) wane of 1.6 % in terms of volume over the last five years, spelling bad news for manufacturers. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel in the introduction of prebiotic juices.
“While we haven’t (yet!) seen garlic-flavoured drinks on the shelves, German producers have already started to focus their efforts on juices that promote immunity such as private label brand Dirk Rossmann, whose new launch combines prebiotic apple, mango, vegetable extract, shiitake mushroom and coconut juice. There is long-term potential for German juice manufactures to limit the declines witnessed in the category over the last few years, with the potential to capitalise on novel, innovative and trendy flavours – that in all, promote health and wellness.”
As we have seen before, reformulating products to remove sugar doesn’t always cut it. Experimenting with prebiotic ingredients such as ginger and turmeric emphasise unique ‘added benefits’, as well as being new to the market and appealing to experimental consumers.
Inglis continues: “GlobalData’s latest survey tells us that 55 %* of German consumers find ingredients that claim to improve digestive health somewhat or very appealing. That’s a large proportion of the market engaged in improving their digestive health. It is also noteworthy that, since the onset of COVID-19, a number of consumers have increased their focus on how these ingredients can improve their mental and physical wellbeing.”
In 2020, the German juice market witnessed a number of innovations from producers such as Hitchcock turmeric juice shot and Innocent ginger power shot; both of which have an ‘on-the-go’ pack size, which appeals to time-short consumers who are seeking to boost their immune system.
Inglis adds: “In the same survey, 49 %* of consumers highlighted that immunity-boosting ingredients are somewhat or very appealing. Producers could benefit from innovating beverages that boast these claims and sell at premium prices.”
One of the fastest growing demands relates to better-for-you food and drink products with a natural and balanced level of sweetness. Symrise has done a deep dive into consumption behaviors and focused on revealing the diversity of sensorial preferences. It has conducted studies to guide the development of new taste solutions that meet the latest consumer taste preferences. The resulting solutions balance the taste of a reduced sugar level from cookies to cocktails while keeping a maximum level of indulgence in different ways, for different consumers.
Established and new labelling systems like the UK’s traffic light system or the Nutriscore are helping consumers to navigate their purchase. “The desire for a healthy weight and more natural sweetness in products has led to an increasing number of people looking for sugar-reduced products. These should taste good and, ideally, contain fewer calories,” says Dr. Dariah Lutsch, Sensory & Consumer Insights Research Manager of the Flavor Division at Symrise. “A purchase simulation shows that 75 percent of consumers would choose reduced-sugar versions within nearly all product categories”, adds Lutsch.
This refers to a study on sweet taste perception in Europe, Africa and the Middle East Symrise has recently carried out. It has found that multiple routes exist to reduce the sugar level while at the same time meeting taste preferences.
Route #1 – tastes as sweet as the full sugar version and 33 % of respondents prefer it.
Route #2 – tastes similar and less sweet and 20 percent of consumers prefer this route.
Route #3 – The third group of about 22 % behaves more adventurous. They are looking for a new unique flavor composition and accept a difference in taste compared to the full-sugar version.
Ideal sweetness for soft drinks
With a further study on the ‘Ideal Level of Sweetness’ in 2019 for Cola CSD (carbonated soft drinks) in Germany, Symrise wants to determine the optimal sweetness level with different sugar contents from 106 g/l to 75 g/l sugar. The study re-confirmed the findings and also revealed that consumers perceive a sample with 75 g/l as lacking in sweetness. Knowing that sugar reduction in beverages impacts the overall taste profile and sweet taste dynamics from mouthfeel, Symrise conducted a second study and tried to increase the consumer liking of sugar-reduced products by applying Symrise taste balancing solutions with Symlife®. The team succeeded in dramatically increasing the overall liking of sugar reduced cola versions 85g/l and 75g/l by adding the taste solution of Symrise.
Regardless, which route consumers prefer and which target consumer food manufacturers would like to reach, Symrise supports their customers in reducing calories in a range of beverage products – from ice tea to CSDs – and offers the final taste profile consumers love across all three scenarios.
The now, next, and future of the global food and drink industry
The events of 2020 caused a fundamental reset in human behaviour. Recognising this transformation, Mintel’s 2021 Global Food and Drink Trends are inspired by recent shifts in consumer purchases and attitudes across industries. Through collaboration with consumer analysts and insights from Mintel Trends, a global team of food and drink experts have identified new opportunities in line with three of the Mintel Trend Drivers: Wellbeing, Value, and Identity.
In 2021 and beyond, expect food and drink companies to create mental and emotional wellbeing solutions, deliver on new value needs, and use brands to celebrate people’s identities.
Feed The Mind
Innovative food and drink formulations will offer solutions for mental and emotional wellbeing that will create a new foundation for healthy eating.
Quality Redefined
Brands will be challenged to respond to new definitions of trust, quality, and ‘essential’.
United By Food
Food and drink brands can balance a person’s need to feel unique and special with the desire to be part of communities of like-minded individuals.
Please download the free 2021 Global Food and Drink Trends here.
Mintel, the experts in what consumers want and why, has announced seven trends set to impact global consumer markets in 2021, including analysis, insights, and recommendations centered around consumer behavior, market shifts, innovative brands, and opportunities for companies and brands to act on in the next 12 months:
Health Undefined: An awareness of wellbeing is at the forefront of consumers’ minds, but a playbook doesn’t exist. Brands have a responsibility and opportunity to set new rules.
Collective Empowerment: Consumers around the world are making their voices heard loud and clear in the push for equity, agency, and rights.
Priority Shift: Consumers are seeking a return to the essentials, with a focus on flexible possessions and a reframing of what ownership actually means.
Coming Together: Consumers are coming together in like-minded communities in order to connect with and support each other, driven by the impact of the global pandemic.
Virtual Lives: Physical separation due to the pandemic, increased need for escapism, and improved technology are driving consumers towards digital experiences.
Sustainable Spaces: COVID-19 has subtly but significantly shifted consumer awareness of our relationship with the spaces in which we live, accelerating demand for sustainability.
Digital Dilemmas: While there are many benefits to a more digitally-connected life, concerns about its negative impacts are putting consumers in a predicament.
Please download the FREE 2021 Global Consumer Trends under www.mintel.com.
In Tune with Immune is one of Innova Market Insights’ Top Trends for 2021, reflecting how immunity and health has become top of mind for consumers, with ongoing anxieties over COVID-19 continuing to be a key focus for next year and beyond.
“Ongoing anxiety stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to push consumers toward prioritizing their immune health,” according to Lu Ann Williams, Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights. “Immunity boosting ingredients will play a significant role for the coming year”, she reports, “while research and interest in the role of the microbiome and personalized nutrition as ways to strengthen immunity will accelerate”.
According to Innova’s Consumer Survey 2020, six out of ten global consumers are increasingly looking for food and beverage products that support their immune health, with one in three saying that concerns about immune health increased in 2020 over 2019.
Innova’s research also indicated that 54 % of global consumers claimed to have spent time educating themselves on ingredients and procedures that could boost their immune health in the wake of concerns over COVID-19. When asked which elements would be most important to achieve, immune health, choosing foods naturally high in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) featured in the top three. Also prominent was getting enough sleep and being physically healthy. There is an associated increase in interest in botanical ingredients in particular.
As might perhaps be expected in the light of this, the use of immune health positionings for food and drinks is also rising, with 1.65 % of global launches over the first ten months of 2020 using this type of claim, up from just 1 % five years previously.
Rising numbers of launches in a wide range of food and beverage categories are focusing on the use of terms such as immune health, immune boosting, immunity support, etc. These feature across a wide range of different types of product, led by baby & toddler products (particularly milks and formulas), ahead of sports nutrition (particularly sports powders) and dairy products (particularly drinking yogurt/fermented beverages).
The link is also increasingly being made between probiotics/prebiotics, digestive/ gut health and immune support. Consumer awareness of the benefits of probiotics is still gaining traction, with its relationship to gut health and a strong immune system increasingly being made.
Prebiotics have generally been slower to establish themselves in the consumer consciousness; although they have been around for many years, it is only relatively recently that they have started to move into the mainstream. Innova Market Insights reports a 20 % global growth for food and beverage launches with prebiotics in 2018 over 2017 and a further rise of over 13 % for 2019. Often used in combination with probiotics, prebiotics are featuring across a range of food and drinks launches, led by baby & toddler products, ahead of soft drinks and dairy products.
Reaching 14.6 % reduction of added sugars in soft drinks between 2015-2019
Europe’s soft drinks industry has reduced added sugars in its drinks across Europe by an average of 14.6 % between 2015 and 2019.[1]
UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, representing soft drinks producers across the EU, is committed to creating healthier and more sustainable food environments. It is determined to support consumers in managing their intake of added sugars from soft drinks by ensuring that the healthier choice becomes the easy choice. The industry responded to the European Commission’s call for a 10 % reduction in added sugars by 2020 and recent research, by independent analysts GlobalData, confirms that it has met, and surpassed, the target ahead of time.
“This reduction is proof that the soft drinks industry’s voluntary efforts to reduce sugar across the EU are delivering tangible results,” said UNESDA president and president Western Europe at The Coca-Cola Company, Tim Brett. It demonstrates our sector’s accelerated action in response to changing consumer preferences and the expectations of public health stakeholders.”
The 14.6 % reduction in added sugars has been achieved through a comprehensive range of actions including changing recipes to reduce sugars while maintaining a taste with which consumers are happy; innovating to develop new products with different sweetness levels; increasing availability of small packs to support portion control and moderation; and nudging people toward more no- and low-sugar/calorie options through marketing investments. This latest sugar reduction comes on top of previous achievements and means that Europe’s soft drinks industry has now reduced added sugars by an average of 26 % since 2000.
UNESDA is a founding member of the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and has undertaken a series of voluntary commitments over the past 15 years to help address unhealthy diets as a risk factor for non-communicable diseases. These have been complemented by numerous national pledges to support EU member states in their action plans to create healthier food environments. These pledges are the result of stakeholder engagement at a national level and set targets based on local baselines and expectations. They reflect the conclusions of the 2016 Dutch EU Presidency which highlighted that sugar reduction is a gradual process and needs to take account of different dietary habits and preferences across the EU.
“Our sector’s progress in reducing sugar and calorie reduction has been enabled by the openness of stakeholders to engage through the EU Platform,” concluded Tim Brett. “We believe that the EU Code of Conduct for responsible business and marketing practices announced in the EU Farm to Fork strategy offers an opportunity to continue this dialogue with all actors, including Member States. As an industry we are committed to maintaining our efforts through a range of voluntary actions to ensure that the healthier choice becomes the easy choice.”
The path towards sugar reduction through reformulation comes with multiple challenges from a technological and consumer acceptance perspective and these become greater the more the reductions continue.
While the soft drinks sector has reduced the average sugar content in its products, and the WHO’s research[2] shows that frequency of consumption among school-aged children has declined across all age groups over the past 16 years, recent data shows that rates of overweight and obesity have not reduced. This demonstrates the complexity of the issue and the need for a holistic approach with all food and drink sectors committing to actions that support healthier food environments.
In addition to ongoing sugar and calorie reduction, Europe’s soft drinks sector has also made far-reaching commitments to behave responsibly in the marketplace including no advertising to children under 12; no sales of any soft drinks in EU primary schools and only no- and low- calorie drinks offered for sale in EU secondary schools.
About UNESDA Established in 1958 UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe is a Brussels-based association representing the European soft drinks industry. Its membership includes both companies and national associations from across Europe producing drinks including still drinks, squashes, carbonates, powders, iced teas, iced coffees, syrups, energy drinks and sports drinks. It is signatory to the EU Transparency Register (No: 25498952296-56).
Aseppak has continued to develop its capabilities to design, analyze, test and produce food and beverages for the new generation of consumers.
Some of the challenges the food and beverage industry faces are staples like safety, cost and scalability. In an era of such great access to information for both consumers and companies new challenges have been made evident. These challenges require new approaches, especially when you are pursuing innovation.
Aseppak is steadily evolving into one of the premier innovation boutique shops for the food and beverage world by solving three important industry dichotomies:
Creating products in a lab is one thing. Successfully launching a product to the public is another.
The market demands fast innovation. Investors need optimal and efficient innovation.
Consumers want new ingredients. Brands need to catch up while staying compliant.
In such a pursuit, Aseppak has joined forces with St. Croix ABF, a company dedicated to providing aseptic beverage co-packing services to brands who understand what it takes to innovate in today’s market.
The collective of companies has implemented a streamlined process that will pave the road for brands looking to innovate new beverages by the highest food safety standards. Current capabilities include a high acid pilot plant and testing facility and opening for low acid aseptic processing and packaging by first quarter 2021.
In an era where innovation is a requirement to survive, professionals need to develop plans that minimize risk and increase the chances of meeting the desired objectives. For decades, professionals in the product innovation universe have seen tons of value destroyed for the purpose of creating new value.
This is normal in most industries, yet the tech revolution has had an important impact in innovation in general for a variety of reasons. One of them being its ability to innovate with the consumer, in real time through the use of methods and concepts like Minimum Viable Products, open innovation and soft-launches.
Leading food and beverage companies have the opportunity to implement these concepts as well. Part of the answer is mindset, part of the answer is access to technology.
The reason why Aseppak continues to develop resources that will allow companies to prove concepts and validate product hypothesis at different levels: formula optimization, scalability, functionality, safety, flavor and health amongst the most important ones.
Some of these resources include bench top validation, aseptic testing, proof of formula scalability, packaging format exploration and rapid consumer and retailer feedback. There is a true sweet spot to be found in terms of the optimization of innovation projects that allows for more products to be successfully launched in less time.
Healthy ingredients and label transparency are more important to consumers than ever before following the COVID-19 pandemic, concludes a new global survey commissioned by the market research company FMCG Gurus on behalf of BENEO1.
The results show that across the globe consumers are becoming more conscious about their well-being – particularly immunity – as they question their vulnerability to disease and illness. They are also concerned about the environment and whether the virus’ impact has been intensified because of increased levels of environmental damage. As a result of these attitudinal shifts, consumers are looking to purchase food and drink products that increasingly promote well-being and sustain their energy in challenging times, whilst minimising impact on the environment.
Good for you and the environment
Environmental concerns have been heightened as a result of COVID-19. This is in part due to some consumers questioning whether issues such as air pollution have increased respiratory issues, making people more vulnerable to the disease. This concern is being translated into altered buying patterns, with 60 % of consumers now being more attentive to the impact that their food and drink has on the environment.
Increased focus on food and drink products that provide health benefits
Furthermore, the widespread effect of COVID-19 has also resulted in 64 % of consumers saying that they are now more conscious about their immune health. Even consumers who previously deemed themselves to have a good immune system are now questioning their vulnerability to disease and illness. This is having a direct impact on purchasing behaviour, with two-thirds (64 %) of consumers more interested in ingredients, or food and drink products, that provide protective or preventative health benefits. This trend is likely to continue being prevalent in the market for the foreseeable future.
Consumers want natural, sustained energy boosts
In these challenging times, consumers are also looking for ways to fight feelings of fatigue more naturally. In line with this, 34 % of consumers say that they are now more likely to seek out food and drink products that boost energy in a sustained and balanced way. Also, not surprisingly, consumers are looking to improve their mental well-being, with more than half (55 %) saying they are likely to opt for food and drink to boost their mood. However, formulation is key, as consumers look to avoid ingredients deemed detrimental to their long-term health in pursuit of a short-term energy boost. One opportunity arising from this is the appeal of slow-release, low-glycaemic carbohydrates such as Palatinose™ (isomaltulose), with 45 % of consumers believing such carbohydrates are better for their health.
Michael Hughes, Director of Insights at FMCG Gurus, comments: “The results of our latest consumer survey clearly show that beneficial ingredients and label transparency are now more important than ever before to consumers across the globe, as a result of the pandemic. People are exploring topics such as inner defence, staying fit and healthy, blood glucose control, as well as sustained energy and wanting to buy products with proven health benefits. BENEO is well equipped to help manufacturers tap into these key growth areas. The company’s prebiotic chicory root fibres and slow-release carbohydrate offer a range of scientifically proven health benefits that help support long-term health and can be communicated on pack.”
Myriam Snaet, Head of Market Intelligence and Consumer Insights at BENEO, explains: “As concern for the environment continues to gather pace, it is important that we all play our part in promoting sustainable business practices. At BENEO, we actively support sustainable farming, to encourage biodiversity and reduce water pollution and soil erosion. We valorize 100% of our raw material to minimise waste and have reduced our specific energy consumption by 50% over the past 30 years. Looking to the future, we aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, thanks to our recent investments into upgrading and expanding our facilities.”
1Content based on FMCG Guru’s COVID-19 survey, July 2020. Eighteen countries surveyed in July 2020 [Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, UK, USA, Vietnam] and a Country Profile survey conducted across nineteen countries in January 2020.
Clearly and successfully communicating sustainability credentials to consumers is key to developments in food and drinks packaging. This benchmark has been crowned by Innova Market Insights as the Top Packaging Trend in 2020. Innova’s consumer research indicates that consumer expectations around sustainability are higher than ever, pushing companies to prioritize eco-efficiency, especially in reducing food and plastic waste. In response, the food industry is increasingly committing to answering a more mindful consumer’s expectations in this area, while marketing this commitment on-pack.
Innova Market Insights continuously analyzes global developments in food and drinks launches and consumer activities to highlight the trends most likely to impact industry over the coming year and beyond. Its top five trends packaging trends for this year are:
1. The language of environmental sustainability
As consumer expectations continue to grow, companies are increasingly using packaging as a canvas to communicate sustainability. Over the 2015 to 2019 period, over one-third of all food and beverage launches tracked by Innova Market Insights carried an ethical packaging claim (e. g. recycled or recyclable materials). A whole range of different avenues can be used for storytelling to communicate packaging sustainability, which encompasses energy use, renewable materials, plastic free, source reduction and end of lifecycle. The use of trust certifications, marks and logos, such as Plastic Free and Metal Recycles Forever, increasingly used to communicate resource circularity.
2. Plastics come full circle
As circular economy targets loom on the horizon, the incorporation of recycled plastics into packaging is on the rise, with PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) supply partnerships and chemcycling tie-ups rising globally across a range of industries. In the meantime, more bottles are hitting the 100 % recycled plastics milestone, while other formats such as trays and pots are playing catch up with increasingly high percentages of PCR material. As suppliers come up with more recycle-ready mono-material solutions, developments such as NEO plastics can increase energy output at landfills. A rising tide of companies are supporting initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of plastic pollution, particularly ocean clean up.
3. Packing an e-punch
Continuing strong growth in online retail channels with an associated rise in demand for corrugated board is driving e-commerce packaging. Developments in strong, lightweight recyclable boxes made with minimal resources aim to minimize damage during transit, while still offering a unique and engaging unboxing experience for consumers. There is also ongoing activity in sustainable alternatives to single-use protective filler materials, as well as developments offering a reduced carbon footprint.
4. Internet of packaging
As IoT (Internet of Things) technologies become all-pervasive, QR codes, NFC and blockchain are elevating engagement and transparency. Top reasons for scanning include promotions/rewards, interactive content, product authenticity, supply chain transparency and consumer brand engagement. The use of blockchain, for instance, can offer traceability and transparency, while NFC can be a valuable avenue for digital storytelling.
5. Plant-based packaging
There is an increasing focus on developing biodegradable and compostable alternatives from renewable resources. Cellulose-based packaging has been at the forefront of plant-based innovation, but there are numerous developments in biodegradable/compostable initiatives, led by snacks and confectionery, which accounted for over 60 % of global food and drinks launches with certified compostable claims tracked by Innova Market Insights over the 2017 to 2020 period.
Consumers’ health status, personal interests and life priorities continuously change with age. Demanding lifestyles of Thai consumer combined with early signs of ageing often trigger middle-aged consumers to become more concerned about their health, nutrition and resulting in increased interest in using functional food/drinks.
Latest research from Mintel, the world’s leading market intelligence agency, highlights that for 84 % of Thai consumer health is a top priority, and even more so for consumers aged between 25-44. Among millennials aged between 25-34, over a quarter (28 %) of consumers rely on products with added nutritional benefits to balance out their indulgence intake and 34 % of consumers in the same cohort seek out the latest information on health and nutrition information.
Pimwadee Aguilar, Associate Director for Food & Drink, at Mintel said:
“The degree to which consumers choose to engage with functional food and drink products varies depending on life stage and lifestyles. The increase in health awareness often takes place after the first signs of health decline. As simple signs such as facial fine lines usually appear at around the age of 25, it is at this stage when consumers are really motivated to review their diet and attempt to improve it either through conventional foods, supplementation or medicine.”
“With consumers seeking convenient ways to make up for their imbalanced lifestyle, brands in the food and drink space have an opportunity to tap into this need state to help consumers feel at their best despite their busy schedule. To find success in functional food and drink business, brands need to develop products that provide customised benefits to fulfill the needs of different demographic groups.”
Performance enhancement is the key target benefit
Thai consumers are looking for ways to improve performance and delay the degeneration of health. Mintel research highlights that the top three benefits consumer look for in functional food and drink products include brain health (62 %), eye health (55 %) and skin health (53 %)and that boost energy. However, 53 % of consumers prefer getting nutrients through regular food and drink rather than through those with fortifications and this increases to 66 %, among consumers aged 45+.
“Despite the significant demands for functional food and drinks with benefits for brain/eye health and energy, within the last three years the Thai market has experienced very stable growth in product launches that cater to these needs. With new ingredients and product varieties that can deliver these benefits, there is still a large opportunity for business growth. In Thailand, ‘naturally functional’ ingredients or products are perceived to be better than ‘added nutrition’ among consumers. Brands can appeal to consumers, especially adults with food and drink products with functional benefits from natural sources as they convey ‘healthiness’ more strongly than those with synthetic ingredients. Product formats such as beverage powders and yogurts which can easily fit into many meal occasions, and presents an opportunity to penetrate exceptionally well with consumers as they contain ‘familiar, real-food’ qualities. Energy drinks and those with electrolytes, on the other hand, are consumed less, mostly due to their ‘overly processed’ image. To win consumer acceptance, manufacturers need to develop products which provide functional benefits, yet maintain ‘real food’ look and taste,” said Pimwadee.
Beauty inside out
Consumers want to look their best, even amidst busy lifestyles, as Mintel research reveals that over half of consumers look for skin health (51 %) and over a third of consumers seek products that aid weight loss (37 %). The interest is high, especially among female consumers, in functional food and drinks products that offer for skin health (63 %) and weight loss benefits (45 %). Finally, Thai consumers say they are aware and have consumed collagen (73 %) and antioxidants (72 %).
“Urbanisation has resulted in consumers leading hectic lifestyles which often increases their chances of physical and mental burnout and premature ageing. As a result, early signs of ageing on the face and body are triggering consumers, especially females, to seek solutions to delay the decline. Collagen and antioxidants are the most popular functional ingredients among consumers as they seek ‘quick fixes’ to improve physical appearance and delay ageing. Food and drink can play an important role in beauty as ingredients for healthy skin such as collagen are seeing high awareness and usage. It is essentials for brands to lead in educating consumers about ingredients and benefits the product delivers and offer convenient, effective and tasty beauty and weight management solutions to consumers,” concluded Pimwadee.
Innova Market Insights’ latest report on global flavour trends in the food and beverage industry highlights how it is no longer just about tantalizing the taste buds with a range of adventurous, innovative and reimagined flavours, but increasingly about how flavour use can complement and develop the storytelling behind products and brands. In fact, 56 % of consumers in a global survey agreed that stories around a brand influenced their purchasing decisions.
Consumers are increasingly captivated by the stories behind products and brands, and flavours have a key role to play in this, making Storytelling the first of Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Flavor Trends for 2020. Other important trends include the rise in plant-based alternatives, wellness associations, macronutrient influences and flavours supporting textural developments.
Innova Market Insights Top Five Flavour Trends for 2020 are:
1. Storytelling
Increased consumer interest in the origin of their food and beverage products is resulting in ingredient provenance proving its worth as a key element of brand storytelling. Over 40 % of global consumers wanted to know the story around a brand because they wanted to learn where the ingredients were from, according to an Innova Market Insights survey. Storytelling strategies include a focus on authentic tastes, flavours and recipes, as well as uniqueness through ingredient provenance and artisan/small batch processing.
2. The Power of Plants
The use of plant ingredients and plant-based recipes is soaring across a range of food and drinks categories, with an Innova Consumer Survey finding that 3 in 5 global consumers are increasingly incorporating plant ingredients into their diets. Plant ingredients can provide a healthy and colourful touch, with the use of a multitude of vegetable flavours for a healthy halo, including on-trend purple potato as part of the purple vegetables trend.
3. Wellness Flavours
Pursuit of healthier lifestyles is not only driving the plant-based trend, but also the demand for flavours targeting more general wellness, both mental and physical. Botanical flavours are increasingly popular for relaxation, stress reduction and sleep enhancement, featuring ingredients such as lavender, CBD/cannabis and turmeric. Floral flavoured drinks increasingly have mood associations, being seen as potentially relaxing or energizing.
4. Macronutrient Challenge
Consumer perceptions of macronutrients in relation to health are also evolving. There is a need to maintain taste profiles while reducing sugar, calorie and/or fat content, with sugar seen as a particular priority. Active ingredients are also impacting product flavours, with high protein options, such as cheese, seeds and nuts, as well as the association of ‘source of vitamins’ claims with fruity flavours.
5. Tapping into Texture
Consumers are increasingly recognizing the influence of texture on eating and drinking experiences, with 7 out of 10 global consumers agreeing that texture makes food and beverages a more interesting experience. Meanwhile, 6 out of 10 said that texture claims influenced their purchasing decisions. As part of this, there is growing interest in flavours that create a richer texture experience, such as honeycomb and toffee, while the industry continues to experiment with nuts in a wide variety of applications, including crunchy flavors and smooth bases.
The other top trends identified by Innova Market Insights are:
6. Hello Hybrids
7. All Time Favorites
8. Triggering the Taste Buds
9. Brown Flavours
10. Flavours Unlimited
Many of today’s busy consumers are juggling their careers, families and social lives while striving to maintain healthy lifestyles, both physically and mentally. Food and diet plays an essential role in this, with innovation increasingly looking to support consumer choices as many endeavor to balance the benefits and costs of these hectic lifestyles. This, in turn, raises the demand for nutritious foods that are easy to prepare, convenient and portable, while indulgent treats also play a role in relaxation and enjoyment.
The Right Bite was one of Innova Market Insights Top Trends for 2020 , reflecting how food and drinks supporting lifestyle choices can fall into a number of areas. These all aim to help those wishing to embrace healthy lifestyles, balance busy schedules and/or reject their current lifestyles and search for change.
Consumers embracing a healthy lifestyle tend to love having many things do and are dedicated (working long hours, exercising, etc.), but need to plan their time efficiently to get the best benefits. Healthy snacks, energy-boosting food/drinks and on-the-go food and beverages are all of interest, with high protein and energy claims of particular significance. According to Innova Market Insights data, global snacking launches featuring high protein claims had a CAGR of 16.8 % between 2015 and 2019, while the use of energy/alertness claims rose 13.7 % over the same period.
Those seeking healthier lifestyles also looked to find a balance between health and indulgence, while also looking for individual needs and preferences to be met, including the development of more balanced and complete concepts in terms of their nutritional needs.
Balancing busy lifestyles is necessary as consumers live life to the full (holidays, dining out etc.) and benefit from this, but feel that it also takes a toll on them, with ‘fast’ lifestyles also necessitating compromise and rebalancing. Convenience is key in this area, prompting a demand for meals that are easy to prepare and cook, which in turn provides opportunities for ready meals and meal kits. The demand for home cooked food has boosted interest in meal kits, with 28 % growth in the number of launches tracked globally by Innova Market Insights (CAGR 2015-2019).
On the other hand, consumers looking for a change in lifestyle are likely to increasingly distract and distance themselves from their busy lives and try to wind down. Emotional comfort is key here, with interest in comforting, relaxing and sleep-inducing food and drinks, particularly carrying mood, energy and sleep improving claims.
Stress and anxiety are key concerns in modern life as awareness of their negative impact on mental and physical health grows. In a 2019 Innova Consumer Survey 32 % of UK consumers and 39 % of US consumers claimed to experience stress at least once a day, rising to over half in India. The industry response has included more products targeted at improving low mood, tiredness and fatigue and sleep.
For many consumers, the desire to nurture and protect the environment has motivated the decision to follow a vegan diet. However, the ‘low carbon’ diet could potentially attract a greater following than veganism due its relatively more flexible approach to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our diets, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
In fact, when asked what they find to be an appealing food and drink claim, 60 %* of global consumers answered ‘low carbon footprint’, compared with 39 %* of global consumers who answered ‘vegan’.
Lia Neophytou, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, says: “Whereas veganism does not permit the consumption of any animal or animal-derived products, the low carbon diet allows for the consumption of any food/drink items as long as they align with the broader goal of reducing the carbon emissions of one’s overall diet. This could include reducing meat and dairy consumption, increasing one’s intake of local foods, and reducing food and packaging waste.”
This diet also recognizes that not all vegan foods have a low carbon footprint. For example, exotic fruits which require importation from abroad. It is for this reason that Lele’s vegan café in London recently announced that it will no longer include avocado in its dishes to avoid ‘indirectly fuelling illegal deforestation and environmental degradation’.
The appeal of a low carbon diet therefore spans consumers who are already vegan and those who simply want to reduce their carbon footprint, hence its broader appeal.
Neophytou concludes: “In future, ‘low carbon’ certifications could become mainstream and serve as a way of verifying the environmental impact of food and drink. This goes beyond simply indicating the absence of animal or animal-derived products which vegan certifications signal.”
*GlobalData’s 2019 Q3 global consumer survey
As experts in what consumers want and why Mintel is best suited to accurately predict the future of consumer behaviour and what that means for companies and brands. Announced early in November, Mintel is taking a bold approach with its predictions about the future of global consumer markets by incorporating seven key factors that drive consumer spending decisions:
Wellbeing: Seeking physical and mental wellness.
Surroundings: Feeling connected to the external environment.
Technology: Finding solutions through technology in the physical and digital worlds.
Rights: Feeling respected, protected, and supported.
Identity: Understanding and expressing oneself and one’s place in society.
Value: Finding tangible, measurable benefits from investments.
Experiences: Seeking and discovering stimulation.
Here, Matthew Crabbe, Director of Mintel Trends, APAC, explores the seven drivers and how they will impact markets, brands and consumers over the next decade.
Wellbeing
“Wellbeing is no longer about simply wanting to look after oneself in broad terms, nor is it about the extremes of a total lifestyle change. Instead, a holistic approach is becoming a key motivator of consumer behaviour, underpinned by convenience, transparency, and value. Over the coming 10 years, there will be opportunities for brands to become wellbeing partners with customers. While the mass-market and ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach will still have value, we will see further adoption of bespoke solutions. Clean air and water will become selling points, while conscious movement and mindful exercise will become as important as physical fitness.”
Surroundings
“The increased global population and climate crisis are forcing people to reduce their consumption, waste, and energy use. They are learning to share limited space more efficiently and to work more collaboratively. Better and more affordable telecommunication technology allows for flexible work conditions, as consumers increasingly become digital nomads. Over the next 10 years, social tensions will increase as competition for resources rises. This could result in greater stratification of society and failure to tackle the need for more efficient use of resources and better urban planning. There will be greater pressure on cities to continue to expand, encroaching into remaining wildernesses and rural farming areas, exacerbating the cost of producing food – making even basic products more expensive for most people.”
Technology
“Mobile technology continues to blur the lines between time, travel, and location for work, learning, and leisure. Elements of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) will revolutionise industries like tourism and entertainment, while virtual esports will rival physical sports in popularity. Over the coming decade, consumers will push back against cashless payments and fully unmanned stores, demanding more privacy and seeking more ‘human’ interaction. We’ll also see technologies developed to mitigate the effects of climate migration and displacement, amidst the broader challenges of economic inequality and an ageing society.”
Rights
“‘Cancel culture’ is growing as consumers feel increasingly empowered to call out companies, brands, and people they disagree with, greatly shifting influence into the hands of the collective consumer. Youth activism will take the lead in drawing public awareness of causes and will push legislative leaders to develop and enact ideas to make real change. Meanwhile, a more human-centric approach to data is emerging, empowering people to control how their personal data is collected and shared. Consumers are beginning to realise the true value of this data and they are demanding more for it. Looking ahead, blockchain technology will change data ownership, empowering consumers to put the control back in their hands by determining who has access to their information online.”
Identity
“Consumers are moving away from the rigid definitions of race, gender, and sexuality, and a movement is emerging toward more fluid, self-selected identities. But as the movement grows, rising feelings of loneliness and isolation are making people feel like they are, in fact, losing their identity. While people are more connected today than ever before, feelings of loneliness and isolation are on the rise and will reach epidemic proportions by 2030. Expect to see companies, brands, social organisations, and governments create technology-based solutions to help combat this. And as identities change, so too will socialising. In the future, people will increasingly be living with members of their ‘tribe’ – dictated by their mindsets and hobbies – rather than their family.”
Value
“The current era is one of excessive and unsustainable consumption. Social media’s ‘swipe up’ culture has perpetuated the chase for buying more and buying better. However, with climate change as one of the defining issues of modern society, consumers are taking a closer look at their own consumption habits. While consumers are in search of a more mindful approach to their spending, they also desire something that is authentic and unique to them. Expect to see a move towards slower, minimal consumerism that emphasises durability and functionality. Rapid urbanisation will shrink available space in the home, office, and shared environments, demanding consumers buy less ‘stuff’.”
Experiences
“While the demand for stimulation is not new, the role it plays in consumer decision-making is evolving. No longer should ‘the experiential’ be diminished as a mere marketing tool or a fad; instead, consumers are experiencing powerful emotional connections to brands that are creating a point of differentiation. Technology is driving experiences, but the constant connectivity is also causing demand for offline interactions to become more extreme and boundary-pushing. Looking ahead, collective experiences will gain more and more popularity. People will start to redefine what experiences they want as individuals. This will include the experience of doing nothing as people make more mindful decisions about what to do with their time.”
Sugar reduction remains a central topic in the media and among consumers and opportunities for reducing sugar intake are taking a number of directions as companies address evolving concerns and demands.
Strategies for reducing sugar intake feature a combination of sugar reduction, sugar substitution and moving beyond sweetness to alternative tastes. These methods are often supported by a combination of functional formulations and blends, next generation sweeteners and other technological developments.
In an Innova Market Insights survey, sugar reduction is a popular option for the three in five US consumers in an Innova Market Insights survey who would rather cut back on sugar than consume artificial sweeteners. Sugar-related claims continue to grow and increasingly take on more prominent on-pack positionings.
In the US, for example, 8 % of all new food and beverage launches tracked by Innova Market Insights in 2018 featured a sugar reduction claim. Claims of no added sugar were most prominent, accounting for 42 % of all sugar-related claims, ahead of sugar-free (36 %) and low sugar (27 %). Although the low sugar claim is smallest in terms of its share of launches, it is also the fastest growing with an NPD CAGR of 17 % over the 2014 to 2018 period.
Sugar reduction can be achieved in a number of ways, including removing or reducing the amount of added sugar, replacing part of the sugar formulation with non-nutritive sweeteners and/or using innovative processing technologies, such as “aeration” to increase perceived sweetness, slow straining milk to remove sugar prior to yogurt making, or using enzymes to convert simple sugars to fibers in juices.
Interest in sugar substitution has also driven the rising use of sweeteners, particularly non-nutritive ones derived from nature, such as stevia, monk fruit and thaumatin. Allulose, which also occurs naturally in small quantities in a variety of sweet foods such as figs, can also be manufactured synthetically.
The April 2019 announcement by the FDA that allulose did not have to be included in total and added sugar counts in US nutritional labeling has also cleared the way for much higher levels of use and a potential move mainstream. Levels of patent activity indicate current interest in the use of allulose, rising 42 % in 2018 over 2017, while global NPD in food and beverages featuring the ingredient had an average annual growth of 45 % over the 2014 to 2018 period, although from a low base.
Companies are also looking at alternative ingredients such as coffee cherries as a potential stealth reducer of sugar in foods containing chocolate. Upcycled coffee cherries can be used to reduce the amount of sugar in finished products by emulating flavor in highlighting the cocoa notes, so that less cocoa powder is needed.
Another approach to sugar reduction is to use alternative flavor notes, such as bitter, sour or spicy, exploiting interest in novel and unconventional flavors to reduce the demand for sweetness overall. Interest in botanicals and their health benefits is also rising and may likewise encourage consumers to move away from more sugar laden foods; the use of botanical flavors for food and drinks NPD is expanding and can be seen across a whole range of different categories.
Research shows that a balanced nutrition and adapted physical activity program can improve body function and more specifically maintain muscle mass, which is key to prevent sarcopenia and preserve a good quality of life.
Pronativ® is a native whey protein particularly adapted to improve nutritional quality of supplements. Thanks to a qualitative amino acid profile especially with high leucine level and fast absorption, it stimulates the muscle protein synthesis.
You can help your senior consumers find a new way to consume protein in a tasty product with High Protein Fruit Gel made with Pronativ®.
Increased consumer interest in the stories behind their food and beverage products and their notable influence on purchasing decisions has resulted in companies increasingly paying attention to storytelling in branding strategies. “Storytelling: Winning with Words” leads the list of Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Trends for 2020. The top five trends for 2020 are:
1. Storytelling: Winning with Words
Although ingredient provenance has always been important, consumer interest in discovering the story behind their foods has risen further and increasingly influencing purchasing decisions. Consumers’ attention is piqued by opportunities to learn more about how products are produced, which promotes an understanding of product benefits and helps build all-important trust in the brand.
As a result, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on ingredient provenance platforms in order to highlight the taste and quality of their products, as well as their uniqueness and sustainability efforts. Provenance platforms can communicate a whole range of messages to the consumer, including flavor/taste, processing methods, cultural and traditional backgrounds, as well as the more obvious geographical origin.
2. The Plant-Based Revolution
Plant-based innovation in food and beverages continues to flourish as a result of consumer interest in health, sustainability and ethics, which ties into the broader consumer lifestyle trend towards cleaner living. As the use of the term “plant-based” moves more into the mainstream, the industry and start-up companies in particular, are taking up the challenge to deliver more clean label meat and dairy alternatives with improved nutritional profiles.
3. The Sustain Domain
Consumers increasingly expect companies to invest in sustainability, with Innova Market Insights research indicating that 85 % of, on average, US and UK consumers expected companies to invest in sustainability in 2019, up from 64 % in 2018. In the area of food waste, upcycling is the new recycling, as companies strive to follow a zero-waste approach by creating value from by-products. Meanwhile in packaging, the focus is on using less of it, as well as developing sustainable alternatives.
4. The Right Bite
Stress and anxiety are key concerns in modern life as consumers manage careers, families and social lives while striving to maintain healthy lifestyles, both physically and mentally. Responses to this vary, although the majority of consumers aim to balance the benefits and costs of busy lifestyles. This, in turn, raises the demand for nutritious foods that are easy to prepare, convenient and portable.Indulgent treats play a role in relaxation and enjoyment.
5. Tapping into Texture
Last year’s leading trend “Discovery: the adventurous consumer” is still prominent, with consumer demand for something new and different being reflected in more product launches with textural claims. Consumers increasingly recognize the influence of texture on food and beverages, allowing a heightened sensory experience and often a greater feeling of indulgence. According to Innova Market Insights research, 45 % of, on average, US and UK consumers are influenced by texture when buying food and drinks, while 68 % share the opinion that textures contribute to a more interesting food and beverage experience.
The other top trends for 2020 identified by Innova Market Insights are:
6. Macronutrient Makeover
7. Hello Hybrids
8. A Star is Born
9. Eat Pretty
10. Brand Unlimited
An Austrian winery with 160 years of tradition has launched a spritzer in a can. ‘Kiss Me’ white wine spritzer, from Weingut Johann Müllner, comes in an on-trend slimline can with a stunning contemporary design. However, in the perfect marriage of modern and traditional, the Sauvignon at the heart of the drink comes from a Krems estate which has produced fine wines since the 19th century.
Spritzer is second only to beer on the chart of Austria’s favourite beverages, but until now it has not been available in such a portable, convenient and sustainable format. Weingut Johann Müllner has chosen Ardagh Group’s 250ml aluminium wine can to extend its packaging formats beyond the bottle and thereby bring the spritzer to new markets. In a can, Kiss Me will particularly appeal to discerning consumers who appreciate the importance of tradition and quality in their wine, but are looking for a light, convenient single-serve beverage they can drink on the go.
The can’s head-turning design is based on a multicoloured illustration by pop artist Oxana Prantl, sophisticated modern branding which reflects the premium product. Two of Ardagh’s range of finishes, Matte Impact and Premium Print 1.0, raise the aesthetic to the next level. The matte finish offers both visual and haptic enhancement, making Kiss Me stand out against the standard glossy can on the shelf, while Premium Print 1.0 brings crisp detailing and colour contrast to the artwork. The overall look is sharp, modern and unique, perfect for Kiss Me’s status as the only canned spritzer in Europe.
The Grüner Veltliner at the heart of Kiss Me is a delicate Sauvignon, the product of the cool microclimate of the Kremser Berglagen. Dry, fruity and light with the classic, delicate Veltliner spiciness, it has notes of green apple and citrus with a background of minerality that is pleasantly fresh. Carbonated water is added to this premium wine to bring an exciting sparkle and reduce the alcohol content to a light and refreshing 5.5% ABV. In a spritzer, the carbon dioxide carries the taste, which makes it essential that the packaging is completely airtight. The aluminium can guarantees this and is also lightproof, further preserving the exceptional taste and providing a minimum shelf life of one year.
Johann Müllner represents the fourth generation of Müllners to run the company. He says, ‘Since our estate is steeped in tradition, we are extremely proud to offer the famous Austrian national drink in a can. Recognition of our premium spritzer is essential, so we’re really happy that the superior design and finish of the wine can upholds our brand, as well as helping us achieve sustainability by being fully recyclable.’
Ardagh’s wine can range comprises single-serve sizes of 200ml, 250ml, and a new 187ml format which represents a quarter of the standard 75cl bottle. Beverage cans are light to transport and easy to fill, stack and store, as well as being infinitely recyclable.
Kiss Me is currently available in Krems, in Vienna, and in a rapidly expanding range of outlets throughout Austria, including petrol stations, souvenir shops and transport hubs, as well as from trade beverage suppliers. Tie-ins with major Austrian sporting events and ski resorts are planned, and export to international markets will follow.
The compliance of the declared filling volume is an important topic for all bottlers. On one hand the legal minimum values must be met and on the other hand overfilling means considerable economical loss.
The simple transfer of the juice in a graduated cylinder is quite inaccurate as the scale of such a cylinder is too wide and do not give an exact result. Additionally there will always be some remains in the bottle. Therefore this method is not precise enough for this task.
The usual continuous check of the filling volume in a filling line is done by weighing the full bottle and subtracting the average weight of empty bottle and cap. The weight of the juice can be transferred into volume by the division with the average density of the juice. This can be done automatically, but contains the risk of slightly incorrect results, as the weight of the packaging and the density of the juice normally vary within a predefined range.
This new method describes a more exact way to determine the filling volume (net volume) in a laboratory.
It is now available in the Methods of Analysis section of the IFU Website!
The beverage sector has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade in line with changing consumer preferences.
Sumit Chopra, Consumer Research Director at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, highlights six major innovation trends that are set to impact the production, marketing and sales of the beverage sector in Asia-Pacific (APAC) in 2019.
Unusual ingredients and featured flavors
GlobalData’s 2018 Q4 Consumer Survey found that 17 % of consumers in APAC often like to experiment with novel ingredients, creating opportunities for manufacturers. For instance, India-based urban lifestyle beverage brand Zago launched Iced Masala Chai, which offers a ‘refreshing’ twist to traditional ready to drink teas infused with traditional aromatic flavors such as cardamom and ginger.
Authentically indulged
According to GlobalData’s 2018 Q4 Consumer Survey, around 40 % of APAC consumers are willing to pay more for better quality beverages. Against this backdrop, beverage manufacturers are aiming to create an authentic brand image to foster consumer trust and loyalty. In Australia, Podpac is offering new coffee pods under the Baileys trademark in order to give coffee drinkers a premium indulgence that is marketed under an alcohol brand name.
Revitalized & balanced
GlobalData’s 2018 Q4 Consumer Survey highlights that 65 % of consumers in APAC are always or often influenced by how a product impacts their health and wellbeing while making their consumption choices. Against this backdrop, beverage companies are mapping out the wellness considerations for the products they are offering to attract a niche market of specialists such as sports enthusiast and athletes, whilst also appealing to the mainstream of active lifestylers. For example, Applelachia launched a sparkling apple cider drinks range that incorporates foreign ingredients like Yuzu, a citrus fruit used as a tonic by samurais to boost their immune system, in Australia.
Packaging formats
GlobalData’s research reveals that APAC consumers prefer small single-serve pack sizes and seek out new products packed in PET and small metal cans, reflecting the overall emerging trend in the region towards on-the-go consumption. For instance, Locally Merci Buco 100 % organic coconut water in a 330 ml tetra pack variant bagged a packaging excellence award for an innovative PET squeezable bottle in 2019 in the Philippines, as it catered to the strong association between energy drinks and on-the-go consumption.
Sugar war raging
Beverage companies need to be ready for the likelihood of stringent regulations, as the governments across the region are exercising more power, particularly around issues such as obesity and consumer welfare. Malaysia’s Ministry of Health is all set to impose a sugar tax on sugar-sweetened beverages from 1 July 2019. Against this backdrop, key beverage brands are reformulating their portfolios. For instance, Malaysia-based Fraser & Neave (F&N) Holdings Bhd is looking to reformulate 70 % of its products to mitigate the sugar tax impact.
Moderation & avoidance
Consumers are increasingly becoming health-conscious and proactively addressing their health issues by curbing alcohol indulgence. Manufacturers are therefore striving towards offering zero alcohol beverages with healthy ingredients. Heineken’s launch of new zero-alcohol beer Heineken 0.0 in Singapore fulfills the growing demand for non-alcoholic alternatives for evolving customers.
Diana Food has opened a new R&D laboratory to drive its innovation in Consumer Health products.
Located in Québec City, Québec, the center will support a nearby facility where Diana produces nutritional ingredients for use in a range of health solutions. Rob Evans, Director of Research & Development at Diana Food, said, “The decision to create this new lab emphasizes Diana’s commitment to the market, the North American scientific community, and the company’s long-term growth in the consumer health category.”
The Research & Development facility’s location is a strategic one. Its proximity to Diana’s Consumer Health plant not only allows for the easy transfer of knowledge and technology, but also helps transfer laboratory innovation into scalable manufacturing. Additionally, the center is close to Quebec’s little fruits producing region, providing quick access to fresh, natural resources.
The creation of new products and processes will be a key focus at the new facility. The team working here, which includes scientists from Diana’s labs in France, will extract polyphenols from locally sourced materials like cranberries and blueberries and explore their application in health offerings like dietary supplements. As Mr. Evans noted, “These scientists are experts in the consumer health market and those coming from France bring with them prior expertise that will help expedite local development and testing.”
This Research & Development laboratory also echoes Diana’s work with the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (INAF) at Laval University. Launched in November 2018, this Chair of Research is dedicated to researching the effects of fruit and vegetable-derived polyphenols on regulating microbiota in the human gut.
Diana Food’s ingredients are sourced from carefully selected raw materials and their solutions are supported by robust, clinically proven science. The company’s specializations in this category include sports nutrition products, functional food and drink to boost women’s health, and supplements to encourage healthy aging and add energy and vitality.
Mental health is a pressing concern around the world with many consumers turning to health enhancing ingredients to help relieve a range of conditions including stress, anxiety and insomnia.
Whilst the food and beverages industry is awash with products that deliver on health, wellbeing and energy, mental health related new product development (NPD) has lagged behind with demand for these types of products varying amongst regions, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Consumer research from GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Top Trends in Healthcare and OTC Products 2018 – The latest trends in: OTC medication; vitamins, minerals, and supplements; functional food and drink; and sports nutrition’, reveals that 66 % of European consumers say that stress is a pressing mental health concern followed closely by overwork (56 %) and insomnia (55 %).
William Grimwade, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData comments, “There is clearly an opportunity for beverage manufacturers in Europe to develop products with mental health enhancing functionality.
“A high percentage of beverages in the region contain fortified and nutraceutical ingredients and 61 % of consumers say that soft drinks are their preferred method of consuming health enhancing ingredients.”
Health drinks have often been characterised as simply low sugar or energy boosters fortified with caffeine, vitamins or minerals. Mental health is a growing concern, but fortified drinks rarely address this need.
However, ingredients such as Gingko Biloba, Turmeric and Lecithin are increasingly being used in this field with companies like Coca-Cola investing in new emerging ingredients like Cannabidiol or CBD oil.
Grimwade adds, “With stress and overwork being the top mental health concerns in Europe driven by long working hours and the political and economic turmoil in the region creating so much uncertainty, demand for drinks fortified with stress and anxiety relieving ingredients will only increase.”
Closure Systems International (CSI) and Talkin’ Things®, the leading innovator in product communication platforms, have collaborated to integrate smart packaging technology into CSI’s global platform of closures. CSI and Talkin’ Things have developed a new packaging solution named Talkin’ Cap, which uses embedded Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, for application on the inside of closures. This technology introduces a powerful platform to support a brand owner’s mobile marketing activities right from the package itself…with just a simple tap.
Brand trustworthiness and product reliability are paramount for consumer loyalty. Talkin’ Caps ensure product safety and reduce brand owners’ liability by protecting against counterfeiting and “gray market” activities throughout the distribution stream.
CSI’s Talkin’ Caps allow for real-time consumer interconnectivity at the point of consumption, giving brand owners the unique ability to have dynamic interaction and gather actionable insights based on consumer location and usage history.
With 90 % of consumers using their smartphone to help make purchase decisions in a brick and mortar setting1, Talkin’ Caps are an app-less way to drive marketing content, brand and product information, gamification, loyalty programs, awards and coupons to connected consumers.
Mintel, the world’s leading market intelligence agency, has announced the launch of Indian Consumer, a new consumer intelligence platform featuring in-depth research reports and analyst expertise on India’s consumer markets. Designed specifically for companies, brands, and manufacturers serving the Indian market, Mintel Indian Consumer intuitively combines new consumer research with the latest market data and analyst insight, and is delivered in a highly engaging and interactive platform.
Thoroughly researched, analysed and interpreted by Mintel’s team of local expert analysts, each interactive report is easy to comprehend and, more importantly, act upon. With overarching themes across the food and drink, beauty and personal care, and lifestyles categories, Mintel Indian Consumer presents solutions to gaps identified in the marketplace, with the consumer insight needed to facilitate the product development, brand and marketing, as well as business decision-making processes.
Matthew Nelson, General Manager of Mintel Asia Pacific, says: “From first setting up shop in India nearly a decade ago to doubling our revenue and tripling our headcount in just the last three years, the launch of Mintel Indian Consumer marks an expanded footprint for Mintel in India—a challenging, dynamic and highly innovative marketplace. Mintel’s continued investment in the region builds upon our already established analyst expertise into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. This is a key milestone for the company’s long-term growth strategy and further expansion across the Asia Pacific region and the world, giving our clients research and analysis of the highest quality to help them grow their business.
“As consumer markets become more competitive, Mintel has proven to be an unparalleled asset to our clients as they develop their business strategies amidst evolving social, economic and political landscapes. Mintel Indian Consumer represents a first-of-its-kind, truly unique approach to helping companies and brands understand and validate local consumer trends and assess the market applicability of global trends locally.”
Nidhi Sinha, Head of Content, India Consumer, at Mintel, adds: “Mintel research identifies the major trends impacting the marketplace, covering consumers in metros and tier one-to-three cities across India’s four main regions. Companies and brands can drill into our consumer data to discover the regional and socioeconomic differences. In fact, the data can be viewed by household composition, demographic, gender and age, to name a few. Mintel’s expert analysts provide their unique perspective and expertise on India’s key consumer markets by examining the trending shifts in consumer behaviour and product innovation on the global and local scale.”
“Mintel Indian Consumer is augmented with interactive data books for an immersive, hands-on research experience, offering the opportunity for deeper data manipulation. Each report addresses category white space, backed by consumer data, and is presented and interpreted in a way that makes sense to our clients. Mintel’s primary research, consumer data and expert analysis give our clients actionable and unique consumer insights and opportunities to help them make informed business decisions for a successful future.”
Amcor Limited and Bemis Company, Inc. announced that their respective Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Amcor will acquire Bemis in an all-stock combination.
Combining these two complementary companies will create the global leader in consumer packaging, with the footprint, scale and capabilities to drive significant value for shareholders, offer customers and employees the most compelling value proposition in the packaging industry and deliver the most sustainable innovations for the environment.
The transaction will be effected at a fixed exchange ratio of 5.1 Amcor shares for each Bemis share, resulting in Amcor and Bemis shareholders owning approximately 71 % and 29 % of the combined company, respectively. This is equivalent to a transaction price of US$ 57.75 per Bemis share based on Amcor’s closing share price of A$ 15.28(1) on August 3, 2018, and represents a premium of 25 % to Bemis’ closing price of US$ 46.31 per share as of August 2, 2018(2).
Overview of Amcor Amcor is a global leader in responsible packaging solutions, supplying a broad range of rigid and flexible packaging products into the food, beverage, healthcare, personal care and other fast moving consumer end markets. Amcor operates around 195 sites in over 40 countries, with approximately 35,000 employees. For the year ended 30 June 2017, Amcor generated revenues of US$9. 1 billion and EBITDA of US$1.4 billion.
Overview of Bemis Bemis Company, Inc. (“Bemis”) is a supplier of flexible and rigid plastic packaging used by leading food, consumer products, healthcare, and other companies worldwide. Founded in 1858, Bemis reported 2017 net sales of US$4.0 billion. Bemis has a strong technical base in polymer chemistry, film extrusion, coating and laminating, printing, and converting. Headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, Bemis employs approximately 16,000 individuals worldwide.
1) Equivalent to a US dollar share price of US$11.32 based on a AUD:USD exchange rate of 0.7411 as of August 3, 2018. 2) August 2, 2018 being the last trading day prior to market speculation on August 3, 2018 in relation to a transaction between Amcor and Bemis.
Today more than two-thirds of consumers worldwide own a mobile phone, with figures surpassing the 5 billion mark in June 2017, according to GSMA data. For shoppers, a mobile phone is an integral part of their lives and they are keen to use its facilities – particularly when it comes to checking out food quality and traceability and winning prizes.
The key theme of this year’s Consumer Goods Forum global summit, held in Singapore, was ‘Consumer Centricity in a Data Driven World’. Minister for trade and industry S. Iswaran spoke of Singapore’s Retail Industry Transformation Map, which encourages retailers to use innovative technologies to improve productivity and the in-store experience for shoppers and suggests all consumer goods businesses embrace data and technology to drive innovation.
The connected consumer
This year, a sales promotion pilot using individual QR codes on every SIG carton pack was trialled in southern Brazil by Languiru, one of the largest dairies from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with some impressive results. QR codes were used on all cartons of Languiru milk, including chocolate milk (Chocolan), with more than 12,000 codes generated every hour, connecting the consumer with product data via their smartphone.
Consumers in store said it was easy to download the Languiru app, developed by SIG, and liked that the milk was from the local region. Their children were delighted with the emoji cushions they were able to redeem with the coupons and took them into school to show to their friends and teachers. Those shoppers buying the largest volume of milk gained the most cushions and they were extremely popular, leading to a 6 per cent growth in sales for this milk and chocolate milk brand. Prizes included bicycles, smartphones and shopping vouchers!
Interestingly, 94 % of participants were android phone users and just 6 % apple users with 71 % of those using the code women, including 56 % in the 19 – 30 age group and 35 % in the 31 – 60 age group.
Tailor made promotions
Dirceu Bayer, President of Cooperativa Languiru, said: „SIG’s solution not only provides a 1:1 connection with our final consumers, but also opens up opportunities for tailored made raffle promotions with our retailer partners. The giveaway promotion ‘Bought, looked, won’ fully met expectations and improved our relationship with our customers. Through the use of this technology we can learn more about our consumers, providing valuable information for commercial and marketing teams“.
Languiru’s latest digital promotion is the next stage in making best use of the integrated Connected Pack Solution, designed by SIG and Siemens, which collects product quality data at every stage of the product journey, from the beginning of industrialization process of the raw material to the supermarket shelf, and stores all information in one database. The dairy concept ‘Qualidade do inicio ao fim’, which translates as ‘Quality from beginning to end’, was the basis for Languiru to engage with consumers who can access all important data, from production dates to quality analysis. The QR code has become Languiru’s quality stamp, resonating in other products and categories within the portfolio. This builds on the established inline monitoring system and vast data collection, which ensures efficiency in both production and logistics.
Monitoring operations and logistics
„QR codes on cartons mean our consumers are able to trace products from their industrialization right to the shelf,” said Euclides Andrade, Managing Director of Cooperativa Languiru.
“Besides that, we benefit from detailed end-to-end value chain performance monitoring, which enables us to improve operations and logistics. SIG understood our demands and developed a tailor-made solution for Languiru that demonstrates our quality and adds value to our brand ».
A further advantage of this new technology is that it is linked directly to the Languiru production lines. This maximises the dairy plant’s overall efficiency and cuts operational and investment costs by using a specific information intelligence tool known as Power BI.
The power of a single QR code is substantial in enabling track and trace from plant to store shelf. SIG is ahead of the game when it comes to enabling a connected pack experience and can offer customised solutions, benefiting the consumer, manufacturer and retailer along the supply chain.
The craft beer boom, which is primarily driven by younger consumers, is having spill-over effects on other industries, including the coffee sector. Within the sector, cold-brew coffee is gaining popularity. However, given its unique taste profile and perceived health benefits, opportunities exist for cold-brew producers to appeal to young as well as older age group consumers, finds leading data and analytics company GlobalData.
Since the brewing process does not require heat, the resulting cold-brew coffee drink has a smoother taste which often reduces the need for creamers, sugar or sweeteners. As a result, several consumers perceive cold-brew coffee to be a healthier alternative to traditional coffee.
GlobalData found that health and fitness is a high priority for younger consumers, hence the potential health benefits of cold-brew coffee are likely to be a key motivator for purchase among this cohort. This reflects in its 2017 Q4 global consumer survey, which shows that 21 % of consumers are interested and already purchasing beverages with cold-brew claims, while a further 27 % are interested but not yet actively buying such products.
Matthew Perry, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, explains: “A number of consumers are now looking for more premium and indulgent soft drinks which demonstrate quality, authenticity and artisanal production methods. The fact that cold-brew coffee has been around for hundreds of years may heighten the appeal of the beverage among younger consumers driving the craft movement.”
In particular, younger consumers aged between 18 and 34 are more interested in cold-brew, with 28 % globally interested and actively buying such beverages, reveals the survey. This is 11 percentage points higher than those aged 35 and over.
Perry concludes: “Given the popularity of cold-brew among younger age groups, producers may wish to target these consumers with their offerings. However, it is important to understand that while the unique processing methods and sensory aspect of cold-brew may encourage younger consumers to experiment with the beverage, cold-brew coffee’s smoother, less acidic taste may resonate with older consumers who may prefer milder flavors and products which require less sugar.”
Thermochromic inks engage consumers attending popular Tomorrowland music festival
Leveraging the expertise of its European Design Studio in Leicester, UK, CROWN Bevcan Europe and Middle East, a business unit of Crown Holdings Inc., has helped long-standing customer Lipton make its mark with consumers with an engaging new package. The iconic tea brand’s partnership with Tomorrowland, a Belgian music festival promoting life, love and unity, inspired the design for Lipton® Iced Tea, which incorporates thermochromic inks that enable the can to be ‘brought to life’ by consumers through direct interaction.
The application marks the first time this technology has been used as an integral and central part of a design. The end result is a beverage can that essentially has two faces – before and after cooling – to create a fresh marketing and decorative tool that enhances both the branding and the “love” theme.
A strapline encouraging consumers to ‘chill the can and see the love’ is prominently featured – offering a nod to the improved enjoyment they can experience with the cold beverage. It is also a literal statement, since the word ‘love’ appears once the can has reached optimal temperature for consumption.
Crown’s reprographics team, recognized globally for its talent with decorative finishes, worked with Lipton’s design agencies to maximize the impact of the inks. Proofing sessions were carried out extensively to color match the blues required to achieve the end result and the final product was universally applauded by all involved.
Thanks to this innovative Tomorrowland design, Lipton® Iced Tea has succeeded in interacting with consumers using engaging visual communications and pioneering decoration techniques.
