Mintel Publishes Key Global Food and Drinks Trends for 2017

They include a rise in ‘ancient’ products and traditions, using technology to create more plant-enhanced food and relaxation-inducing products like chamomile tea.

Jenny Zegler, global food and drink analyst at Mintel said, “This year’s trends are grounded in current consumer demands for healthy, convenient and trustworthy food and drink. Across the world, manufacturers and retailers have opportunities to provide more people with food and drink that is recognisable, saves time and contains servings of beneficial fruits, vegetables and other plants.

“In addition, Mintel has identified exciting new opportunities for functional food and drink designed for evening consumption, progressive solutions for food waste and affordable healthy food for low-income consumers. Opportunities abound for companies around the world to capitalise on these trends, helping them develop in new regions and more categories throughout the course of the next year and into the future.”

The six trends outlined in the report are:

IN TRADITION WE TRUST

“Consumers seek comfort from modernised updates of age-old formulations, flavours and formats,” predicts Mintel.
             
Consumers are on the look-out for products that are recognisable rather than revolutionary. Mintel states that this trust in the familiar emphasises the opportunity for manufacturers to look to the past as a dependable source of inspiration, citing “ancient” products like grains and also ancient recipes, practices and traditions as areas to tap into.

Potential also exists for innovations that use the familiar as a base for something that’s new, such as cold-brew coffee.
             
POWER TO THE PLANTS
               
“The preference for natural, simple and flexible diets will drive further expansion of vegetarian, vegan and other plant-focused formulations,” explains Zegler.
             
2017 will welcome more products that emphasise plants as key ingredients, states Mintel. More packaged products and recipes for home cooking will leverage fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, botanicals and other plants as a way to align with consumers’ nearly omnipresent health and wellness priorities.

Technology will also play a part, with the market analyst referring to a company that uses artificial intelligence to develop plant-based alternatives to animal products including milk, mayonnaise, yogurt and cheese as an example.
             
WASTE NOT
             
“The focus of sustainability zeros in on eliminating food waste,” says Mintel.
             
The stigma associated with imperfect produce will begin to fade and more products will make use of ingredients that would have otherwise gone to waste, such as fruit snacks made from ‘ugly’ fruit and mayonnaise made from the liquid from packaged chickpeas. Food waste will also be repurposed in new ways, such as power sources.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
                           
Busy lifestyles and time constraints are propelling a need for quick-fix solutions that are still fresh, nutritious and customisable, states Mintel. We’ve already seen ‘biohacking’ food and drink, which offers complete nutrition in convenient formats. In 2017, the time spent on – or saved by – a food or drink product will become a clear selling point, inspiring more products to directly communicate how long they will take to receive, prepare or consume.

“The time investments required for products and meals will become as influential as nutrition or ingredient claims,” adds Mintel.
             
THE NIGHT SHIFT
             
“Evening is tapped as a new occasion for functional food and drink formulations,” says Zegler.
             
The hectic pace of modern life is creating a market that helps people calm down before bedtime, sleep better and restore the body while they rest. Products can leverage the reputation of the tea category and use chamomile, lavender and other herbs as a way to achieve a sense calm before bedtime, while chocolate could be positioned as a way to wind down after a stressful day.

Ahead, there is potential for more evening-focused innovations formulated for relaxation, satiety and, taking a cue from the beauty industry, food and drink that provide functional benefits while the consumer sleeps. 
             
BALANCING THE SCALES: HEALTH FOR EVERYONE
                           
Inequality is not just a political or philanthropic issue, it also will resonate more with the food and drink industry, reports Mintel. Many lower-income consumers want to improve their diets but the access to - and the cost of - healthy food and drink is often an issue.

More campaigns and innovations are to be expected that will make it easier for lower-income consumers to fulfill their healthy ambitions, including apps to help people make use of ingredients that are on sale and value-priced boxes of “wonky” veg.