Minimalist, free-from, protein-rich and ready to eat: these are some of the main food innovation trends as consumers put wellness before indulgence, according to French consultancy firm XTC. While pleasure remains the top focus of food manufacturers, with a 51.3% share of all products offered last year compared to 54.6% in 2015, health is growing faster than any other major driver analyzed by XTC. From gluten-free and detox to exotic and light, the 2017 World Innovation Panorama analyzes five major food trend categories. The five macro areas or “axis” – namely pleasure, health, physical, convenience and ethics – are divided into sub-trends which connect manufacturers’ innovation with consumers’ expectations. The report shows the offering of healthy products increased to 27.7% in 2016 from 23.3% the previous year, outpacing the four other major groups.
Healthy snacks
Streamlined and minimalist: food makers are looking for simple ingredients that provide naturalness, from 100% vegetables to high protein pulses that can be more appealing than soy and tofu. The ‘free of ’ positioning showcases the absence of ingredients considered harmful to consumers’ health or the environment. This trend has now extended to snacks. As consumers want to lose weight without the constraints of a diet, food makers are substituting high calorie ingredients with lighter ones similar in texture, like turkey bacon, sweet potato hummus and Greek yoghurt mayo, according to XTC.
Noble indulgence
Eating as pleasure remains a large driver of innovation. Producers are using noble ingredients and premium packaging. Exotic is a major trend, but manufacturers are more detailed when they inform about the national origin of a product. Consumers are looking for food that provides a complex taste. While social media help spread trends and recipes, consumers remain focused on convenience, although less than in 2015 (12.9% vs 15.1%), while ethics is broadly stable with a relatively small 1.6% share. This is particularly evident with products suitable for sharing, ready to slice, and on-the-go.
New flavors in Europe
In Europe, food offering is mostly still influenced by pleasure, despite its slight decline: 53.7% of the relative share in 2016 versus 57.8% the year before. The “variety of senses” trend remains in first place with a share of 29.7%. The health trend in Europe advanced to reach 24.9% of new offering last year, accounting for nearly one in four products. The performance is led by “natural”, “medical” and “vegetal” food.
Italy leading in healthy food
In Italy, health accounts for 42% of the offering, up from 27.1% in 2015, while pleasure has dropped to 41.1% from 50.5%. New natural food offering has grown to 20.3% from 10.3%, medical to 15.8% from 11.0%, and slimness to 3.9% from 2.2%. In line with the rest of Europe, products easy to handle have dropped to 8.2% from 11%, and time-saving to 2.5% from 5.1%. The “variety of senses” trend is leading but has fallen to 27% from 31.9%.
