New Year, New Health Trends
NEW TRENDS
New year, new trends: what does the future of healthy food look like? As an industry leader, Germinal Organic invests in staying ahead of the game to be able to meet demands of a fast pace food market. Research brings its rewards, so let’s take a look at the top 5 trends that are positioned to shape buyer behavior in 2018.
PLANT-BASED PROTEINS
The plant-based protein revolution is our number one trend for 2018. Consumers are searching more for meat alternatives as protein in their diets, from lentils to quinoa. The proof is in the… searches: Saves for “plant proteins” jumped by 417%, according to Pinterest. The growing interest with plant proteins is also reflected in many restaurants “taking dishes back to their plant-based roots with originality and mass appeal,” as documented by the BBC. Lastly, while plant-based faux meats have become much more popular over the last 12 months, you can expect more alternative and greater variety, including meatless chicken and fish alternatives, to take up shelf-space in 2018.
ALLERGEN-FREE FOODS
Although the Food and Drug Administration estimates only about 2% of US adults and 5% of infants and young children to have food allergies, the market for allergy-free food has quickly become mainstream in society. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Products Act identifies eight foods or food groups that meet these criteria, including milk, eggs, wheat, fish, soybeans, nuts, tree nuts and crustaceans. Products that are gluten-free and lactose-free have established a particularly strong presence recently.
VEGAN DESSERTS
It’s no surprise that with the increased demand of meat and animal alternatives, the demand for vegan desserts has been increasing in popularity as well. More and more consumers are beginning to avoid staple dessert ingredients, such as milk, butter, eggs and cream, whether it be for health, environmental, or vegan-related reasons. Because of this synonymous trend, the amount of saves for “vegan desserts” were up 329%, according to Pinterest. This trend has caused bakers and pastry chefs to use whole food ingredients, rather than stabilizers or substitutes, in hopes of creating recipes that work well without staple baking ingredients.
GUT-FRIENDLY
Consumers have been following their gut even more for big foods trends of 2018. Fermenting, pickling and preserving food products has been growing in popularity and reaching the mainstream, while saves for “gut health” were up 251%, according to Pinterest. This trend includes both probiotics like kimchi and miso as well as prebiotics which include onions, garlic and other alliums. Probiotics are friendly bacteria that can help improve your gut and possibly even lower your risk of disease. From fermented foods to over-the-counter probiotics, going with your gut is an increasing trend this year.
CLEAN LABELS AND TRANSPARENCY
Consumers are looking for what’s real. People want to know the true story behind the products they find on the shelf: the ingredients, the manufacturing, the packaging, etc. and how that item made its way from the source to the store. The need for full disclosures and transparent claims are pushing consumers to demand clean labels with limited and recognizable ingredients. GMO transparency, for example, is quickly topping the list of certifications with a high customer impact, along with others involving fair trade, responsible production, animal welfare standards, etc.
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