Consumers’ concerns about the health of the planet surpassed concerns about the health of the population for the first time in Innova Market Research surveys, prompting the food trend specialists at the company to designate “Shared Planet” as No. 1 on its list of Top 10 Trends for 2022.
“People watched the world burn and flood during the lockdown, and it continues,” says Innova Insights Director Lu Ann Williams. “And anyone with Gen Z kids most likely hears about their concerns about the environment. There are cues and reminders everywhere about consuming less, buying secondhand, and recycling old clothes. It is a constant reminder to think about global issues.”
The “Shared Planet” trend continues a pattern of consumer emphasis on trust and transparency that’s been apparent for several years, the company points out. Innova cites Moonshot snacks as an example of a brand that’s successfully tapped into the “Shared Planet” positioning. The company touts its focus on environmental stewardship in everything from the use of ingredients produced by regenerative agriculture techniques to its packaging made from recycled materials.
“Plant-Based: The Canvas for Innovation” is No. 2 on Innova’s list of leading trends, underscoring the fact that nutrition and sustainability are playing bigger roles in the next generation of plant-based foods.
To attract new consumers to plant-based products, “they will have to move way past” merely mimicking meat products, says Williams. “Chefs are great at expanding our imaginations when it comes to what’s possible with plants. More and more restaurants feature plant-based options that bring home how meat doesn’t have to be at the center of every plate.
“And plants can be used in new ways to make beverages exciting,” Williams continues. “Think about functional benefits and flavors,” she adds.
Other trends Innova identified include the growing role of technology in food product development, shifting consumer eating patterns. and strong interest in the microbiome’s role in health.
Innova Market Insights Trend Talk Schedule
The editors at Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), have announced their predictions for the hottest food trends for 2022.
While canning is commonplace today, for that generation of food technologists it was a paradigmatic example of the power of science to change food for the better.
In October 2021, the FDA released new voluntary guidance on sodium reduction with the overarching goal of reducing consumption by 12% over the next two-and-a-half years.
What changes have occurred in the way Canadians perceive cannabis since it was legalized there in 2018? How do Canadian and U.S. consumers of cannabis and edibles compare?
Kenyan entrepreneur Yvonne Otieno developed a successful fruit exporting business and introduced mobile drying operations.
How Bread and Butter Ventures’ Brett Brohl went from startup CEO to VC investor in the future of food and ag-tech.
Formulators of plant-based foods want their products to taste less astringent. So an engineer, a food scientist, and an oral biologist are teaming up to solve the problem.
Researchers study the effect of roasting cacao beans on the bitterness of chocolate made from the beans.
Toxic element exposure in early life and toxic metals in tainted baby foods are top of mind for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) and FDA as they work to safeguard the food supply. Last year, the USDA announced a new action plan called Closer to Zero, which identifies steps the agency will take over the next three years to reduce exposure to toxic elements from foods eaten by babies and young children. Read more about how IFT’s is engaging with this initiative.
IFT responds to scientific questions to be examined to support the development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Specifically, “What is the relationship between consumption of dietary patterns with varying amounts of ultra-processed foods and growth, size, body composition, risk of overweight and obesity, and weight loss and maintenance?”
Discover what the team behind IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center is working on, including recent events, research projects, and advocacy efforts
In an effort to provide the science of food community with actionable information that can be used in their own DEI efforts, IFT shares a case study of its recent effort to increase accessibility and inclusivity in its scholarship program.
