Look ahead to three major trends for next year

Mintel recently released the Global Food and Beverage Trends 2024 report on changing consumer behavior and attitudes, which was co-authored by Mintel's global team of experts. Building on a fundamental value proposition - food and drink must taste good, provide value for money, reduce environmental impact, and preferably be relatively affordable - Mintel has identified three trends that are particularly worthy of brands' attention: "Trust the Process", "Age Reframed" and "Eating Optimised".

With these trends in mind, you might want to consider further questions like: How do you bring your brand to life? How can we effectively identify which trends offer the greatest opportunities for development or growth? In the report, Mintel also offers advice on how food and drink brands can help consumers balance the need for health and pleasure.

01 Trust the Process

Mintel noted that clear communication will become necessary to help consumers make informed choices, and brands will guide people on how to integrate processed foods into their diets.

Mintel predicts that starting in 2024, more and more consumers will learn about the level of processing of different foods and beverages through media reports, regulations, and voluntary labels on packaging, such as NOVA or Siga. This will enable consumers to think more about the degree of processing when choosing foods and beverages, and to think more carefully about how often and where they consume processed foods.

Therefore, there is still potential for growth in microprocessed foods and beverages that focus on the more beneficial parts of food processing technology to improve quality (such as enhanced nutrition, reduced environmental pollution or increased sustainability), especially when brands can explain the benefits of processing in a language that consumers can understand. Brands that produce highly, overly processed or ultra-processed food and beverage products need to remind consumers of the pleasure and comfort they can get from these products, such as those with high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) content on the packaging.

02 Age Reframed

Mintel noted that healthy aging will be redefined with a positive perspective that prioritizes extending consumers' healthy years.

"Proper nutrition plays a key role in maintaining overall health as we age, and it can greatly influence the onset and progression of age-related diseases such as diabetes, bone and joint problems, and heart disease," said Michelle Teodoro, Associate Director of Food Science, Asia Pacific.

Food and beverage brands can help drive healthy aging by making nutrient-rich foods and beverages affordable, accessible, and convenient for all "active agers." Brands can support the diverse lifestyles of consumers aged 40 and older by providing appropriate, balanced nutrition that meets individual needs.

03 Eating, Optimised

Mintel points to a whole new era of convenience as technology simplifies meal planning, shopping and cooking.

According to the survey data, saving time is crucial to kitchen convenience. According to Mintel, 51 per cent of Canadian chefs say cooking time is important when planning or preparing a home-cooked meal. 48% of U.S. consumers say they choose simple (i.e. quick to prepare) foods most of the time. 38% of UK home cooks would be interested in recipes for products they buy regularly.

In the face of technological innovation and changing consumer habits, how will brands innovate?

The survey shows that several food and beverage brands have already taken action.

Nestle's DiGiorno, for example, is testing a vending machine intended to make its frozen pizzas hot and ready to serve in three minutes.

In the future, consumers' experience with these efficient products and tools will make them more willing to embrace emerging technologies and save time as a result. This will push conveniences such as automated shopping lists and meal planning apps from "non-essentials" to everyday must-have tools. Technologies related to food preparation and consumption, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, will go some way towards providing suitable solutions for consumers.

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