Salmon bites, mushroom coffee, and floral flavors such as hibiscus could all gain traction among consumers in 2024, according to a Food Institute webinar last week featuring a panel of research experts.
The webinar, called “What’s Ahead in 2024,” also forecasted that unit sales of food and beverages at retail could turn positive in the year ahead, although growing year-over-year dollar sales will likely be difficult as inflation continues to decline.
“As long as the labor market holds, we feel cautiously optimistic” about food-at-home sales growth in 2024, said Sally Lyons Wyatt, EVP and practice leader of client insights at Circana.
She said Circana expected a 1.6 percent decline in retail food and beverage unit volumes for 2023, as consumers cut back amid rising prices, but she forecasted a 1 percent increase in 2024.
Lyons Wyatt also said retail food sales could benefit from consumers increasingly seeking ways to create at-home dining experiences that replicate restaurant meals, predicting “a lot of creativity” in that area, driven in part by ideas that consumers share on social media platforms such as Tik Tok.
In addition, consumers will remain focused on seeking value, not only in the form of low prices but also value in the form of solutions that help them recreate high-quality meals at home—which she described as “affordable luxuries”— and in the form of convenience and time savings, such as one-pot meal recipes and fully prepared meals.
The webinar also looked at some emerging food-related health trends, including the growth of new weight-loss drugs, the exploding popularity of protein-rich diets, and the increasing focus on women’s health issues.
Snacks from Around the World
Snacking also continues to be an important trend to watch, as consumers have gravitated toward globally influenced snack foods and street foods from around the world, said Sunny Khamkar, co-founder and CEO of Menu Data, a research firm that analyzes restaurant menus and social media content trends.
Examples include mochi donuts, an Asian treat that increasingly appears on U.S. menus, and elotes, the Mexican street-food corn dish, often served in a cup, that is expanding into more foodservice recipes, including taco fillings and salad toppings.
Salmon bites are among the newer, emerging snack trends, offering high protein content and a relatively low calorie count, said Khamkar. They are compatible with the ketogenic diet, he noted, and recipes such as Firecracker “Bang Bang” Salmon Bites are gaining millions of view on Tik Tok. Google searches for salmon bites are up 65 percent, year over year, he said.
“This is a trend that is just starting out, but we feel will continue into 2024,” said Khamkar.
Mushroom coffee is in a similar position, growing rapidly on foodservice menus and drawing interest on social media. Chaga mushrooms in particular have captured the interest of consumers and foodservice operators, as they are known for their purported health benefits. In addition to coffee drinks such as “chagaccinos,” they are also increasingly found in food recipes, Khamkar said.
Another coffee trend poised to gain traction in 2024, he said, is coffee made with MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil, which soared in popularity via the growth of the ketogenic diet and the popularity of the brand Bulletproof Coffee. MCT oil is a saturated fat that some say helps with weight control by creating a feeling of “fullness” and may have other health benefits.
Also on a growth trajectory in the year ahead are floral ingredients such as hibiscus and lavender, said Khamkar. While hibiscus tea has been the most popular form of this ingredient, it is now appearing in more and more menu items, from tacos to desserts. Khamkar pointed out that McDonald’s new drinks-based concept, CosMc’s, includes two beverages made with hibiscus on the menu. Lavender is another floral ingredient to watch, he said, citing its appearance in ice cream and beverages, for example.
Weight Loss Drugs and Protein
Meg Bluth, senior director of insights at Brightfield Group, which surveys consumers about health and wellness issues and tracks those issues on social media, said some key food and beverage topics to watch in 2024 include the impact of new weight-loss drugs, the increasing focus on protein intake, and new solutions for women’s health, and menopause in particular.
The widespread popularity of drugs such as Ozempic as a weight-loss treatment — it was originally meant to be prescribed for diabetes — along with other similar medications will continue to gain traction in 2024, said Bluth. Their popularity will also spur consumer interest in non-injectable alternative treatments, such as inositol and berberine, two supplements that could begin appearing in more food and beverage products, she said.
In addition, consumers are interested in fermented fiber as a natural way to achieve the “Ozempic effect,” Bluth said, as they seek more affordable and accessible alternatives to the diabetes medications.
Another emerging trend is the so-called “30G” phenomenon, a reference to the 30 grams of protein that many consumers are setting as a consumption goal for every meal. This trend is being reinforced by social media influencers and others and exploded on Pinterest in October. It is particularly popular among women, Bluth noted, who are interested in protein bars, hummus, tofu, and protein powder, both milk-based and plant-based.
Treatments for a range of symptoms associated with menopause, from insomnia to headaches and other ailments, could also be finding their way into more and more food and beverage items in the year ahead, she said. She cited moringa and tulsi (also known as holy basil) as two ingredients being promoted in this way.
“In general, a lot of women’s health topics becoming less taboo,” said Bluth, citing the potential opportunity for food and beverage companies to position their products with these benefits in the year ahead.
Source : specialtyfood.com
