Innova identifies Top 10 food, beverage trends of 2021

Transparency, consumer-centric driving innovation

Innova Market Insights, food trend specialists for over 25 years, unveils its annual Top Ten Trends report. The comprehensive report equips manufacturers, retailers and brands with the latest insights to drive innovation and answer current consumer demands.

Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Trends for 2021 provides an in-depth delve into how the food and beverage industry has progressively evolved. As COVID-19 transforms our shopping and eating habits, staying ahead of the curve and keeping on top of the changing and sophisticated food and beverage landscape is of paramount importance.

The pandemic has bolstered focus on overall health and immunity, with consumers seeking foods and ingredients that support personal health. Attention is now on the post-COVID landscape to explore how these new behaviors will shape the future of the food and beverage industry.

“Transparency throughout the supply chain will dominate in 2021, with consumers searching for brands that can build trust, provide authentic and credible products, and create shopper confidence in the current and post-COVID climate,” said Lu Ann Williams, director of insights and innovation at Innova Market Insights, in a statement.

Innova Market Insights’ top trends for 2021 are in response to the ever-evolving and consumer-centric food and beverage industry. Innova Market Insights anticipates leading trends and provides rich data to support brands with prompting revival or acceleration post-COVID-19. The following are the new trends for 2021:

Transparency Triumphs: The Innova Consumer Survey 2020 reveals that six in 10 global consumers are interested in learning more about where foods come from.

Plant-Forward: As plant-based trends reach global phenomenon status, the “plant-based” definition is ever evolving. Its rising mainstream appeal will drive expansion to different regions and categories in 2021, including accelerated demand for new formats, plant proteins and more sophisticated alternatives.

Tailored to Fit: Personalized nutrition is in the spotlight as consumers look for food and beverage options that fit their unique lifestyles. Consumers expect a tailored approach to eating, with technological breakthroughs, constant new launches and exciting sensorial experiences providing the opportunity for customized lifestyles to extend to food and beverage consumption.

New Omnichannel Eating: As foodservice and retail domains increasingly overlap, consumers can eat what they want, when and where they want it. Consumers are seeking convenience, richer experiences and accessible indulgence. Traditional hospitality is getting edged out, particularly with COVID-19 giving consumers more time to stay at home and sharpen their own culinary prowess. Increased home cooking is driving the use of convenient meal kits/starters and more sophisticated ingredients, resulting in new food experiences.

In Tune with Immune: Ongoing anxiety stemming from COVID-19 will encourage consumers to prioritize their immune health into 2021. According to the Innova Consumer Survey 2020, six out of ten global consumers are increasingly looking for food and beverage products that support their immune health, with one in three saying that concerns about immune health increased in 2020 over 2019.

The remaining trends are Nutrition Hacking, Mood: The Next Occasion, Product Mashups: When Trends Collide, Modern Nostalgia and Age of the Influencer.

“The ever-evolving food and beverage industry has seen a significant consumer push for transparency throughout the supply chain, immunity-boosting products and the use of technology. 2021 is a huge year for opportunities and innovation that meet these needs,” Williams stated. “Based on our latest Innova Consumer Survey 2020 and database findings, our Top Trends for 2021 reveal the latest need-to-know insights to enable brands to grow, innovate and lead in the food and beverage industry.”

Innova will present a webinar detailing these trends in a webinar at 10 a.m. ET on Nov. 11.

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The Non-Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at Beverage Marketing Corporation detail how established categories ― like carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, fruit beverages ― and emerging beverage segments ― such as plant milks, ready-to-drink coffees and teas ― are navigating these shifts.

This important industry event is a learning and information sharing experience for warehousing, distribution and fleet management professionals who will have the opportunity to continue to share ideas and network with their industry peers in a safe and productive format as we continue to navigate these challenging times.