The Slow Food Festival in Fiskars in 2011 was a huge success.
Naturality is set to be the leading driver of innovation in the food and beverage market in 2012, according to the latest report from New Nutrition Business and food market expert Julian Mellentin. This long-term trend will continue to inspire lots of product innovations.
Naturality
During several years already, naturality has sustained its position as the most important food and beverage trend. Naturality is top of mind for consumers and becoming a basic consumer requirement for any brand. The report also points out that naturality is increasingly becoming a highly successful innovation strategy in its own right.
While health claim use in marketing has met tighter regulations companies have tuned in on the easier naturality trend. In the end, icing and toppings may not be sufficient in order to win consumer loyalty. The race will be won by responsible and transparent companies with truly natural products. Marketers will try to win consumer loyalty by grasping at romantic dreams about naturality and down-to-earthedness.
Arla Ingmans movie portrays a clear picture of a company trying to combine modern technique and productions methods with naturality. Romantic pictures, sounds and wellstated messages in a cleancut and slightly dull package.
Another example shows organic farming in Shillingford and conveys a different, less technological picture of food production:
More natural energy
Energy – and particularly ‘natural energy’ – is set to be the leading driver of innovation in the beverage sector. Julian Mellentin, director of New Nutrition Business and author of 10 Key Trends, says that natural energy now ranks high on many companies’ new product development agendas.
-In 2011, we saw product launches in this area from Nestlé, Campbell’s and others that use fruit and vegetables as a basis for a natural energy drink. These launches were prompted by the fact that ‘naturality’ is now incredibly important to consumers. Whatever kind of product they are buying, consumers now expect it to be made with natural ingredients – and energy beverages are no exception, Julian Mellentin explains.
Also, after years of chasing an alternative, many companies have decided to stick with caffeine as a key energy ingredient. One reason for this is that it has proved resilient in the face of the EU’s highly restrictive Nutrition & Health Claims Regulation. Caffeine is now subject to a number of approved health claims relating to alertness, concentration and endurance – making it very attractive to companies wishing to market products with active health benefits.
Good grains top bakery trend
Good grains – such as the increasingly popular ‘ancient grains ‘ – are set to be the leading driver of innovation in the bakery sector. Grains benefit from a consumer perception of being ‘all-natural’ and healthy, even when they are included in highly-processed foods, such as breakfast cereals. Many grains also benefit from a perception of a natural and intrinsic health benefits – such as the link between oats and heart health. In addition, consumers seem particularly willing to try out new and innovative grains – which provides companies with a welcome opportunity to innovate.
-There’s been a steady increase in the numbers of products launched based on new and more esoteric grains, such as the so-called ‘ancient grains’, like amaranth and quinoa.
Modern dairy products
The growing body of scientific evidence behind the health benefits of dairy products will propel the category to the forefront of the food and beverage industry in 2012. Dairy already enjoys a strong ‘naturally healthy’ image in consumers’ minds and has become a credible category for delivering health messages.
In addition, dairy proteins are now accumulating a substantial body of science behind their benefits in a range of areas, such as ‘healthy ageing’ and sport. Emerging science is even improving dairy’s image – and changing the bad image of dairy fat, which is increasingly associated with positive health benefits.
-You have to wonder if, in the next decade, low and no-fat dairy products come to be seen as a big dietary mistake,” Julian Mellentin says. In any case perceptions of dairy products are changing fast. The rebirth of chocolate milk as a sports recovery drink is one brilliant example of how science is creating new opportunities for dairy.
Senior segmentation key issue in 2012
Senior nutrition is set to be the leading driver of innovation in the functional and nutraceutical sector. Seniors will represent the most important need group this year because they are already over-represented among buyers of all products with health benefits. Seniors are attractive for many reasons, including their disposable income, their interest in science-based benefits they can feel, their brand loyalty, and their swelling numbers.
-They are a target key group for a range of ‘healthy ageing’ products and their numbers are growing everywhere – from the US to Europe to China – which means they are the single-biggest opportunity for functional and nutraceutical companies, both in the supermarket and in medical foods. But seniors are not one group. They need to be carefully segmented since needs and attitudes are different at each stage of their life, says Julian Mellentin.
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