Global food and beverage trends 2023

11-Jan-2023 - Germany

Mintel knows what consumers want - and why. Today, Mintel's 2023 Trends Report predicts which four trends will permanently change the global food, beverage and hospitality industry over the next five years and beyond.

Wind and weather:

Consumers will need special foods and beverages to withstand heat waves, sub-zero temperatures and extreme weather events.

Alert mind:

More than 330 kilograms: What a German eats per year

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Consumers want products
that enhance their mental performance at work, at home and at leisure.

Cosmic Comforts:

As the Earth becomes more mired in chaos
the more space becomes a source of optimism, innovation and connectivity.

Minimalist Communications:

Exhausted consumers demand a clear, simplistic form of exchange.

This year's trends revolve around space, climate change, mental performance and the overwhelmed consumer. They include clear recommendations for companies on how to give consumers the reassurance they need to cope with the current precarious situation. Companies should support consumers, offer them efficient product formats and encourage them to enjoy food and beverages more.

Alex Beckett, Director, Mintel Food & Drink, explains how companies will adapt and diversify, and what innovations they will develop to give concerned consumers the reassurance they need in the coming years.

Wind and weather

Companies will be challenged to develop product innovations that help consumers cope with the effects of increasingly dangerous weather conditions. Adaptability and a willingness to experiment will be key. Consumers will increasingly want products that help their bodies be better equipped to handle extreme temperature swings, from heat waves to freezing hurricanes. For floods and weather-related disasters, consumers will need innovative foods and beverages that are especially easy to consume. The desire to conserve energy will also lead consumers to want to stock energy-efficient foods and beverages during extreme weather conditions. Greater exposure to UV radiation will increase demand for functional foods and beverages that have a positive impact on the health of our skin. Products with longer shelf lives will also become increasingly important for companies against a backdrop of supply shortages.

Furthermore, in the future, companies will have to develop products not only for the masses, but also for children, the elderly and people who rely on a special diet. Pet food manufacturers may also look at how they can help pets cope better with weather changes.

Awake mind

Ability to concentrate and productivity are among the next mental and emotional demands consumers will have of a product. They will want foods and beverages that positively impact their cognitive abilities, regulate their stress levels and optimize brain function. In the next few years, companies will still rely on known ingredients that have been shown to positively impact brain activity, such as caffeine (in moderation) or plant-based ingredients like fruits, vegetables and legumes. In the future, however, more research will be needed to show consumers that a variety of natural and functional ingredients, from B vitamins to nootropics, deliver what they promise - and truly have a positive impact on our cognitive health. In this context, there will also be more research on the importance of a healthy gut-brain axis. Patents will allow companies to better highlight the benefits of pro-, pre- and postbiotics for our digestive and cognitive health. And high-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables will be more in the spotlight.

Cosmic Comforts

In the not-too-distant future, outer space will become increasingly tangible. The food and beverage industry will also be responding to consumers' desire to break away from the everyday and will be inspired by space technologies. Insights from space travel will bring new innovations to Earth. Examples include minerals from the moon or food for consumption in zero gravity. Especially for Generation Z, which is disillusioned with the world it lives in, space, which is still largely unexplored, exerts great appeal. But companies should also consider the importance that space will have for Generation Alpha. New technologies, such as resource-efficient farming methods or new ways of making protein powder, will serve as inspiration for food and beverage companies. Astronauts need food and beverages that will enable multi-year missions into space. But we could also make good use of these innovative products on Earth in the future.

Minimalist messages

When it comes to communicating with consumers, clarity and simplicity will prove to be a recipe for success. Product communication will be limited to the points of sale that are most important to the company and to consumers. And consumers will be attracted to companies that focus on pure product benefits on packaging and save stories for websites, social media and marketing. Because they are overwhelmed with too much information, they want products with a clean design that highlights natural ingredients and key health benefits. Over the next decade, consumers will increasingly look to the virtual space for inspiration, information and validation for their purchasing decisions. Companies will also shift storytelling and communication of their product benefits to e-commerce sites. With the help of smart assistants or smart refrigerators, consumers can thus filter out the items that match their preset preferences. In the coming years, consumers may also shop for food and beverages in the metaverse.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

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