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Food Trends Suppliers Should Know to Stay Ahead of the Curve in 2021
With growing concerns about climate change, sustainability and healthy living, 2021 will bring new trends to the food industry. Plant based foods are expected to increase in popularity as more people try to consciously live a more sustainable life.
From insects and pumpkin-seed oil to Brad Pitt-branded wine and transparent packaging, these are the food trends expected to take the U.S. by storm in 2021.
What Will People Be Eating in 2021?
It’s predicted that Americans will be consuming a lot more of the following foods and drinks in 2021:
Insects — According to Forbes, 2.5 billion people around the world eat cooked or raw insects regularly. Many in the U.S. still consider the concept of insect consumption a little grotesque, but attitudes are expected to shift in the coming months with several startups, including Exo cricket protein bars in New York, securing significant funding from investors.
Boxed wine — It’s hard to believe that boxes of wine were considered classy before they were tacky. But in 2021, consumer appreciation for boxed wine is predicted to return. It’s easier to store, cheaper to transport, generates half the carbon dioxide emissions, and has a longer shelf life than its glass-bottled counterparts.
Alternative oils — Whole Foods Market predicts that consumers will become more experimental in their use of oil, choosing walnut, pumpkin seed, and sunflower seed oil over traditional options like olive oil.
Celebrity alcohol — There was an arguably better time when everyone knew someone who wore the Britney Spears perfume. But in 2021, it’s all about Brad Pitt’s rosé and Cara Delevingne’s prosecco, as alcohol brands and vineyards look to drive revenue through partnering with big-name celebrities.
Kombucha — Kombucha is a fermented, lightly effervescent, sweetened black or green tea drink that first hit the mainstream in 2018. Since then, its health benefits have been lauded, and the drink has been growing in popularity. It’s gluten-free and can be filled with live probiotic cultures.
Sweet and Umami — The Green Seed Group suggests that the big flavor combination of 2021 will be umami and sweet. Think rice infused with fish sauce caramel and nori and pork floss.
How Will People Be Eating in 2021?
It’s not just what people eat and drink that will change in 2021, but the entire culture surrounding it.
COVID-19 has contributed to a rise in passionate amateur chefs. With so many people spending much of 2020 stuck at home with extra time on their hands, cooking has become something of an outlet. Indeed, 74% of respondents to a Sensodyne/OnePoll survey said they used cooking as a coping mechanism to manage the stress of being at home, 44% have learned a new recipe, and 32% have taken online cooking classes.
Reduced access to on-the-go, takeout food has seen breakfast truly become the most important meal of the day, and the demand for interesting and diverse breakfast recipes will increase into 2021. Cooking enthusiasts are also investing more time and effort in making baby food and looking for creative takes on staple meals.
Coupled with this newfound enthusiasm for cooking is, unsurprisingly, a newfound enthusiasm for health and wellbeing. Forbes reports that 54% of American consumers care more about the healthfulness of their food and beverage choices in 2020 than they did in 2010. This will see demand for superfoods, probiotics, and supplements grow in 2021, with many food suppliers already incorporating functional ingredients like vitamin C which promise to support the immune system. In a June 2020 survey conducted by GlobalData, 23% of global consumers confessed to stockpiling vitamins and supplements.
COVID-19 has certainly driven Americans to evaluate the relationship they have with food and drink but, fortunately, extreme diets and food fads are expected to lose popularity in 2021. Instead, people are expected to take a healthier and more sustainable approach to healthy living by embracing balance and moderation.
How Will Food and Drink Be Packaged in 2021?
Before COVID-19, food and drink packaging was headed in a very sustainable direction, with consumers increasingly concerned about excess waste and ocean-bound plastics.
But the pandemic has led to increased concerns about biosafety, particularly surrounding the packaging of food and drink. In recent years, many retailers have committed to eliminating unnecessary packaging, but some of these efforts will likely be undone in 2021 due to health and safety concerns and retailers’ desire to reassure their customers. Starbucks, for example, banned the use of reusable cups at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.
Despite these setbacks, developments in sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging will continue in 2021.
Other trends will include an increase in transparent windows within food packaging that allow consumers to assess product quality, and QR codes, which can verify product and ingredient claims.
How Will Attitudes to Sustainable Living Change in 2021?
More than two-thirds of consumers want to ensure their everyday actions have a positive impact on the environment. This includes an interest in sustainably produced items, and a shift towards the consumption of plant-based proteins: in 2020, 28% of Americans ate more proteins from plant sources than they did in 2019. Another sustainability trend will see food suppliers up-cycling underused ingredients in a bid to reduce food waste.
Although the year 2021 won’t include a country-wide shift to veganism, retailers can expect increased demand for plant-based food as consumers commit to a more balanced diet and look to reduce their meat and dairy intake.
Image Credit: Rido / Shutterstock.com
Laura Ross Dec 15, 2020
Whole Foods Embarks on Expansion in Multiple Markets
Along with this multi-tiered launch comes several initiatives targeting the fresh produce department
Thursday, Aug. 13th, 2020
by Chandler James
UNITED STATES - Some major R-E-S-P-E-C-T is in order as organic and natural retail behemoth Whole Foods Market is rolling out multiple new stores in competitive markets across the country. This news comes to light following the grocer’s dark store concept implemented in strategic locations, leaving us to wonder what else Whole Foods has up its sleeve. Along with this multi-tiered launch comes several initiatives targeting the fresh produce department.
On Friday, July 17, Whole Foods opened its 14th location in New York City, according to a press release. The 60,245 square-foot store in Manhattan is part of a 5.4 million-square-foot Hudson Yards development. This location brings added value to the market, namely because of an expanded produce department with selections from more than 15 local growers, including mint and chives from Square Roots, salad kits from Gotham Greens, and grown-in-store mushrooms from Smallhold.
Whole Foods Market is rolling out multiple new stores in competitive markets across the country
A new location also opened up in Castle Rock, Colorado, on Monday, June 29, in a 43,000 square-foot facility. This store also places an emphasis on fresh produce, offering fruits and vegetables including selections from 10 local growers. Entering the same market as one of Whole Foods’ recent dark store openings, we at ANUK are curious to see how the expansion plays out.
As if these influential openings aren’t enough, the retailer also unveiled a new 47,000 square-foot store in Harbor East, Maryland; a 46,000 square-foot store in Washington, DC, partnering with greenhouse growers like Gotham Greens and Bowery Farms; a 35,000 square-foot store in East Austin, Texas, offering fresh produce selections from 75 local growers; and a 44,000 square-foot store in Huntington Beach, California, with fresh produce selections from 50 local growers.
With Whole Foods Market on such an aggressive growth trajectory, keep checking in with us at AndNowUKnow.
Tags: Retail Whole Foods Retailer Grocer Organic Natural Fresh New Store New Stores Facilities Expansion Expands Growth Markets Footprint Dark Store Dark Stores