We gave you the first 5 trends this year, but the last five trends have also proven important in the food packaging market.
Earlier this year, we brought you the top 5 consumer trends in the food market predicted for 2015. In this special blog, we looked more closely at the bottom of the top 10 and evaluated whether they were accurately numbered in the beginning of the year. The study conducted by New Nutrition Business, (http://www.new-nutrition.com/report/showReport/1235) earlier this year revealed the top 10 key trends in food, nutrition and health. To recap, they had placed the following topics, in order, as the top 5 trends this year: naturally functional, snackification, weight wellness, protein, and good carbs versus bad carbs. The following are the last of the 10 trends predicted to be popular this year:
6. Dairy 2.0
Over the course of this year, dairy has been gaining more popularity in the food market than originally predicted. More people are becoming aware of the good effects that dairy can have on their body. Consumer’s perception of dairy is being slowly altered. Scientific research has uncovered more positive effects of consuming dairy and disproves the negativity that circles around the fat in dairy. Go ahead and drink more milk; it’s good for you!
7. Free-From
Free-from (food and drink where ingredients like gluten, dairy, wheat, etc. have been removed) has become more accepted by consumers as an everyday diet. Once only consumed by people with allergies, these free-from foods are not just a passing trend; they are becoming more important in the development of new products and packaging to consumers.
8. Sugar
Sugar has become the new hated dietary ingredient, over fat and salt. This year, food companies have wrestled with how to lower sugar in their foods and still meet customer’s taste expectations. Sugar-free food items have become more popular with other healthy options to substitute for the sugar. The language used in packaging and labeling of these items has become focused on the lack of sugar in their products. Promotions such as labels on top of flip top bottles can be used to stand out. Signs on the containers themselves have been placed on the products to help consumers identify quickly which products have low sugar amounts.
9. Fat
People have always assumed that if something has fat in it, it is bad for you and your health. The Millennials are most likely to change their habits about eating more healthy fats. Consuming fats in food doesn’t necessarily make you fat. Research supports this thinking, but this year changing the mindset of consumers has been proven to be tricky. Packaging will continue highlight the healthy fats in foods to show consumers that not all fat is bad.
10. Digestive Wellness
You see gluten-free everywhere now. At the end of 2014, this was predicted as number 10. However, this trend has risen above some of the others on this list. With the recent addition of Panera Bread to the list of restaurants that now offer gluten-free food and digestive happy options, it is more popular now than ever. In addition to gluten-free items, many consumers are consuming products that are good for your gut, but also avoiding bad carbs and eating more whole grains.
This year consumers are eating better snacks, focusing on the healthy ingredients instead of sugars and bad fats. They have been replacing their once bad diets with options that include gluten-free, sugar free, healthy fats, and dairy products. More products on the shelf everyday are answering these trends by placing promotions/information on their packaging. The quicker the consumer knows that your product is good for them, the more likely they will purchase your product over the other unhealthy options
