Observations for trends in 2022 and beyond
According to Spoonshot, an artificial intelligence-powered platform for food and beverage analytics, half of all food and beverage product launches in the United States highlight a single hero ingredient. However, there are chances for food and beverage marketers to highlight the advantages of ingredient pairings.
During a presentation at Food Business News’ virtual Trends and Innovation seminar, Spoonshot CEO and co-founder Kishan Vasani stated, “Not all nutrients we consume are completely absorbed.” “We can improve the potential health benefits of eating ingredients and the bioavailability of nutrients by using synergistic food blends.”
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, which is derived from turmeric, are enhanced by the addition of black pepper to the diet. When together, zinc and vitamin C offer the immune system more defense than either mineral does when taken separately. According to Spoonshot, a new generation of functional food and beverages will be driven by these and other ingredient mixes in 2022 and beyond.
According to Ms. Vasani, “this opens up some scope for labeling and promotions.” “Instead of just focusing on individual novel ingredients, research into food synergies can pave the way for some unique ingredient combinations that further the area of functional food.”
Handling the consequences of COVID-19
During the pandemic, there was an increase in awareness of the gut-lung axis, which presented potential for food and beverage items that support respiratory health.
Certain metabolites that are created when gut bacteria break down dietary fiber function as signaling molecules in the lungs, lowering inflammation and enhancing immunity. This could help to explain why those with gastrointestinal problems are more likely to have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and certain allergies.
One possible remedy is probiotics; preliminary studies suggest that probiotic treatments can be beneficial for viral respiratory tract infections. Five different probiotic strains were reported to lessen illness symptoms by more than 27% in one research.
“Consumers might find this acceptable,” Mr. Vasani stated. “People believe that probiotics can help with inflammation, lower the risk of viral infection, and increase immunity, among other health benefits. These are directly related to lung health, and COVID has brought up many lung health-related issues in the public discourse.
There are opportunities for food and beverage marketers to assist in addressing taste and smell loss, which is one of the COVID-19 aftereffects.
One typical symptom of COVID-19 is parosmia, a disease that distorts taste and smells and frequently makes them unpleasant. Parosmia can persist for weeks or even months after recovery. Common triggers include foods like onions, coffee, chocolate, garlic, red meat, and eggs.
Crunchy or crispy textures are one way to extend taste by retaining food in the mouth longer. Umami tastes, which promote salivation, as well as foods that elicit trigeminal sensations like heat, tingling, and coolness, are also beneficial.
Mr. Vasani stated, “These components are a potential area of focus for restaurants and are fairly easy to implement.” “While restaurants have the advantage of being able to customize based on a consumer’s trigger ingredients, packaged food companies can also do this.”
Sustainable innovation
In 2020, developments in cell-based meat grabbed international attention. For example, Singapore was the first nation to authorize cultured meat, while Israeli startup Future Meat successfully lowered the price of a chicken breast to $4.
There are now more foods created in labs. Dairy protein is being produced by companies like Perfect Day by genetic modification of microflora. Other items, like ice cream, are made with the dairy proteins that are free of animal products. Lab-grown beanless coffee is being developed by startup Atomo Molecular Coffee.
According to Mr. Vasani, the demand for food will be roughly 60% more by the middle of the twenty-first century than it is now. “Using lab-grown produce allows us to produce quickly while minimizing the strain on our natural resources.”
According to Spoonshot, plant-based milk’s next growing area will be grains. In particular, barley is starting to show promise. The fourth most abundant grain in the world, this robust and drought-resistant component uses less water than oats. According to Mr. Vasani, it is more widely accessible and less expensive than oats.
“With the exception of malt beer, barley isn’t used in the food industry very much, but some companies are starting to look to change this,” he stated.
The first barley milk available in the UK was Bright Barley. The low-fat drink is promoted as a healthy fiber source and product made from ancient grains. Many alcoholic beverage firms are looking into potential in this market. Take Two Foods receives spent barley grain from AB InBev’s brewing investments. Recently, Molson Coors revealed plans to introduce a milk made of grains.
According to Mr. Vasani, “such milks can see growth as allergy-friendly alternatives to dairy, as well as to all sorts of nuts and soy, making them potentially more inclusive.” “Barley-based plant-based milks will eventually become a middle-market product, making plant-based living more accessible and inexpensive for a larger audience.”
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Spoonshot’s final trend prediction for 2022, the mainstreaming of upcycling, is also evident in milk substitutes manufactured from wasted grain from brewing.
Even while consumer knowledge of recycled ingredients is still low, business interest in them grew 162% in 2020. The topic is unfamiliar to only 10% of consumers, a research published in Food and Nutrition Sciences found. After learning more about the subject, 80% of respondents indicated they would think about buying goods made with recycled materials in the future.
“The majority of businesses that presently sell repurposed foods are startups, but by forming alliances with other businesses, they can reach a larger audience,” Mr. Vasani stated. “That increased reach will aid in addressing the awareness issue.”
The creation of two new products using recycled ingredients, CaPao and Dirt Kitchen, was aided by Mondelez International’s innovation hub SnackFutures. While Nestle SA is investigating the use of coffee fruit, cocoa pulp, and other leftovers of its own production processes to create new consumer products, Barry Callebaut is focused on extracting vanillin from hazelnut shells.