Health Ingredients Europe

Top food trends for 2015: the full list

By Nicholas Robinson

- Last updated on GMT

Innova's list of top 10 food trends for 2015 was revealed at HiE yesterday
Innova's list of top 10 food trends for 2015 was revealed at HiE yesterday

Related tags Nutrition

Insect proteins and fruit-sweetened confectionery are two emerging trends food manufacturers should monitor, according to a list of top 10 food trends for 2015, revealed at the Health Ingredients Europe (HiE) event.

Alternative proteins, such as those made from insects, algae and whey, will rise in popularity as more consumers search for meat substitutes, according to Innova Market Insights, which compiled the list.

“Soy has long been thought to be a sufficient vegan and affordable source of protein,” ​Innova said at the HiE show yesterday (December 2).

“Now, some experts are saying it falls short of being a high-quality protein – it may even pose health risks, especially to the thyroid,” ​it added.

Protein had decreased

Innova figures showed the use of soy protein had decreased by 20% since last year, while whey protein usage had risen by 16% over the same period.

Fruit-sweetened product launches had risen by 1.3% in the months to December 2014 compared with 2013, as manufacturers aimed to take advantage of consumer demand for no added sugar foods, it said.

The two emerging trends, known as ‘More in store for protein’ and ‘New routes for fruit’ were number six and seven on the top 10 list.

The first five top trends​ were revealed in November and included ‘From clean to clear label’ and ‘Convenience for foodies’, which were first and second on the list.

Number eight on the list was ‘A fresh look at frozen’, which was a rising area of interest as a result of supermarkets beginning to pay more attention to the merits of frozen foods, said Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova.

“Frozen food is one of those areas we are hearing a lot about,” ​she told FoodManufacture.co.uk at HiE.

Frozen in supermarkets is rising’

“The prominence of frozen in supermarkets is rising, whereas the past few years have been devoted to giving fresh produce more attention,” ​Williams added.

Manufacturers were advocating the benefits of frozen food by promoting how quickly produce such as peas and other vegetables, as well as meat and fish, could be frozen to retain their nutritional properties, she said.

“They are arguing that the nutritional values of frozen foods are superior to those on the fresh isles,” ​Williams said.

Meanwhile, food businesses should make better use of grains by manufacturing snack products with them to compete with the vast array of potato snack foods in the supermarkets, she added.

“Supermarket shelves are dominated by potato snacks, but one area I think food manufacturers should look into is making snack foods with grains,” ​which she said could be an emerging trend for 2016.

 

Top 10 food trends for 2015

  1. From clean to clear
  2. Convenience for foodies
  3. Marketing for millennials
  4. Snacks rise to the occasion
  5. Good fats, good carbs
  6. More in store for protein
  7. New routes for fruit
  8. A fresh look at frozen
  9. Own-label powers on
  10. Rich, chewy & crunchy

Source: Innova Market Insights

Related products

show more

Life is better with more fizz

Life is better with more fizz

Content provided by CO2Sustain | 12-Mar-2024 | Product Brochure

We make carbonated soft drinks fizzier for longer, so your consumers enjoy the best possible drink experience from their first to very last sip.

Uniting Flavor & Function in Dairy Beverages

Uniting Flavor & Function in Dairy Beverages

Content provided by Virginia Dare Extract Co Inc | 20-Feb-2024 | White Paper

As demand for functional beverages grows, dairy’s innate nutritional benefits and creamy sensory experience make it a compelling choice for consumers.

Replicate full sugar taste.

Replicate full sugar taste.

Content provided by ADM | 24-Oct-2023 | White Paper

Sweetening solutions and flavor technology must work in unison to successfully achieve sugar reduction targets.

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars