8 Natural Food Trends Disrupting the Market
Natural food products are no longer a unique niche with a few followers. With the natural food movement growing across the industry, this niche has turned into a necessity for brands.
The New Hope Network conducted research that showed that people are consuming a lot of natural food products. Food manufacturers are prioritizing such opportunities to create products that meet the demands of many health-conscious consumers. Below are the natural food trends disrupting the market today.
Trend #1: Prebiotics
Our gut is our second brain. It is important to feed your gut bacteria with the right kinds of foods. Prebiotics are very popular right now, and many consumers buy them for health reasons. Modern prebiotic food manufacturers include Rainbow Light and Jica Chips. Products and supplements containing prebiotics have a high market prediction rate of 93% which means that the future of prebiotics will be huge.
Trend #2: Natural Food Products with a Mission
Products that are developed out of a mission is a popular food trend today. These products are not only geared towards health but also to the environment. For instance, the Marley Coffee EKOCups are recyclable pods that can help solve the problem of solid waste pollution caused by non-biodegradable coffee cups. Food companies that also support charities and communities are also appreciated by consumers.
Trend #3: Paleo Foods
The Paleolithic diet has caught on with a lot of people seeking a healthier lifestyle. This particular diet involves eating minimally processed foods that include no dairy, no refined sugar, and no grains.
Trend #4: Locally Sourced Foods
Gone are the days when people go crazy over imported food products. Today, many consumers want traceability through locally sourced foods. Many customers also want to source their foods locally because they want to support the local economy and the surrounding community.
Trend #5: Brain Food
Brain food is another trend that has become popular in the last few years. People want to protect their memory and brain function. Products that contain brain foods like hemp and green tea extract are becoming more popular. Moreover, foods that also contain omega-3 fatty acids vs. omega-6 are gaining traction for brain function benefits.
Trend #6: Hidden Veggies
With many children avoiding their vegetables, hidden vegetables in food products are a welcome addition to the natural food trends disrupting the market. Many food manufacturers are developing products to hide vegetables since 33% of consumers in the United States indicated that they would rather eat vegetables they cannot see in their foods. Examples of sneaky veggies include the Made Good Granola Mini Snack Poppers and Good Health Salty Snack products with natural vitamins from vegetables.
Trend #7: Grass-Fed Meat
Many consumers are also looking for grass-fed meats and free-range poultry products. Today, most meats are obtained from grain-fed livestock. Feeding grains to livestock does affect not only the quality of meats but also the nutritional value. With the popularity of naturally grown livestock, this trend has a prediction score of 99%.
Trend #8: Eco-Friendly Packaging
Many consumers want products that come in eco-friendly packaging. To answer the need of many consumers, food manufacturers are developing compostable packaging to reduce the waste produced from their products.
Inspired by fooddive.com
