Page 30 - FoodFocusThailand No.142_January 2018

SPECIAL REPORT
SPECIAL REPORT

Mindful Choices

The Key Food Driver for 2018

7 in 10 US and UK consumers want to know

and understand the ingredient list

The increasingly thoughtful and mindful consumer will continue to catalyze
changes in the way that companies produce, package and label their
products. More conscious than ever about making responsible food
choices, 4 in 10 US and UK consumers increased their consumption of
“healthy foods,” 7 in 10 want to know and understand the ingredient list,
1 in 5 in the US are most influenced by “real” ingredients, and ethical
claims on packaging are top of mind. In response, better-for-you claims
continue to be on-trend, having increased their market penetration from
42% in 2012 to 49% in 2017 YTD.

“Today’s consumer displays a high level of mindfulness about 5. Beyond the Coffeehouse
well-being and the environment,” reports Lu Ann Williams, Director While coffee is clearly trending among Millennial and Generation
of Innovation at Innova Market Insights. “So it is no surprise that Z consumers, tea is also seeking to reinvent itself among the younger
consumers are becoming increasingly mindful in their food choices, generations. With the taste and experiential associations of coffee
wanting to know what is in their foods in order to make decisions and the healthy image of tea, the industry is increasingly using coffee
about health, sustainability and ethical issues.” and tea as ingredients and flavors outside the hot drinks and iced
tea and coffee sub-categories across a wide variety of products as
Top 5 Trends to Look for in 2018 varied as energy bars, yogurt and jam.
1. Mindful Choices
Consumers are more conscious than ever about making
responsible food choices, and increasingly want to know what is in
their food and how it is produced. Innova Market Insights research
data indicates that 1 in 2 US, UK and German consumers read
ingredient labels often and that 7 out of 10 US and UK consumers
want to know and understand ingredient lists. At the same time, rising
levels of interest in ethical issues have resulted in the use of ethical
claims for food and drink NPD soaring in recent years, with a CAGR
of 44% over the 2011-2016 period.
2. Lighter Enjoyment
As consumers continue to look for ways to eat and drink more
healthily, lightness in terms of alcohol content, sweetness, flavor,
texture or even portion size is increasing its appeal, although definitely
not at the expense of a familiar, high quality and indulgent taste profile.

3. Positively Processed
As consumers become more concerned about naturalness and
minimal processing techniques, the industry is reviving traditional
processes such as fermented foods and cold brew tea and coffee,
alongside the development of new ones.

4. Going Full Circle
The notion of closing the circle is increasingly taking hold, with
greater consumer expectation that companies and brands will be
more resource-smart via developments such as tip-to-tail eating,
innovative uses for food waste and more biodegradable and
renewable packaging.

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