Revisit the Top Trends From 2024 Edition

• Ingredients: Taking the spotlight

  Feed into positive consumer attitudes towards key ingredients by promoting a product’s star element.

  Ingredients evoke strong associations in people, whether they are looking for flavor, feelings or functionality. One in three respondents to Innova’s latest survey say they always look on pack for ingredients of interest, so shifting the spotlight on to the key elements of a product enables brands to quickly express positive attributes and values. Understanding consumer views and attitudes toward specific ingredients can identify the hero that will drive interest.

• Nurturing nature

  Business responsibilities go beyond sustainability, requiring actions that make a positive difference to nature protection.

  Consumer concern over the climate crisis has made environmental impact a key tiebreaker of purchase and lifestyle decision making. People are increasingly demanding nature positivity, with the key message from consumers being one of helping the planet achieve better health. From reforestation to animal welfare, producers who adopt policies and actions which benefit the environment win hearts and minds.

• Prioritizing prevention

  Positive action to prevent health concerns before they arise is driving consumers to products that meet their personal wellbeing needs.

  The trend for taking greater personal control of health issues continues to blossom, with more than a third of consumers indicating a desire to be proactive in preventing illness and injury. With weight management, heart health and bone strength the leading concerns, food and beverage choices are hugely important to those wishing to feel good now and age healthily. Products that provide clear wellbeing benefits stand out in a world where health and longevity is increasingly seen as a personal responsibility.

• Plant-based: The rise of applied offerings

  Adapting well-known dishes and formats offers familiarity and clarity to consumers who are keen to embrace plant-based products.

  The evolution of established and popular dishes makes it easier for people to embrace plant-based products. Recognizable offerings stand out to those looking to bring variety to their diet. Half of consumers globally say that familiar and convenient culinary formats are important to them when choosing plant-based options, with finger foods and ready meals proving increasingly popular. For brands, this offers a clear route to a large customer base regardless of dietary preference.

• Local goes global

  From authentic, adventurous foreign dishes to ingredients produced close to home, the power of local is spreading across the globe.

  Consumers see value and positivity in products created close to home, however the desire for the best global cuisines remains undiminished. By sourcing ingredients nearby to serve up authentic, international dishes, brands can simultaneously tap into a strong sense of local pride and adventurous palates. At the same time, promoting traditional local menus creates a lasting connection with people and place. For environmental, economic, and social reasons, local products and dishes are proving a hit worldwide.

• Home kitchen heroes

  The home becomes an alternative venue for enhanced social occasions that fit changed lifestyles and budgetary realities.

  Consumers are increasingly creating social events at home that are considered at least the equal of eating out. The renaissance in creative cooking is growing, fueled by a trend towards more insular lifestyles and persistent economic uncertainty. Additionally, consumers say entertaining and experimenting at home offers greater choice to go alongside value for money. This is driving sales of home-friendly formats and ingredients that allow our kitchen heroes to experiment with enhanced flavors while cooking from scratch.

• Indulging in health

  Health brands move into indulgence while comforting treats come with added goodness, creating an ideal mash-up.

  Innova has tracked a rise in launches of indulgent products carrying an active health claim. It is the ultimate mash-up of the feelgood and the good-for-you which appeals to consumers who like to minimize compromise while pursuing better health. There is a future for the indulgence and health categories which lies in tapping into each other’s attributes while losing nothing of their own appeal.

• H2.0: Quenching the future

  Added health benefits and exciting endorsements lead the way in carving out a strong future for hydration products.

  Innovators are seeking a competitive edge in the ever-important hydration sector. Alongside the obvious product benefits, brands are looking to include additional health-boosting qualities such as enhanced vitamin content and properties that promote wider wellbeing. At the same time, partnerships with sports organizations and celebrities are tapping into a thirst for hydration that goes beyond just water.