July 24, 2024 – Throughout the year, through extensive consumer and market research, we maintain a close watch on the most influential innovations in the food and beverage industry. Here we will provide an update on brand activity in the global food and beverage marketplace – highlighting how they represent broader trends and consumer attitudes.
We will first outline which of the Top Trends of 2024 were most noticeable in the month of June, followed by placing a spotlight on innovation in the chocolate confectionery, and spoonable yogurt categories.
Top Trend in Action – Indulging in Health
Innova’s top food trend #7 of 2024, ‘Indulging in Health,’ is based on the influx of brands launching indulgence products with added health benefits, and vice versa. Consumers across the globe have been engaging with this trend, as they purchase indulgent foods for their mood boosting benefits, while valuing the supplementary health qualities infused into their favorite products. When asked about whether they had purchased foods or beverages for their mood boosting qualities over the past few months, the largest proportion of consumers that affirmatively responded came from Indonesia.
Recent launches in Indonesia include Sacred Cacao Raw Dark Chocolate 75% Dark & Nibs with 40 times more antioxidants than blueberries and containing the amino acid tryptophan, “proven to boost mood and naturally increase serotonin levels in the brain.”
Top Trend in Action – Oceans of Possibilities
Recent consumer activity is also reflecting the top trend #8, ‘Oceans of Possibilities,’ in which the seas are developing into the farms of the future, providing inspiration alongside new, environmentally positive ingredient sources. Seaweed is a popular ingredient within this trend, with 28% of consumers saying that they are either “extremely” or “very” interested in trying out food and beverage products made with seaweed. Many new products are tapping into this market of consumers, such as Emily’s Seaweed Crisps in Sea Salt and Salt & Vinegar, and D Pur’s Bio Chlorella Spirulina and Kale Powdered Drink Mix.
Top Trend in Action – H2.0: Quenching the Future
Top trend #9, ‘H2.0: Quenching the Future,’ is based on added health benefits and exciting endorsements leading the way in carving out a strong future for hydration products. Recently, when consumers were asked about what aspects they find most desirable in a food or beverage product, one in four responded with hydration, and almost one in three said that they have purchased a hydration product in recent months. Hydration-positioned products are present across diverse formats, from Punchy’s Lightly Sparkling Everyday Hydration in a 330ml can, with electrolytes and vitamin C and D, to Devotion Nutrition’s new Hydroflex Vitamin Infused Hydration Powdered Drink Mixes.
Top Trend in Action – Minimizing the Noise
The #10 and final top food trend, ‘Minimizing the Noise,’ refers to how open and straightforward communication appeals to consumers who want an escape from information overload. This especially applies to consumers concerned about the health properties of processed and ultra-processed foods. These consumers tend to consider the extended ingredient lists that are generally inherent to these foods as confusing and indicative of negative health attributes. This has prompted some brands to differentiate their products by means of explicit, easy-to-spot claims highlighting the small number of ingredients contained in them. For instance, in the US, Spritzal recently launched Shortbread Cookie Bites in Deliciously Almond and Birthday Cake varieties, with just 5 and 6 ingredients, respectively.
A Spotlight on Chocolate Confectionery Trends
The chocolate confectionery market faces many of the top concerns shared by the food and beverage industry overall, including climate change, ethical sourcing, and water shortages. Other issues that are more distinctive to chocolate include deforestation and habitat destruction of critical resources caused by cocoa and palm oil production. Many chocolate manufacturers are working to address these challenges and communicate their progress to ethically-conscious consumers.
Brands are highlighting their progress against these challenges through package labeling. Global food trends research shows that the fastest growing claims used on new chocolate candy launches globally include palm oil-free (33% CAGR over the past five years), ethical-environment (11% CAGR), and vegan and vegetarian (12% and 11% CAGR). Brands also often present these claims through storytelling about their product’s sourcing. For instance, the chocolate manufacturing company Loving Earth launched two products in 2024, highlighting how their chocolate uses wild heirloom Criollo Amazonico cacao grown by Peru’s largest indigenous group, the Ashaninka, using regenerative agriculture in the remote Amazon.
Chocolate confectionery manufacturers can be seen responding to the growing consumer desire for health and functional value within their sweets, as per the ‘Indulging in Health’ top trend. For instance, Fance’s Elsy Foods has recently introduced two low-sugar, fiber-based chocolates to its I am Elsy product line, adding oligofructose from chicory root fiber and leaving out sweeteners.
Plant-based options are further developing within the chocolate confectionery space, responding to the growing base of vegan consumers. Some manufacturers are additionally implementing health benefits into their plant-based chocolates; the brand Buttermilk includes 2-5g of hydrolyzed pea protein in its Choccy Bar, for instance.
A Spotlight on Spoonable Yogurt Innovations
Food trends research shows that yogurt manufacturers are leaning further into targeting specific demographics. This is especially seen for the youngest demographic – brands are introducing new spoonable yogurt items with cartoon characters, fun flavors, kid-friendly mix-in ingredients, and even toys. Lactalis added Batavinho Bob Esponja Yogurt with Cereal and Starwberries in Brazil (with packing featuring Spongebob Squarepants), and in Turkey, Danone launched Danone Strawberry Yogurt With Free Toy For Boys.
Brands are also providing novel mix-ins for their yogurt products. While mix-ins often target dessert occasions, some focus on better-for-you or nutrition-boosting ingredients. On the dessert end of the spectrum, Chiveria’s Juguete Sorpresa Sabor Natural Yogurt With Gummies, released in Ecuador, features a separate container of gummies in fruit flavors. However, FrieslandCampina’s recent Greece entry is more health focused, with its Noynoy Power Bowl Yogurt with Wholemeal Biscuit, Chia, Sunflower Seeds and Flaxseeds.
Like chocolate confectionery, global food trends research shows that plant-based innovation is on the rise in spoonable yogurt, with interesting plant bases growing in popularity. Japan’s Megmilk Snow Brand’s Megumi Gasseri SP Strain Plant Born Yogurt is made of fermented pea product, and Chkp’s Plant-Based Yogurt: Mango in the US is made with chickpeas.
What’s Next for the Chocolate and Yogurt Market?
In the chocolate confectionery market, watch for brands continually balancing indulgent experiences with creating products that are healthy for both consumers and the planet. Global food trends research shows that consumers are invested in understanding the environmental impact of their favorite products, especially with chocolate, and brands should continue to notify consumers of the environmentally positive qualities of their products. Storytelling in the chocolate confectionery market is uniquely powerful as well, with descriptions of sourcing and ‘bean-to-bar’ narratives proving to be potent drivers of consumer interest.
For spoonable yogurt products, manufacturers will likely continue to add child-focused spoonable yogurt entries, utilizing the category’s positive health perceptions to entice purchases from parents. Additionally, snacking-focused entries with mix-ins is worth keeping track of – both dessert style add-ons like boba or popping candy, and healthier options like nuts and seeds are seeing growth. Plant-based yogurt also continually appeals to many consumers, and expanding product bases using different types of beans shows potential.
This article is based on our report, “Innova Insights: June 2024 Edition
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