Mintel’s 2021 Global Food & Drink Trends
Food and drink companies will deliver on new value needs, use brands to celebrate people's identities and broaden their focus on mental wellbeing solutions.
Adriana Heinzen
Senior Consultant
May 2021 COVID-19 enriches and fast-tracks our relationship with food
COVID-19 has changed our relationship to food: • Food offers more than sustenance it offered positivity, immunity and community • Exposed the fragility of global supply chains • Fast-tracked the adoption of new technology for delivery The food and drink trends are rooted in consumer behaviour changes
2020 caused a fundamental reset in human behavior. The 2021 Global Food & Drink Trends are based in the Mintel Trend Drivers, which track seven influencers of consumer choice.
Source: Mintel Trends Mintel's 2021 Global Food & Drink Trends
Quality Redefined United by Food Feed the Mind QUALITY REDEFINED
The road to recovery from the pandemic will see ethical considerations added to consumers' value priorities of time-savings, familiarity and justifiable treats. Key actions to take for Quality Redefined
Now: Offer benefits to support in- Next: Ethical behaviour helps Future: Invest in equitable & home living define quality affordable nutrition Now: Home cooking is here to stay with takeaways and 'fakeaways' meeting all budgets and occasions
Post COVID-19 resolutions: 43% of Australian adults would make more home-cooked meals, while 15% would eat meals at restaurants/cafes more often*
Chef-prepared Bringing world flavours home Ready prepared plant-based centrepieces
Chef Creation by Juna Rorimpandey Atlas Masterclass is started by Charlie BOL centrepieces. Dine in like you're dining Japanese Chicken Curry Udon from a recipe Carrington of Atlas Dining. The service offers out claim dinner for 2 in 40 mins with plant by Masterchef Indonesia cook jury Chef Juna global destination-themed meal kits that based meals to pop in the oven that come Rorimpandey (Indonesia) come with masterclass videos (Australia). pre-marinated and are accompanied by delicious rubs, glazes and drizzles. (UK)
Base: 1,000 AU internet users aged 18+
Source: Dynata/Mintel, Mintel GNPD; Atlas Masterclass Now: Consumers will remain loyal to brands that optimise cost and guarantee quality Ambient and frozen products have an opportunity to more clearly communicate their benefits such as freshness, nutrition and quality.
Canned, frozen and ambient are Packaging technology extends shelf-life Preservation methods reduce food waste conveniently fresh Kewpie pack technology from Japan is Ixon Food Technology claims their food Crunchy Battered Australian Caught Blue designed to extend the shelf life of its preservation method creates products that Grenadier are caught and snap frozen to products to support consumers eating more lasts as long as canned and tastes as good as lock in the goodness. 22% Australians and at home. (Japan) fresh. Also has a shelf life of up to two years say they will be buying long-life food and avoiding the issue of food waste. (Hong drink more often as a result of COVID-19. Kong). (Australia)
Source: Mintel GNPD, Mintel Trends Now: Small food and drink indulgences gain from the "lipstick effect"
In 2020, higher sales have been reported in some markets for premium ready-made food and coffee as people treat themselves on items to enjoy at home.
Source: Mintel Reports Now: 'Affordable luxury' is quality worth paying for
Mintel Purchase Intelligence shows that 65%* of Australian consumers would buy the premium Kangaroo Island honey ice cream compared to an average of 41% for ice cream (AU)
78%* 80%
65%* 60% 60% Kangaroo Island Honey with 41% Honeycomb Shards 40% Gourmet Ice Cream Dairy Based Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt - Australia 20%
0% Instant Reaction Purchase Intent
IR and PI of Kangaroo Island Honey ice cream vs ice cream category AU (Apr 2018 - Feb 2021)
Base: AU internet respondents aged 16+ reviewing Connoisseur Kangaroo Island Honey ice cream 100; reviewing ice cream AU 42,200 (April 2018 - Feb 2020)
Source: Mintel Purchase Intelligence Read on mintel.com Next: Consumers' ethical expectations will fuel 'value with values'
Businesses will be expected to be good corporate citizens, as predicted by Mintel's 2030 Food & Drink Trend Change, Incorporated.
Source: Far Yeast Brewery Next: Plant-based products will expand to more affordable offerings
Plant based is as an ethical alternative but to become mainstream these brands will need to be cost effective.
Miyoko's Kitchen's ambition is to provide low- Price parity for vegan gourmet brioche burger buns. cost cheese alternatives (US) Both AUD 5.00 (AU)
Source: Mintel GNPD Future Forecast: More global availability of affordable, sustainable and nutritious food
Future-focused companies will help expand the global availability of affordable sustainable nutrition products.
Nestlé Cerevita brand - offers affordable Golden Rice Singapore approves sales for cell-based meat nutrition One example is Golden Rice which was Technology will make milk and dairy Nestlé's Cerevita Instant Porridge, available developed to address vitamin A deficiency in alternatives more accessible. In December in Southeast Africa - fortified with key countries where rice is a staple food. 2020 the Singapore Food Agency has approved nutrients and 20-25% cheaper than similar the sales of a cultivated (cell-based) meat products available locally product from Eat Just, Inc. in the city state
Source: Mintel GNPD, Food Dive Future: Advanced technologies will help deliver greater transparency
Expanded use of blockchain will allow brands to 'show' consumers the elements that make up the price of a product.
• 0.05 euros go to pay the consumer tax • 0.05 euros go to the brand (C’est qui le patron) • 0.50 euros go to the milk supply chain (collector, processor, logistics, distribution) • 0.39 euros go to the farmer. • In 2019, it meant farmers were paid 40-50% more than what they normally get.
C’estqui le patron?!Milk costs €0.30 more for farmer welfare, French origin and no GMOs
Source: https://lamarqueduconsommateur.com/produits/lait/ UNITED BY FOOD
Food and drink brands can balance a person’s need to feel unique and bring people together to create communities of like-minded individuals who can make a difference. Key actions to take for United By Food
Now: Celebrate individuals' unique Next: Create community around Future: Mobilize consumers to do passions common interests good Now: Brands prove they are listening to consumers
Brands are identifying new ways of building a dialogue with consumers and utilise their creative ideas for new flavours or in-demand recipes.
Roberts Bakery invites consumers to suggest Oak flavour Generator (AU) & test their creations (UK)
Source: Roberts Bakery Now: Food as self expression
Food and drink brands can encourage consumers to use products to express their moods, opinions or passions.
Pinterest charcuterie boards for all occasions ‘Single Dog’ snack food corners the single market - target bachelors with specific flavours and formats Next: Instant Pot creates the space for organic community engagement
Base: 1000 NZ internet users aged 18+
Source: People and Company, Dynata/Mintel Next: Social commerce will transform the on-line purchase experience
Interactive e-commerce offers new ways to bring people together.
Not conventional search but real life shopping Sharing discoveries with friends means a lower price experience with tempting special deals for all who purchase
Source: Pinduoduo Future: Provide outlets for globally connected communities of commitment
Brands will choose to showcase their commitments to communities all over the world in different ways
Nestlé aims to restore the coffee industry in the DRC Thankyou invite the world's biggest companies to end world poverty
Source: Nestlé, Thankyou. FEED THE MIND
Food and drink brands will become accepted solutions for mental and emotional wellbeing, which will lead to new interest in psychology-based approaches to healthy eating. Key actions to take for Feed the Mind
Now: Offer moments of comfort and Next: Explore new experiences and Future: Provide proof and sync with support through rituals occasions technology The pandemic made wellbeing a central concern
The link between COVID-19 and existing poor health conditions has influenced consumers' intentions to eat more nutritious diets.
ELEVATED STRESS SEEKING WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS EAT HEALTHIER 29% 62% 40%
of Australian adults are concerned of Australians are actively seeking of Australian millennials say eating about their own/family's stress ways to reduce stress healthily has become a higher levels as a result of COVID-19 priority since COVID-19
Base: AU&NZ internet users aged 18-45+ 6-8th July 2020
Source: Dynata/ Mintel, Mintel COVID-19 Tracker COVID-19 has impacted mental health as well as physical
Lack of functional options: • Only 2% of South APAC food and drink launches* made functional brain & ...the world was woefully unprepared to deal with the nervous system claims mental health impact of this pandemic. Years of • fewer than 0.5% made stress and sleep underinvestment in mental health, especially in low- claims. income and middle-income countries, have left us WHO has identified pandemic fatigue is vulnerable.' starting to set in.
The Lancet, Nov 2020
Source: The Lancet; WHO Now: Consumers retreat to the comfort of rituals
Food and drink interactions which have an established, yet enjoyable, relationship with time and procedure will continue to be popular among consumers.
DIY sourdough Home cooking Aromatherapy coffee
Sourdough is a time consuming and multi- Baking provided an escape and time to hone Hook Coffee Specu-lose Your Mind Drip step bread making process. But during cooking skills. 43% of Australian adults plan Coffee Bags are claimed to have delicious lockdown the daily ritual of making your own to make more home-cooked meals when and natural tasting notes of spiced sourdough generated comfort and a sense of COVID-19 subsides, while 35% want to caramelised Belgian biscuits to serve as both achievement that was shared on social improve their cooking skills, rising to 41% of aromatherapy and a quick and fuss-free pick- media. 18-24s. up. (Singapore)
Source: Lightspeed/Mintel Now: Clinically-approved functional nutrients partner with natural ingredients
Plant based ingredients & botanicals can help win consumer trust. In the future, highlight more nutrient pairings on pack to improve absorption & boost value-for-money.
Driftwell Pepsico's functional beverage Dairy Home Pasteurized Malt Flavour Bed containing L-theanine (USA) Time Milk (Thailand)
Source: Mintel GNPD Next: More brands will emotionally connect with consumers via multi- sensory features
Consumers will want products which tap into emotion, and which stimulate the senses in a way that enhances the consumption occasion.
Flavours that evoke nostalgic experiences Describing texture through sound Aroma generates mood and emotion
Darrell Lea Gold Coast Road Trip Milk Moringa Bubble Crunch Chocomint Ice Cream Blueberry Crumble Loose Leaf Flavoured Chocolate is packed with soft dried Bites. Multi-sensory digital marketing will Black Tea Is said to be comforting and pineapple chunks balanced with crunchy deliver innovative and immersive ways of warming for the soul, and features a wafting honeycomb and tropical roasted coconut communicating the texture quality of scent of a hot crumble. Other categories can linking flavours to summer holiday roadtrips. products eg through ASMR. (Japan) learn from tea and coffee who are experts (Australia) with aroma. (Australia) Next: Technology will enable the seamless transition to more psychological approaches to eating
40% of Chinese consumers track real-time healthcare data through wearable devices and this goes up to 45% of 25-29s.
Hobose, AR app helps consumers understand Healint, a Singapore startup promising to predict nutritional details of food products as they shop (CN) migraines with 90% accuracy
Source: Lightspeed/Mintel Future forecast: Technology will continue to play a larger role in food and drink
Foodservice becomes Mood-service Focus on childhood diets and (Pizza Hut, Shanghai) mental wellness (Lumi Nova, UK)
Source: Digitaling, Luminova Read on mintel.com Mintel's 2021 Global Food & Drink Trends
Quality Redefined United by Food Feed the Mind
The road to recovery from the pandemic will Food and drink brands can balance a Food and drink will be accepted as solutions see ethical considerations added to person’s need to feel unique and bring for mental and emotional wellbeing, which consumers' value priorities of time-savings, people together to be part of communities will lead to new interest in psychology-based familiarity and justifiable treats. of like-minded individuals who can make a approaches to healthy eating. difference. Thank you
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