Every December, companies come out with their thoughts on what the most popular food trends are going to be for the following year. Usually the food trends presented are a combination of new and exciting trends to spark interest and intrigue plus continuations from the previous year(s) trends (some being macro-trends). To provide a fun twist on the usual food trend blog, we wanted to discuss how the year has shaped up so far in 2023 and provide insights for how we think the rest of the year will go and lead into 2024. As a product developer, we always have to think about the long game and we want you to be able to benefit from that as well. We hope that this post provides insightful information for how your company might look to adapt to take advantage of them in the coming seasons and years (for those of you planning that far in advance!).
2023 Top Food Trends:
Plant Based Continues
Fermented Foods
Sustainability - Zero waste and Upcycling
Mushroom Madness
Ghost Kitchens
Tech-Influenced Dining Experiences
Plant-based continues…
No surprise anymore, plant based products have been growing more popular over the last few years and continue to in 2023 in more creative and technologically advanced ways.
Why are plant-based products continuing to be all the rage?
One reason they are popular is based on the touted health benefits of eating a plant based diet. WIth consumers looking towards food as medicine, a greater shift towards more plant based diets is no surprise. The second reason has more to do with the societal and environmental impacts. A lot of plant based products tout a lower environmental impact, greater sustainability and improvements to animal welfare. Whether or not that information is true depends on the product and manufacturing method. What we do know is the trend towards more plant based is already fully established and we don’t expect it to go away anytime soon.
Now with Q1 behind us in 2023, what we are seeing is a continued evolution of the plant-based food trend. With more creative takes on plant based food options entering store shelves due to a rise in investors and technology advancements, we're certain that this trend is here to stay. One area plant-based saw a decline in recent years was in plant-based meat alternatives, however we think it will start to take a positive turn in the market. Cell cultured meat sales are in decline and novel types of vegan meats are gaining traction as with plant based bacon and seafood companies like Aqua Cultured Foods who just received $5.5 million in funding.
If you are considering heading down the plant-based path, you may consider moving over entirely to plant based, or launching a line of plant-based options in addition to your current offering. The New Flavor’s Market Research team is capable of helping you determine what the best approach for your business may be.
Fermented Foods
Photo by Portuguese Gravity on Unsplash
While fermented foods have been around for thousands of years, they are now having a resurgence in popularity. Fermentation uses bacteria or yeast to break down sugars in food creating a tangy, sour flavor. Some widely known examples include: wine, bread and sauerkraut. During the pandemic, home fermentation made a huge comeback in the form of sourdough and sauerkraut, and even though we may not have as much free time to perform fun fermentation experiments in our home kitchens anymore, the desire for more fermented foods in our diets is still kickin’ as we continue into summer this year.
Part of the reason fermented foods is a spot-on food trend and continuing to grow in 2023 is due to the functional health benefits fermentation provides. Fermented foods are at the top of the functional foods list, offering health benefits such as improved gut health (link to other blog) and improved immune systems.
Another reason we think the future of food is in fermentation is due to the continued interest in global flavors and desire for uniqueness and differentiation. With consumers constantly seeking out new flavor combinations, fermentation offers a unique twist to flavors in foods that consumers are seeking out. Combined with the health benefits of fermentation, we believe the fermentation boom is still yet to be fully tapped.
Sustainability - Zero Waste and Upcycling
Sustainability has never been more critical, and nor has it been a more significant focus in the food industry than in 2023. The sustainability food trend in 2023 is centered around conscious consumption and reducing food waste. As people become more aware of the impact of food waste on the environment and their wallets, zero-waste cooking and upcycling have become more popular and we expect to see the upcycling trend continue to gain traction for the rest of 2023 and beyond. This is becoming even more vital in the US where we’re seeing food prices soar more than 50% for some categories over last year's prices.
The zero-waste cooking trend focuses on using every part of the ingredient, from root to stem. Chefs and brands alike are getting creative with how they use foods that are often thrown away after the “desirable” portion is consumed. Brands are launching products with ingredients that they intentionally advertise would have been wasted, obtaining certifications for upcycling. Upcycling food “waste” like spent grains into pasta, bars, or puffs like Regrained has done is a huge opportunity for new and existing brands to tap into, with an estimated market size of roughly $83 Billion by 2032. We recommend brands take a deeper look at their so-called waste streams and strategize about ways to really squeeze the lemon - which can help them reduce their overall COGS and protect the environment (and market it too!), a win-win for everyone.
Mushroom Madness
Photo by Irina Iacob on Unsplash
Mushrooms have been making headway in the market and are becoming quite the exciting functional food trend to follow, thanks to their meaty texture, rich umami flavor and a massive amount of research uncovering their health benefits. With medicinal mushrooms touting the health benefits of reduced inflammation, cognitive health, stress reduction, immune support and even weight control, mushrooms are generating tons of interest by health enthusiasts and average consumers alike.
In restaurants we’re seeing a wider variety of mushroom offerings than what used to be available, including morels, chanterelles, hen of the woods, etc. In the CPG space, we’re seeing exciting developments in the alternative meat and packaging realm looking to harness both the sustainability and plant based trends as well. Mushroom extracts are also the basis for a lot of functional supplements and foods we’re seeing enter the market. I’ll even call out the fact that magical mushrooms are gaining acceptance as they are being researched as a form of antidepressants and PTSD cures.
Mushrooms really are a powerhouse of opportunity and in our opinion and we’re only scratching the surface of what is possible with them. Expect to see more in 2023 and in the future.
Ghost kitchens
Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash
Ghost kitchens are commercial kitchens that are used exclusively for delivery and takeout orders. They're also known as virtual kitchens, cloud kitchens, or dark kitchens. Ghost kitchens have been growing in popularity over the past few years and we expect this trend to continue in 2023 and beyond. The continued rise of ghost kitchens has been attributed to the increased popularity of food delivery services utilized during the pandemic that has continued to be ingrained in our lifestyles now well after the pandemic has ended. Ghost kitchens offer restaurant owners unique benefits that could not be realized with traditional restaurant setups.
One benefit ghost kitchens offer business owners is flexibility. Owners can offer multiple brands (if they desire) out of one location. Ghost kitchens open up the possibility of restaurants to offer more items and adapt faster to sales data and trends meaning more chances of success in the long run.
Another benefit ghost kitchens also offer increased cost savings and efficiencies. With a smaller footprint and staff required, the savings can be huge. The biggest hurdle that ghost kitchens have to figure out is how to get the food to the customer without compromising quality and speed.
While we don’t see ghost kitchens replacing dine-in restaurants entirely because they don’t offer the same experience, they have certainly carved out a place in the market that we think is here to stay in 2023 and beyond.
Tech-Influenced Dining Experiences
Photo by FDATA ROBOT on Unsplash
To round out our list of trends we’re seeing continue in 2023, we’ll talk a little about how the advancements in technology and robotics are influencing restaurant dining experiences.
High-tech means of ordering food such as QR codes and menus embedded in tables are already mainstream due to the pandemic. Fully automated kitchens and robot servers have now started to revolutionize the industry, aiming for faster and more efficient dining out experiences.
Some universities are the first to welcome this technology, utilizing robots in their dining halls. More common at this point are robotics in kitchens that take over some of the more repetitive or mundane tasks that require consistency, such as chopping vegetables, making tortilla chips, or bussing tables. A growing number of fast-casual restaurants and retailers have recently announced their goals to introduce robotics into their kitchens. The goal is to utilize robotics for the more labor intensive tasks which can be hard to attract and retain employees for.
Robotics can be prohibitive as the upfront costs are significant and we’re still in an experimental phase for robots in the kitchen.
While we may be far away from a full robotic takeover of our restaurants in 2023, The New Flavor expects to see a continued interest and rise in the use of robotics, particularly in fast-casual and fast-food restaurants where automation is already being used or tested.
Conclusion
To summarize, these food trends are shaping the way we eat and think about food as we continue on in 2023. The rise of plant-based everything and fermented foods reflects a growing interest in healthy and environmentally friendly options. Zero waste and upcycling demonstrates a shift in sustainability towards reducing food waste and finding creative ways to use every part of the food item (even if it's to just save money for the time being). Mushroom madness showcases the versatility and nutritional value of mushrooms in various cuisines. Ghost kitchens and tech-influenced dining experiences are transforming the restaurant industry. Overall, these trends are not only changing the way we eat, but also how we interact with food and the world around us. Interested in launching products in any of these areas? Reach out to The New Flavor for help!
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