The document summarizes several emerging food trends, including savory yogurts, black raspberries, water extracted from various fruits and trees, plant-based meat alternatives, fermented foods and probiotics, dehydrated snacks, alternative flours, cleaner labels, morally conscious foods, gourmet convenience foods, generational influences on nutrition, food safety focus, green vegetables and fruits, specialty teas like matcha, natural food processing, ideas from small food companies, sports nutrition for all, natural indulgence products, ethnic foods and experiences, sustainability concerns, food origin stories, online grocery shopping, visually appealing foods, health-conscious millennials and alcohol, technology changing food delivery and ordering, reinvented classic cocktails

1. Trendy Food Perspectives
Savory yogurt — …savory versions are starting to pop up all over the place. Blue Hill,
for example, produces and packages yogurt flavors like beet and butternut squash, and at
the Chobani store in New York City, you’ve got five savory “yogurt creations” to choose
from.
Black raspberries — Antioxidants! That’s all you need to know, move along. Berries in
general are chock-full of ‘em — probably why they tend to reach superfood status. …
Science says they contain three times the amount of antioxidants than red raspberries or
their doppelgangers, blackberries (good luck trying to tell those two apart).
Water tapped from any/every kind of tree/fruit —
Coconut water kicked things off, then maple water and birch water came onto the scene.
What’s next? Pine water? Peach tree water?
Plant-based everything—Plants are playing a meatier role in a surprising number of
products, and not just for vegan and vegetarian alternatives.
Fermented foods and probiotics—Whether shoppers are seeking gut health or go-for-it
flavor, fermented foods and probiotics are growing like good bacteria – and they’re not
just for hippies anymore. Fiery picks like kimchi and gochujang will continue to gain
steam, while innovative options like chiogga beet kraut and non-dairy tonics will add
variety.
Dried and true: dehydrated foods—Unlike the kale chip craze of years past, 2016’s
dehydrated trend takes it to new heights – from dehydrated broccoli, Brussels sprout and
parsnip chips to sophisticated salmon, bison and chicken jerkies with grown-up flavor
combinations.
Alternative and wheat-free flours—People are going nuts for gluten-free flours made
from legumes, ancient grains, teff, amaranth and, well, nuts. Chickpea flour is a quick
riser, while other legume-based flours are showing up in bean-based pastas and other
packaged goods.
Demanded Requirements
Cleaner Labels
More than ever, consumers are pushing food manufacturers to use ingredients to produce
products with so-called clean labels. Ingredient manufacturers have stepped up and now
offer ingredients that are naturally derived, minimally processed, organic, and not
genetically modified—all of which food manufacturers use to formulate clean label
products.
Morally Conscious Foods
Increasing emphasis on conscious living will lead to a new category of foods—morally
conscious foods.
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2. Gourmet Convenience
With 48 million time-strapped Americans describing themselves as foodies, gourmet
convenience will be among the new megatrends.
Generational Nutrition
Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials will continue to play a role in popular
nutritional trends as well as product labeling.
Focus on Food Safety
Researchers, food manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and suppliers will continue to
focus attention on pathogens, developing new and improved methods of analysis,
instruments, detection supplies, and specific applications.
Green Goodness
As part of the health and wellness lifestyle trend, consumers are looking for natural, less
processed, better-for-you products. Naturally, consumers are gravitating toward green
vegetables and fruits, putting them in the limelight. Flavors in this group include: •
Avocado Pear • Broccoflower • Green Jackfruit • Jalapeño Honey
Cup of Tea
The popularity of tea has lead to a focus on specialty tea, namely Matcha. According to
the Sage Group, U.S. retail sales of Matcha green tea powder reached about 55% in 2014.
This tea trend is further evidenced by The National Restaurant Association’s annual
“What’s Hot 2015 Culinary Forecast,” which revealed specialty ice tea such as flavored
tea and matcha as trending in non-alcoholic beverages. Flavors in this group include: •
Cascara Tea • Dandelion Tea • Matcha Rose • Turmeric Orange Ginger
Processing the Natural Way: Established food processing practices that have been
around for centuries are in the spotlight. They bring with them a natural and authentic
image to counteract some of the negative perceptions of heavily processed foods.
Small Players, Big Ideas: Big companies used to have a few major competitors, now
they have hundreds of small ones. … small companies are getting their ideas out much
quicker and serving as inspiration for the big boys.
Beyond the Athlete: The benefits of sports nutrition components such as protein and
energy ingredients can be exploited by all demographic groups and manufacturers are
therefore diversifying on the “healthy living” platform for everyone.
The Indulgence Alibi: …health conscious consumers do want to justify consuming a
product purely for pleasure and therefore look for an excuse. A classic “indulgence alibi”
can be the wholesome or natural quality of ingredients.
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3. Tastes for New Experiences: Well-traveled and highly adventurous consumers…are
looking for highly specific and authentic products from all over the globe.
• Ethnic condiments/spices
• Authentic ethnic cuisine
• Ancient grains
• Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
• Eco is the New Reality: Drought, worries about food waste, and other natural
phenomena not only affect the worldwide food and drink supply, but influence
preparation and production.
• Based on a True Story: Consumers have been romanced by product origin,
ingredients, or inspiration stories.
• e-Revolution: From Carts to Clicks: While the Internet has not yet vastly changed
the landscape of grocery shopping, innovations encourage consumers to think outside
traditional physical retailers.
• Eat with Your Eyes: Flavor has long been the core of innovation, but more
visual and share-focused societies call for innovation that is boldly colored and artfully
constructed.
o Food and health coming together
Health-conscious millennials are gravitating toward healthier mixers and
combining exercise with hedonism when it comes to alcohol.
o Technology changing the way we eat
The future promises curated delivery, delivery-only restaurants and even zero-cost
delivery by self-driving car. The FoodBev editor noted “Last month, we reported
on a survey that claimed the way in which we ordered food was directly
influencing the cuisines we opted to eat.
o The Rise of “Post-artisan”
The cloying cocktails of the 1970s and ’80s – long considered passé – are now
making a comeback, as mixologists reinvent them for sophisticated, modern
palates.
o Sharing our food with others
Some 72% of British and American millennials are likely to share pictures of their
food and drink if it is different or unique, compared with just 22% of boomers.
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