01.06.10
Some key trends and developments are emerging that are likely to have a profound effect on the market in 2010. Innova Market Insights has identified its top 10 new product trends for the coming year: 1) Sense of Simplicity: Interest in “back to basics” has driven interest in natural and clean-label foods. More natural ingredients, including natural sweeteners are on the rise; 2) Sustainable Gathers Steam: Increasingly well-informed consumers are looking for locally-sourced, more sustainable and fairly-traded products; 3) Inherent Nutrition: Foods with more traditionally perceived benefits, such as fruits and vegetables and milk, will be pushed further as inherent health benefits are communicated; 4) Functional Superstars: With the pattern of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) decisions expressed thus far, it is difficult to predict exactly which ingredients will triumph, but tough times are definitely ahead for radical and obscure ingredients making outlandish claims; 5) Going Immune: Swine flu fears have fueled demand for immunity-boosting products in many countries, and ingredients such as probiotics and various antioxidants will likely be marketed on this platform in 2010; 6) New Delivery for Energy: “Energy” is the hot concept in functional foods, as stimulating ingredients are used in new applications, such as energy shots; 7) “Free From” Rises: The gradual move toward more “gluten-free” and other “free-from” foods accelerated in 2009 to involve some major players and to focus more on taste and quality; 8) Continuing to Cook at Home: Grocery retailing is one of the few sectors smiling in the downturn and enjoying a boom in both budget and high-end products, while the mid-sector is squeezed; 9) Extreme Flavors: Rising levels of interest in very hot/spicy products are being reported, with major brands such as Pringles launching Extreme Flavors; 10) Real Authenticity: It is no longer enough to simply create a product with a regional positioning. The product should be based on ingredients from that region and ideally even be produced there.