NZMP report indicative of ‘adventurous’ dairy consumption

Recent consumption habits have impacted on consumer expectations, particularly for the dairy industry.

New formats and ways of consuming have also arisen, due to a phenomenon known as ‘glocalisation’, as a report on the top five consumer trends for 2019 by ingredients brand NZMP cites. This changing global demographic has shaped the way many products are perceived and consumed by the world’s population. New experiences and formats have been created to cater to this.

Continuing its prevalence, health and wellbeing is at the forefront of these behaviours. Emotional wellbeing is a core part of this, as consumers concentrate not only on their physical health, but their mental health too, NZMP says.

Under this comes the trend of gut health – which has catered to those concerned with physical health. However, the sector is now adapting to a rise in emotional health awareness, as NZMP contends that digestive wellness products can be used in health areas beyond the physical.

James Dekker, NZMP programme manager, Nutrition and Health, says: “In the past, the effect of probiotics on the gut microbiome has been all about digestive comfort and wellness. Indeed, dairy probiotics are sought after and are well known for supporting immunity.

“More recently, we have started to see evidence that probiotics may play other beneficial roles in areas such as cognition, anti-inflammation, and metabolic health. They are now moving more mainstream as part of sports and active lifestyle products for adults.”

These new reasons for consuming dairy has led to consumers reaching for yogurts as part of their top three ‘good foods’ for digestive health, the report contends. As well as this, the sector may well see products being linked with digital gadgets to achieve holistic wellness within consumers’ lives.

Ethics and sustainability is something that consumers will prioritise over the cost of a product – with 38% of consumers willing to pay a premium price for this, according to research organisation GlobalData. This concern about ‘healthy for the world’ means that consumers are also more aware about sustainable supply chains and the origin of dairy products, NZMP says.

Adventurous consumption is a key theme here. Global changes such as multiculturalism and a wider reception for global tastes have opened up new avenues for dairy, with consumers more ready than ever before to try these new ways to consume products from different regions.

According to Roshena De Leon, NZMP global insights manager, “New experiences as part of food and beverage consumption remain important. Consumers will place value on the authenticity of these experiences in place of generic products and will pay more attention to higher quality, unique and differentiated offerings.

“On top of this, the glocalisation of food that started years ago will be given a boost and we will see more ethnic foods being introduced, including ethnic dairy options.”