The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

Enjoy reading the second part of our thoughts and predictions for the food and beverage industry over the coming year. Antonia Garrett Peel, editor

The animal-free dairy space continues to heat up. Meanwhile, plant-based milk’s position in the mainstream is more firmly established than ever. Targeting a white space at the intersection of these developments, Strive Nutrition recently unveiled a range of hybrid drinks, combining almond and oat with Perfect Day’s animal-free whey ingredient. With ethical concerns being one key driver in the adoption of dairy alternatives, the combining of plant proteins and precision fermentation-produced ingredients could enable manufacturers to optimise taste and texture, without animal input. And why stop at dairy? Motif FoodWorks has developed Hemami – molecularly identical to bovine myoglobin – which aims to add authentic flavour and aroma to meat alternatives. While hybrid products might not whet the appetite of strict adherents to a plant-based diet, they could prove popular with flexitarians looking to cut down on meat and dairy. As innovation accelerates in the precision fermentation category, 2023 is likely to see new brands test the waters with plant protein/animal-free ingredient combinations.

Jesús Luna-Lopez, sales director Health and wellness, the environment and cost-effectiveness will be at the centre of product development. Factors such as climate change, Covid-19, crippling energy prices, inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have skyrocketed production costs and, as a result, strategies to develop affordable but healthier products have accelerated. However, consumers still want to reward themselves. Manufacturers that can marry health and indulgence will be poised for success. For instance, the no- and low-alcohol segment will keep diversifying its offering, combining ingredients and flavours that meet the need for both health and enjoyment. Botanicals, low-carb solutions and natural colours will be a top priority when it comes to formulations here. In addition, the energy drinks category will continue to dispel the stereotype of high-sugar, artificial beverages, with links to a number of health issues. To be successful, beverage producers must provide clean, natural energy drinks that offer functions such as immune support, improved cognition, beauty enhancement and detoxification benefits.

Dan Bunt, marketing manager

Words matter when marketing products, with key descriptors often influenced by regulatory changes, consumer demands and evolving trends. Clean label ingredients that consumers know and recognise will drive brand success and grow trust and loyalty. An ingredient list that’s packed with chemical- or technical-sounding terms, might as well be written in a foreign language. Why write ‘ascorbic acid’ when you could simply put ‘vitamin C’? But brands must also be wary not to go too far the other way and ‘greenwash’ consumers. This involves making unsubstantiated claims to lure consumers into believing that a company’s products are sustainable or have a greater positive impact on the environment than they do. This was certainly the mistake of Coca-Cola-owned juice brand Innocent this year, which had an advert banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority watchdog for ‘greenwashing’ and providing ‘misleading’ environmental claims. 2023 will bring clearer guidance on the appropriate use of words on product packaging.

Jonathan McGowan, awards marketing executive

2023 will see much development in the fats and oils sector, with variants such as sunflower and vegetable oil taking a hit in popularity. While this is partly due to the Russia-Ukraine war – both countries are key producers of sunflower oil – health and wellness concerns are also driving consumers away from processed oils and into the arms of natural and cold-pressed variants such as avocado, coconut, peanut and extra virgin olive oil. Consumers will be prepared to spend more on products that tick the boxes for health, quality and integrity. What’s more, those sourced with sustainability in mind will take an edge on the market.

Phoebe Fraser, editorial assistant

Personalised nutrition is now a booming category as consumers look to customise multiple aspects of their lives – from the media they watch and listen to, to their entertainment and retail services, and their beauty routines. Tailored experiences have become more defined and diverse. Why should the food we consume be any different? Some companies offer extensive health testing to provide a more targeted response. Thorne HealthTech, for example, offers both quick quiz fixes and more in-depth biological testing. At-home test kits and multi-omic AI platforms provide patients with science-based personalised health insights to optimise an individual’s health. Metagenomic sequencing and AI analyses facilitate the creation of in-depth and tailored personal nutrition plans. Watch this space.

Louis Porcelli, social media and campaigns executive

Technology is ever-present in our lives and it seems like we can never go without it. We’ve embraced cutting-edge tech for our entertainment and communication needs, and have increasingly turned to automation in an attempt to simplify our lives. Automation is a method of controlling a process by automatic means, freeing up more time for ourselves. We’re seeing this infiltrate the foodservice sector at an increasing rate, and it will continue to grow in 2023. Businesses are receiving funds to help meet the consumer demand for their automated services. Stellar Pizza, whose “mission is to spread joy in the world, one pizza at a time, with robots,” secured $16.5 million in a Series A funding round, led by rapper Jay-Z’s venture capital firm, Marcy Venture Partners. The US start-up is led by former SpaceX engineers, whose mobile restaurant has the capacity to make 420 pizzas, with a single pizza taking less than five minutes to prepare. RoboBurger, the world’s first burger robot in a box, has opened a $10 million Seed 2 round of funding in partnership with private equity firm, Promethean Investments. The robot can grill, toast, add condiments and assemble a fresh burger in around four minutes. The new funding round will help them roll out RoboBurger units across the US, after its first pop-up location in Jersey City. Allied Market Research states that the Food Robotics market was valued at $2.05m in 2020, and is estimated to reach $5,79m by 2031. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the encouragement for no human contact will surely accelerate the automation age in foodservice.