Culinology - December 2020 - 6

E M E RGI NG trends

Five megatrends
set to shape the food industry
Lux Research, Boston, identified five trends food and beverage companies will have to address to meet future
consumer expectations. In a report titled " The Food Company of 2050, " the trends identified included: food for health,
sustainability, ubiquitous sensing, the microbiome and new industry structures and future consumption habits.

Food for health
Lux predicted nearly all food
and beverages sold will pivot
in the future to make healthrelated claims. Formulations
that rely less on sugars and
fats are expected to dominate.
Claims will have an emphasis
on protein and fiber contents
to promote satiety and net reduced glycemic impact.
Consumers will seek more ways to use their lifestyle
choices to reduce dependence on medical interventions.
Beyond developing products for general health, the
report's authors recommended developing foods that
can address specific health outcomes like blood pressure
reduction and reduced post prandial blood glucose.

The microbiome
Awareness about the impact of the microbiome on
overall health is growing. This area of innovation has the
potential to increase personalization by defining optimal
microbiome profiles for individual consumers, Lux said.

New industry structures and
future consumption habits
Subscription and delivery options, traceability and digital
tools to drive faster food innovation are among the new
industry structures and tools companies will need to
consider investing in, according to the report. When it
comes to new technologies, Lux Research advised that
companies work backwards by starting with the problem
that needs to be solved.
" Adopting tech for its own sake is a slippery slope
toward wasted pilot budgets and an organizational
resistance to experimentation, " Ms. Olson said.

Sustainability
Consumers are concerned about the health of the
environment. From packaging to production to
distribution, products will need to pivot to reduce
food waste and
work to improve
decarbonization
efforts.
" Corporate
statements will not
suffice, " said Sara
Olson, PhD, research
director and co-author
of the report. " Truly
doing more with less
must be the aim. "

Culinolog y | DECEMBER 2020

Ubiquitous sensing
Ubiquitous sensing refers to the variety of omnipresent
sensors available to companies and consumers. The
sensors may continuously collect data in real time and
use it to monitor food quality and safety as well as
consumer health.
" The global pandemic is generating renewed urgency
around virus sensing and self-monitoring and has also
changed the consumption habits of consumers, " said
Thomas Hayes, analyst at Lux Research and co-author of
the report. " Understanding how consumption is changing,
including the shift to fresh foods and plant-based proteins,
and how allergens are impacting people's lives, will be key
to future success. "

Culinology - December 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Culinology - December 2020