Top food and drink trends for 2017

By Matt Atherton

- Last updated on GMT

Top 10 food and drink trends this year include personalisation and anti-inflammatory foods and drinks
Top 10 food and drink trends this year include personalisation and anti-inflammatory foods and drinks

Related tags New nutrition business Nutrition

Personalisation and anti-inflammatory food and drinks lead 10 key growth opportunities for manufacturers, a New Nutrition Business report revealed.

Consumers want to personalise their own healthy eating regime, New Nutrition Business director Julian Mellentin said.

“Personalisation is about consumers ‘taking back control’,”​ Mellentin said. “They want to feel more empowered and confident to create their own healthy eating patterns.

Personalisation is about consumers feeling more empowered and confident
Personalisation is about consumers feeling more empowered and confident

‘Diet is a personal matter’

“It goes hand-in-hand with growing awareness that diet is a personal matter – and it’s another stage in the long slow death of ‘one size fits all’ dietary recommendations.”

The trend towards anti-inflammatory foods was described as “the next gluten-free”​ in the report. Backed by consumer belief, anti-inflammatories could see surging sales, the company said.

Anti-inflammatory’s flagship ingredient, turmeric, has already seen intense growth in consumer interest, the report claimed. Turmeric lattes are now found in city centre cafés across the world.

Two other key ingredient trends were Sportification and Digestive Wellness 2.0. Sportification, was aimed at consumers that exercise for health reasons – not 

turmeric
Anti-inflammatory turmeric has already seen growth in consumer interest

necessarily for professional athletes. Shoppers want natural products that would help them in their fitness routine.

‘Sports nutrition would go mainstream’

“Some people have long argued that sports nutrition would go mainstream, and that foods designed for elite athletes would become regular food for everyone,” ​said Mellentin. “While this is happening to some extent, by far the bigger trend is one which has gone the opposite direction.

sport
Manufacturers could find success by attaching their product to the image of sport

“‘All natural’ foods are becoming more attractive in sport. Regular food companies, that are not sports-oriented, can drive success if they attach their product to the image of health and sport.”

Digestive Wellness 2.0 builds upon the long-established trend of eating gluten-free, lactose-free and dairy-free foods. Those consuming these foods expected to “feel the benefit”​, and the latest trend showed people were willing to look for ways to feel it.

gluten
Digestive Wellness 2.0 builds on the trend of free-from foods

Fermented food and drinks are taking digestive wellness in exciting new directions, New Nutrition Business said.

The other six trends were Snackification, Fragmentation & Premiumisation, Plant-Based, Up With Fat, Down With Sugar, Protein and Good Carbs Bad Carbs.

More information about the trends is available here​.

10 key trends in food, nutrition and health 2017

  • personalisation
  • inflammation
  • sportifcation
  • digestive wellness
  • snackification
  • fragmentation and premisation
  • plant based
  • up fat down sugar
  • protein
  • good carbs bad carbs

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