Major Trends Disrupting the Food Industry
Consumer sentiment has been bolstered by widespread government health campaigns against unhealthy foods, with India, the world’s largest democracy, proposing a “fat tax,”
and local government around the U. S. such as Philadelphia following through on citywide soda taxes.
While health food trends such as gluten-free, sugar-free and natural fats tend only to hold in developed countries, analyst Maria Mascaraque suggests
that emerging markets tend to follow the lead of European and American consumer powerhouses
A recent report indicates that soda sales dropped 1.2% in 2016, marking the 12th consecutive year of declines as leaders such as PepsiCo Inc. (PEP)
and Coca-Cola Co. (KO) build out premium water and sparkling beverage businesses.
Health authorities now say trans-fats, those found in processed foods like margarine, are the primary
health risk, shunting aside the old popular belief that natural animal fats led to heart disease.
U. K.-based consumer goods giant Unilever (UL), once king of the margarine aisle, wants to shed its long-time butter-alternative
businesses as consumers become increasingly aware of the scientific community’s siding with natural fats.
With Millennials becoming the most influential group of shoppers, they are increasingly likely to be found around local farmer’s markets, ordering online for food delivery, opting for alternative, trendy protein snacks over traditional meals
and paying a premium for healthy, eco-friendly options.
A recent report by Euromonitor estimates that the gluten-free retail market has doubled from $1.7
billion in 2011 to $3.5 billion in 2016 and is forecast to grow to $4.7 billion by 2020.