Articles by Lu Ann Williams

Consumers of all ages are most willing to try ethnic cuisines in their home cooking, at restaurants, and when traveling. They name Asian, European, and Latin American flavors as the most influential and Asian as the most familiar and inspirational. Preferences for specific ethnic cuisines, however, vary somewhat based on food and beverage category.

Although there are dollars-and-cents implications for every aspect of a new product, you can’t put a price on absolutely every ingredient. That’s because some brands embrace purpose-driven goals or “social ingredients” that factor into the finished product.

Healthy aging could be defined as staying active and in good health—both physically and mentally—while getting older. Overall, three-quarters of consumers we survey report that healthy aging is “very” or “extremely important” to them. 

Consumers want to know that the products they purchase will deliver the benefits they value. It’s clear that they look to functional ingredients that improve their health. Innova’s number two trend, “Affordable Nutrition,” goes hand-in-hand with the top trend.

Gen Z consumers are trend creators who define what markets should be provide. They welcome positive engagement with companies and seek new experiences.

Wasted food is a major drain on business and on the planet. Shelf Engine, a perishable food forecasting specialist, estimates that supermarkets alone discard more than 43 billion pounds of food each year and that excessive food waste costs the grocery industry more than $50 billion in lost profits annually. 

Each fall, Innova Market Insight releases its Top 10 Trends for the coming year. Then the anticipation and excitement begin as we link those top trends to topics we write and speak about—including snacking.

Extending the shelf life of food and beverage products—and communicating this to consumers—could be one way to reduce food waste. In fact, according to the Innova Packaging Survey 2022, 40% of consumers surveyed globally from 11 countries agree that shelf life has a strong influence on their purchasing decisions.

Replacing sugar is more complex than simply replacing sweetness. Sugar carries flavor, enhances mouthfeel, provides bulk, is essential for browning through the Maillard reaction with amino acids, and attracts and retains moisture. In cookies and biscuits, for example, sugar interfaces with flour and fat to affect texture, firmness and spread. Without sugar, products may not crystallize properly, aerate, or set. 

The global COVID-19 pandemic had a marked impact on consumers’ attitudes toward health. COVID took a heavy toll on people in poor health and consumers looked for quick ways to boost their health as a defense against the disease.