Feed the future
Optimise your food production with insights from the latest consumer trends
Consumer food trends are ever-shifting and often driven by complex, highly interrelated factors. But understanding and taking advantage of these trends is key for food producers trying to stay competitive in a highly challenging market. And the experts at our Food Development Centre can help you address the category implications of these trends and keep your food production ahead of the competition – as they themselves say, there’s almost nothing they can’t do.
Tracking trends and their implications
Consumer decisions are motivated by complex factors, and are therefore challenging to track accurately. But our own annual Trendipedia report uses evidential data derived from proprietary Ipsos sources, such as Ipsos Global Trends, Dec 2022, as well as numerous other worldwide sources, and presents our findings in a clear, inspiring way that illustrates the opportunities these trends present for Tetra Pak and our customers across categories, processing, and packaging.
And those opportunities can be realised at our Food Development Centre (FDC) in Lund. Far from the stress of the production hall, the FDC allows you to work creatively with our Food Development Chefs and Technology Specialists – Peter Brunkestam, Josefine Wegelid, Fanny Cedergaard, and Kim Jönsson, each of whom has over 20 years of experience – to experiment with new combinations of flavours and textures, revitalise and expand your range, tweak your recipes, and solve production issues. Together, we can ensure your food production stays up-to-date and relevant for consumers, particularly regarding the following fresh, cutting-edge trends.
Smart and adaptive: “Life hacks” and “flexi-shopping”
Regarding “life hacks”, it’s all about brands empowering people to get more for their money and waste less, helping them stretch their budgets and simultaneously protect the planet. And it’s not just those on a budget who are seeking good value – “flexi-shopping” means that people are dialling their spending up and down according to the value they place on each purchase, cutting their overall spending whilst staying true to their personal values.
One example is producers offering lower price alternatives or entry price points. “We can help optimise the production cost or the end price,” says Peter Brunkestam. “We’d analyse the recipe and the pre-process, and also the raw ingredients in terms of taste and quality – we know how to get the very best end product while maximising value”.
Similarly, the FDC team can help with recipe reformulation when alternative ingredients are required, perhaps due to cost, seasonality, or difficulty in sourcing. Here, the FDC’s flexibility becomes truly unique and valuable – our experts can come to you. “Say you want to change from using chuck roll to a front leg cut in your product – if you’re based outside the EU, it can be impossible for us to import the exact same beef you use,” says Brunkestam. “So our team can come direct to your production facilities and use your own kitchen, production processes, and ingredients. And we’ll bring a mobile test unit with us so we can pack the product in Tetra Recart.
Reusing waste as an ingredient is another creative way to reduce food production’s impact on climate change. Brunkestam cited one producer who turned vegetables rejected by supermarkets on cosmetic grounds into various vegetable ready meals packed into Tetra Recart®, and an American producer making premium bouillon from surplus vegetables. “It’s a great way to use what would otherwise just be burned or used in fertiliser,” he says. “And we’ve now got extensive expertise advising how to incorporate such ‘waste’ into new recipes or existing products – we’re very innovative.”
Climate imperative: “Climatarianism” and “green clarity”
Climate-based options are no longer niche - we are more aware than ever of the need to make sustainable choices as consumers. So how might we ensure that ingredients are sustainable from the cradle to the grave? And brands that communicate clear, transparent, and meaningful eco-credentials will win, as they make people feel good about their choices.
A significant shift here is the replacement of meat-based ingredients with plant-based alternatives, and the rise of alternative proteins such as soya bean, pea, and new food fermentation. This is another area where the FCD has extensive experience. “We work with this topic almost every day,” says Brunkestam, “and we’ve already learned so much – it’s an area we excel in.”
“Whether you use soya or new food fermentation proteins, the key is always getting the taste right – it has to be great, but we know exactly how to achieve this across a range of alternative proteins. And with the price of meat and fish continuing to increase, we see more and more producers catering to vegetarians and flexitarians with their product ranges – replacing meat with vegetable protein is going to become standard within the next ten years.”
Choosing which alternative protein is also important and depends on your desired price point, perceptions of quality, and who you are marketing to. “Sometimes, producers come to us with ideas – we know what will work best in terms of the recipe and bringing the product to market. For example, for a vegetarian option, extruded soya protein has quite a low price, but if a producer wants something a little more ‘hip’ or modern, we might suggest using green pea protein. It all depends on the desired end product.”
And Brunkestam and the FDC team continue to work at the cutting edge of food technology too. For example, they’ve undertaken tests with the University of Kristianstad on the general applications of insect protein, and Brunkestam has worked to incorporate seaweed in soups and broths. “With some of these new ingredients, you have to be careful with how you cook it and how much you use,” he explains. “But we’re always experimenting and learning – challenging convention and redefining what is possible are our goals.”
Authentic connections: “Unmasking identity” and “local reclaimed”
Unfiltered and real now trumps manicured perfection in the minds of consumers, with a desire to return to the beauty and reassurance of tradition. And consumers now equate their own self-care with care for the locale that nurtures them – choices that are good for local brands and farmers, local people, and their community will win.
One aspect of this is authenticity, particularly when it comes to ready-made meals such as curries, stews, and other geographical specialities. Producers frequently want to diversify their range – moving away from Westernised iterations such as tikka masala or korma to something more authentic. And it’s the same with baby food.
“We had one baby food producer who wanted a traditional Swedish salmon with dill and potato flavour – everything had to be organic, and the dill had to be fresh,” says Brunkestam. “We’re experts at sourcing such ingredients and using them in a cost-effective way to get a premium product, but one that is not prohibitively expensive for consumers.”
Clean label products are another aspect, with people desiring fresher – and healthier options. Brunkestam says his team can take standard, popular products such as Bolognese sauce and make a retortable version that is not just as tasty and nutritious as one made fresh from scratch, but significantly cheaper too . “With our recipes and expertise, there’s no drop off in taste or the perception of quality – these products are great as life-hacks for busy people.”
Seasonality, and connections to local farmers, are fuelling much consumer behaviour. Brunkestam cites tomatoes in Italy, where harvesting season is only 50 to 90 days long – Tetra Recart and the FDC’s expertise means producers can supply products all year round. So too, the ability to use hyper-local ingredients or varieties in food products – at the FDC, we can help you maximise the benefits of what’s available and when.
As Brunkestam says, it all comes from the knowledge and experience the team have gathered over their combined 80 years in the food industry and putting that at your disposal. “For one Dutch company, we did beans in several different sauces and styles – what we did in one week of trials would have taken them six months on their own,” he says. “What we can achieve for food producers now is really quite incredible, and we’re getting better every day. We’re constantly innovating and pushing the boundaries to keep us, and our consumers, ahead of the game.”
