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Global 250: Health Comes to the Fore

If one word sums up prevailing consumer attitudes, it’s “Health.” Despite the shakeup amid the ongoing pandemic, many top companies in ProFood World’s Global 250 Food and Beverage Manufacturers list have maintained their positions.

Global250 Lead

During COVID-19 lockdowns, many consumers shifted their relationships with food. Largely, they were trends that were already beginning to take root, but the pandemic really accelerated many of them. Consumers are looking for healthier diets—more mindful not only of what they’re eating, but where it’s coming from. They want transparency about how their food is sourced. They’re paying more attention not just to calories, but their macros, trying to get the right balance of carbs, fats, and proteins.


Read article   See the full list of the Global 250 Food and Beverage Manufacturers.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a driver for that healthy behavior, it didn’t initially push people in that direction. According to shopping data from Ibotta, 2020 saw American consumers buying 33% more desserts, 16% more cheese, and 12% more chocolate than they did in 2019.

Alcohol purchases were up across the board as well. Consumers bought more brandy (43%), tequila (40%), and whiskey (39%) in 2020 than they did in the previous year, and also more cocktail mixes (30%), flavored wine (73%), and rosé wine (34%).


Read article   See the full list of the Global 50 Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturers.

As the pandemic has worn on, however, consumer attitudes have taken a turn for the healthier side of life. They’re more mindful of the ingredients that are in the foods they continue to cook from home. More and more consumers are venturing into plant-based diets, at least experimentally. And alcohol consumption has continued to drop precipitously.

Plant-based options

Interest in plant-based foods—which avoid not only meats but other animal-derived foods such as dairy—was already surging before the pandemic. Plant-based foods have outpaced conventional animal product sales for the third consecutive year, according to a report from the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and The Good Food Institute (GFI). But COVID-19 has given the sector even more of a boost with an increased focus among consumers on personal health, sustainability, food safety, and animal welfare.

Data from PBFA and GFI showed U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods increasing by 27% in 2020, bringing the total market to $7 billion. That’s almost twice as fast as the total U.S. retail food market grew during that pandemic year, up 15% with restaurants closed.

Sales of plant-based meats grew 45% in 2020, rising to $1.4 billion. Here again, this sector grew twice as fast as conventional meat. Refrigerated plant-based meats, which are increasingly shelved beside conventional meats, grew 75%. That’s significantly better than frozen plant-based meats, although they still grew 30%—10 times faster than in 2019.

Plant-based milk accounts for 35% of the total plant-based food market. It’s a much more established category than the plant-based meats are, but still saw a big boost in 2020 as well—with sales up 20%. Again, that’s twice as fast as sales of cow’s milk grew. This sector is dominated by almond milk, but oat milk has surged ahead of soy milk.

“2020 was a breakout year for plant-based foods across the store,” says Kyle Gaan, an analyst for GFI Research. “The incredible growth we saw in plant-based foods overall, particularly plant-based meat, surpassed our expectations and is a clear sign of where consumer appetites are heading.”


Read article   Read about how health-based products are a key market for high pressure processing (HPP).

Despite the considerable growth in all plant-based markets, this is not an indication that the world is filled with vegans and vegetarians. Combined, they account for only about 6% of consumers, according to Greg See Hoye, market manager for the plant-based protein industry at Dedert, a supplier of drying and evaporation technologies. But what has developed significantly, he said at a recent Powder Show presentation, is the flexitarian sector.

In general, flexitarians, which make up almost a third of the market, recognize the benefits of a vegan or vegetarian diet, but still like meat. This is a big reason why several manufacturers, See Hoye said, are driven to make their plant-based proteins taste more like meat—along the lines of the Beyond Burger or Impossible Chicken Nuggets.

Chocolates with milk alternatives

INTRODUCING! The Latest Trends for Food Products at PACK EXPO Southeast
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INTRODUCING! The Latest Trends for Food Products at PACK EXPO Southeast