Consumers across the globe expect more food variety in the next 10 years but believe quality will be an issue, according to a global qualitative and quantitative survey of 100 foodies in seven large cities (i.e., San Francisco, Moscow, Tokyo, Shanghai, Sao Paolo, Paris, and Istanbul) and nearly 11,000 consumers in 25 countries sponsored by Puratos. A supplier of ingredients and applications expertise for the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate markets, Puratos released the survey findings at its Taste Tomorrow’ The New Consumer Rules event in Chicago on October 22.
The global market research revealed four overarching trends—Age of Abundance, Food Under Pressure, Lost In Translation, and My Sustainability.
Age of Abundance. Across the globe, people expect that there will be more food variety, innovation, and availability by 2025. In the United States, for example, 56% of consumers believe food will be more diverse and more innovative in the next 10 years. In the Americas, 60% of consumers think that there will be more food choices in the next 10 years.
Food Under Pressure. Consumers would like their food to be more fresh, natural, and healthy in 2025. However, they don’t believe manufacturers will deliver on these attributes. In the U.S., less than 40% of those surveyed believe that food will be better quality, more natural, more sustainable, or fresher by 2025 than it is now. In the Americas, nearly 3 out of 4 consumers believe that freshness will not increase in the next 10 years.
Lost In Translation. Consumers are being bombarded by all kinds of food messages about what is, and what is not, good for them. This creates uncertainty and gives rise to myths surrounding foods. For example, 36% of consumers in the U.S. believe that gluten can cause digestive problems for the majority of consumers. The role of bread in a healthy diet is also under attack. A majority of global consumers (i.e., 66% in the Americas, 54% in Asia-Pacific, and 51% in Europe) agreed with the statement that “Bread should be avoided if one is paying attention to weight.”
My Sustainability. This trend focuses on food waste and consumer behavior related to their own pantry or freezer. In this area, for example, consumers from the U.S. are less likely to throw away bread and pastry than the regional average, when compared to other countries in the Americas. More than 1 in 4 consumers in the U.S. and 45% in Canada freeze bread on a weekly basis to avoid throwing it away and keeping it fresh. Through home freezing, consumers can control their bread freshness.
The research data point to a continuing focus on fresh, with “fresh is best” rising to the top for baked goods. Consumers in North America are the most enthusiastic about natural products compared to other regions. For example, 62% of consumers in the U.S. would buy more products at bakeries where everything is baked with natural ingredients.
