Just over a week ago, we rang in a new decade with lots of enthusiasm. If market experts and culinary researchers are to be believed, 2020 ushers in an exciting era for the food industry. While some of the trends from previous years will continue their momentum, the industry is expected to witness a new wave of trends as well in the coming months.
So what’s hot and big in 2020? Here’s a snapshot of some of the top trends the food industry will be buzzing about this year.
Plant-based meat products with some twists
The vegan bandwagon shows no signs of slowing down and naturally, plant-based meat is going to be a big hit in 2020. Alt meant sandwiches, plant-based tuna, no-meat burgers – name it and you’ll see them all in stores. Wait, there’s more! Many labels will be replacing soy, which had long enjoyed a monopoly over the plant-based protein space, with new blends like mung beans and grains. Classic versions of comfort food will also be reinvented with a vegan twist this year. Get ready to stock up your shelves with Mushroom Walnut Meatballs, Falafel Pitas, and Vegan Fettuccini Alfredos, and the like.
‘Nutterly’ nutritious butter and spreads
Nut-based butter is not a new thing for us. Agreed! However, the domination of peanut, cashew nut, and almond butter is almost over and you’ll see many innovative types of nut and seed-based butter and spreads in 2020. Watermelon seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, and macadamia butter will make their way to grocery aisles and dinner plates, thanks to their vegan, keto, and paleo attributes.
Milk substitutes – not just soy and almond milk anymore
Soy milk was the first to appear as an alternative to cow milk, closely followed by almond milk and coconut milk. In 2020, you can expect the choices for milk alternatives to get more diverse. Are you ready to say hello to oat milk which is all set to take the dairy market by storm? How about rice milk, pea milk, and hemp milk, which have also earned the title of vegan-friendly milk substitutes?
The meat revolution never ends
The plant-based movement doesn’t mean that meat products have had their day. According to Whole Foods Market, blended meat products (meat mixed with plant-based ingredients) are going to make it big this year. Blended chicken sausages, beef and pea protein patties, and grass-fed beef and mushroom patties, etc. offer you the best of both worlds. They strike a fine balance between consumers’ love for animal protein and the nutritional need to eat more plants.
Go creative with frozen snacks
The coming months will also see quite a few innovations on the snacking front. Grab-and-go snacks are being replaced with fresher, healthier, and more wholesome frozen snacks like single-serve soups, refrigerated fruit/nut bars, broths, and pickled vegetables, among others. Fresh and frozen is not an oxymoron anymore in 2020!
Now that you know what will be hitting our grocery aisles, freezers, and dinner plates this year, isn’t it time to keep up with these trends?
If you are a buyer and would like to be connected with the biggest upcoming brands and private labels in 2020, contact us for more information.
