Kombucha, kefir and alcohol-free beverages are likely to gain more prominence this year among a healthier-minded shopper base, in the same way that kale and quinoa have in the past, according to a leading industry analyst.
Hannah Pervez, consumer analyst at GlobalData, said that increased numbers of consumers are seeking out products with healthier ingredient claims.
Positive Contribution
“Manufacturers now have an opportunity to positively contribute to reducing the obesity pandemic by creating products that are healthier and omit the inclusion of harmful ingredients such as refined fats and processed sugars," she said.
GlobalData’s recent Q3 2019 Global Consumer Survey found that some 66% of shoppers are gravitating to products boasting sugar-free claims, a number that is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.
Health Implications
“For too long, corporations have pushed forward ultra-processed food and drink goods, however, things are changing fast," Pervez added. "Consumers are now more aware of the health implications and are trying to implement permanent dietary lifestyle changes."
This means that they are actively choosing products that are natural, fresh, low-fat and unrefined, she said, which in turn gives major producers "opportunities to move away from their traditional product portfolios and to offer consumers healthier variants".
One such manufacturer to take this on board has been Kellogg's, which recently unveiled its new high-fibre 'Plant Protein Crunch' cereals.
“Since 2020 began, corporations have had to re-strategise themselves to bring them into a new, and for many consumers, healthier decade," said Pervez.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
