2022 Natural Food and Beverage Trends

We're coming up to Natural Products Expo West in just over a week, which is a perfect opportunity to look at any changes in the natural food industry. The natural food and beverage industry is fast-growing and expands into new categories every year. Here are some of the trends we can expect in 2022:

Health-Conscious Consumers

Many consumers are more focused on their health than ever, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. As a result, these consumers are getting more selective with what brands they purchase from and what products they purchase as they grow savvier to the impacts of meat, dairy, and sugar on their wellbeing. This brings demand for plant-based food, plant-based beverages, foods with reduced sugar or no sugar content, and other healthy products.

Even More Milk Options

Traditional dairy alternatives have continued to surge, with more range in vegan cheeses and plant-based milk. What started with almond milk and soy milk has expanded to new formulations made from beans, chickpeas, barley, hemp, and even flax. With so many options, brands are focused on their packaging and messaging to stand out from their competitors.

Functional Beverages

One of the fastest-growing products in this arena is functional beverages. Functional beverages refer to drinks that increase mental focus and help balance physical body functions, such as prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. This covers a growing range of products, including dairy-based beverages, energy drinks, sports drinks, meal replacements, caffeinated beverages, and vegetable and fruit juices. In addition, consumers interested in functional beverages are open to trying new brands and products to fill nutritional gaps, add probiotics, boost their energy, decrease stress, and assist with anxiety.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Millennials and Gen Z are generally more focused on health and wellness than previous generations. One of the outcomes of this focus is a more mindful approach to consuming alcohol, which has led to an increase in non-alcoholic beverages. From mocktail options to non-alcoholic botanical spirits, brands are getting creative with these beverages with a range of ingredients and functional add-ins to stand out from the crowd.

Upcycling Food Waste

Waste has become a huge sustanability focus over the last few years, with many food brands incorporating certain features or technology into their packaging to reduce food waste:

• Integrating relevant barrier properties to extend product shelf life.
• Including convenient features, such as resealable closures to preserve freshness.
• Creating smaller packaging sizes or utilizing single-serve packaging.

More recently, the concept of upcycling food waste has become more popular, with food companies looking for new revenue streams from outputs that used to be considered waste. A great example of this is Dole Sunshine Co., which launched a new venture called Dole Specialty Ingredients to source and transform fruit side streams and unutilized fruit parts by repurposing them into high-value natural products like enzymes, extracts, seed oils, and fibers. This is just the beginning of upcycling food waste, and many food brands will follow suit.

For more information about natural food and beverage trends, reach out to our team here or request a quote online today. To find out more about our team attending Natural Products Expo West, check out our blog post here.