2020 is bound to be unusual, under the influence of the COVID-19, consumers shopping, social and entertainment ways have changed a lot.

According to Imbibe, an American beverage development company, increasing attention to health and wellness is a clear consumption trend and will continue to drive the development of food and beverage trends in 2021.

How will this trend affect consumers nutritional and taste requirements for food and beverages?

01 Health promotion

By 2021, consumers will continue to seek health promotion, which will include a greater focus on macro nutrients, maintaining a healthy weight, and choosing products that boost immunity.

Ingredients that promote gut health, hydration and anti-inflammatory properties will be of concern, predicts the lmbibe expert, “Superfoods naturally rich in immune-boosting ingredients such as elderberry fruit, acerola cherries, apple cider vinegar, ginger and turmeric will be popular. Major brands will also be adding ingredients such as zinc, vitamin C, probiotics and probiotics to their products.”

Consumers also want to boost immunity — prioritizing exercise and exercise. Brands are also rolling out sports nutrition products such as protein drinks, electrolyte supplements, exercise performance enhancers, energy supplements and weight loss medications. More benefits for consumers by differentiating different products using ingredients that comply with the cleaning label, plant-based and / or vegetarian diet-friendly ingredients, and mixing multiple ingredients.”

This year, for example, Chobani launched its first energy drink. Its a fermented, plant-based beverage made from organic fruit juices, turmeric, ginger and other plant ingredients as well as probiotics.

Probiotic juice

Image: Chobani

Pepsi recently launched Propel Immune Support, an electrolyte water, Every 20 ounces contains 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 30% of zinc, claiming to boost immunity while replenishing the electrolytes lost after exercise.

Ｅlectrolyte water

Photo: Propel

Poppi is a soda made with apple cider vinegar and probiotics. This enhanced version of soda allows consumers to introduce probiotics into their diet in familiar forms and mask the pungent odor of apple cider vinegar. 

Probiotic soda

Photo: poppi

02 Emotion Improvement

Imbibe says consumers are under unprecedented pressure to seek products that promote relaxation, clarity and better sleep. Brands will add ingredients such as adaptogen, CBD and L-theanine to help consumers relax.

Allowing people to reap the emotional benefits of comfort food without negatively impacting their physical health, Brands will focus on creating vertical products that use elements of Better For You.

“Changes to the formula will include reducing sugar intake or replacing it with natural low-calorie sweeteners such as stevioside, momordica grosvenor and aloxone, Improve the nutrient density and add plant-based, functional, or clean labeling ingredients.” Childhood nostalgia can also bring comfort: marshmallow chocolate cake dry (smores) or birthday cake products, or long-popular seasonal foods, such as summer lemonade and autumn pumpkins. The disruption caused by the new crown pandemic also creates a need for mood improvement, so nostalgia-style products will come in new forms, such as familiar category products with new ingredients, or new products with a nostalgic flavor. PepsiCo, for example, announced that it will launch its functional water brand, driftwell, in December, a blueberry and lavender-flavored soda. Add 200mg of L-theanine and 10% daily recommended magnesium to promote relaxation and sleep.

Functional water brand driftwel

Photo: Pepsi

Lokais Elements adaptation drink was developed by botanists and psychiatrists. The addition of passionflower and South African drunken eggplant gives the product sleep-supporting properties, while other SKU adds ingredients such as Rhodiola, St. basil, lemon sesame oil and hericium Erinaceus.

Elements Adaptive Beverage

Photo: Elements

03 Safety

Consumers will continue to buy based on what they feel is safe. This will continue to affect the beverage industry, both in catering services (companies such as Coca-Cola have been increasing their investments in contactless technologies) and in the retail packaging of their products.

Food service brands need to be transparent about their business practices so that consumers feel safe to eat out, said David Bowie, Food Services chief executive. Consumers will pay more attention to product packaging due to concerns about hygiene and pollution and will be more receptive to single-use and tamper-proof packaging. The online shopping boom will continue until the new crown incidence rate drops dramatically and/or vaccines are widely available.

04 Independent Exploration

Consumers are spending less time traveling and eating in restaurants, and there is a growing demand for unique flavors that can be enjoyed at home.

“There will be greater demand for premium concoctions, such as premium ready-to-drink cocktails, similar to handcrafted cocktails but without requiring consumers to purchase multiple ingredients. In addition, there will be a surge in demand for good for you drinks such as alcoholic kombucha, fortified beer, cider and sparkling water.

Namely drinking

Image: ifooday.com

The zero-alcohol drink, infused with delicious botanical ingredients and relaxing ingredients such as adaptogen and CBD, will also make for a similar experience to drinking, said Ms Kaufman.

DIY wine kits are expected to rise again: to help people pass the time and to offer a pop-up experience similar to a restaurant. As food and beverage brands offer more choices in this area, consumers will buy the lunchbox category. Other popular DIY packages will include DIY fermented wines, concoctions, dairy substitutes and kombucha.

Globally inspired products and flavors will give you a feeling of exploring at home: so we look forward to seeing brands try Mediterranean flavors, such as blood oranges, orange flowers, bergamot, figs and dates; Latin American flavors (such as guava, Mexican jam and mango & red lime) and Asian flavors (such as grapefruit, orange, cardamom and nutmeg) are also expected to become more popular.

05 Pursuit of cost performance

The flu pandemic prompted consumers to stock up on groceries for weeks to months. However, because of economic uncertainty, consumers are trying to save and so are buying at lower price points. Imbibe said this would benefit small brands and would also affect how big brands package and display their products to suit more price-sensitive consumers.

 Supermarket shelves

Photo: pixabay

“There will be an explosion of innovation from smaller brands, which will launch products in a growing number of categories such as plant-based milks, immune-friendly drinks and alcoholic beverages. Well-known brands will also provide value to consumers by launching products with multiple services, multiple flavors of packaging and stable products on the shelf.”