Global Food Industry Trends 2019
It’s a new year!
Let’s talk about the global food industry trends for the year 2019.
So, if you are a food retailer or manufacturer or you are thinking of venturing into the food service/manufacturing business, it will be useful to consider trends and identify areas to improve on that will place your business in a strategic position.
The Nigerian food industry is currently worth over ₦1 trillion; and within the first quarter of 2018, the manufacturing sector in Nigeria grew by 3.4%, an improvement from the 0.1% and -2.9% recorded in the last and third quarters of 2017 respectively. It will interest you to know that despite varying economic and cultural circumstances, there are common trends driving growth in the global food industry. They are:
Convenience: Many consumers now gear towards producers that provide convenience. This is evident from the increase in food delivery services and in the number of take outs. Food manufacturers are also providing convenience by reducing packaging and increasing the use of smaller ‘on the go’ packages.
Food Safety, Health and Wellness: Consumers are getting health conscious and would rather purchase products that can guarantee safety (free of contaminants) and promote health and wellness e.g. natural, wholesome foods.
Natural and whole foods: Awareness on the dangers of highly processed foods packed with various synthetic additives is on the rise. Consumers are now gravitating towards foods from natural sources that are minimally processed because they are perceived to be healthier. In Nigeria, producers of natural and whole foods already exist. This is expected to increase in 2019.
Probiotics: Still on health, probiotics are healthy microorganisms that aid digestion and ‘prevent gut/ metabolic problems’. In 2019, more producers will manufacture fermented beverages or food products. We expect that strains of probiotics will be in shelf stable/dry products.
Improved packaging: There will be rise in the use of active/intelligent packaging, that will not only increase the shelf-life of food product contained in them, but will also reduce the need for excessive packaging.
Sustainability: Companies now use less packaging, environment-friendly packaging and products to gain advantage over products that are not environmentally sustainable.
