Top 3 Food Trends for 2019

CULTURE: PLANT BASED 

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian, thousands of us are shifting towards a more plant-based diet. Not only because we are increasingly health, environmental or animal-welfare conscious, but because of the number of tasty, enjoyable plant-based recipes and products on offer. A record number of people are taking part in Veganuary this year which UK retailers have made a big effort to cater to and cash-in on. Marks & Spencer Group plc launched “The Plant Kitchen” range, J Sainsbury plc released 25 new vegan products and Greggs plc, a vegan sausage roll!

CUISINE: FILIPINO

As globalisation continues to intensify, our palates become more open to appreciating the different flavours of the world and most recently, Filipino flavours. The sourness of their cooking and sparse use of dairy and gluten aligns well with growth in sales of sour foods, such as kimchi, Greek yoghurt and pickles and ‘free from’ products.

HEALTH: PROBIOTICS

As more research is published on the health benefits of having a diverse gut flora, the public’s interest in consuming more pre- & pro-biotics is rapidly growing. Hence, the growth in sales of gut-health promoting products such as kombucha, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut. None of these are shelf stable though, so it is expected more ambient products containing probiotic powders will launch in 2019, such as cereals, granolas, energy bars, nut butters and more.