Food safety, healthy eating, food waste and big flavors are on the menu for 2016, as Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center picks the hottest food trends for the upcoming year.
Andrea Graves, FAPC business planning and marketing specialist, said change is inevitable and trends help indicate what is coming next.
“Businesses need to pay attention to trends in order to find new growth opportunities and their target audiences,” Graves said. “Understanding these trends help businesses stay ahead of upcoming change, whether it is regulatory or a new flavor profile. Also, in most cases, consumers drive the trends and are looking for products and companies that are meeting their needs and lifestyles.”
Take a look at the top 16 trends for 2016, according to FAPC:
1. New food safety demands for small businesses
Due to customer and regulatory demands, smaller food companies will need to implement preventative controls to meet the Food Safety Modernization Act requirements, which will become mandatory in three years. “Big-box” stores now are demanding third-party audits from suppliers of all sizes to help reduce food safety risks.
2. Ethics
Consumers, particularly Millennials, are choosing to support businesses that are perceived as being ethical. They will purchase one product over another regardless of price if they believe the company has good core beliefs and appears to practice those beliefs.