Having a look at some of the existing trends which are reforming the way food is sourced, manufactured and consumed.
As the food industry comes to be more globalised, there appears to be considerable growth in the demand for foodstuff. In order to stay on top of these demands, businesses are trying to find effective solutions to accelerate production. Trends in technology appear to be increasing in appeal throughout many sectors. Automation is leading many food industry technology trends as a significant development in food manufacturing. Advancements such as robotics are enhancing food handling in many parts of the food sector. Robotics can perform tiresome and time-consuming tasks in a safer and more productive manner than humans, supporting integration into not just factory manufacturing lines but also in several restaurant industry trends. In addition, the integration of artificial intelligence has been equally beneficial for maximising production-line productivity. This technology has here been beneficial for real time monitoring of operations and the potential to estimate and manage consumer demand.
The food industry is rapidly developing to match changing consumer interests and needs. Recently, many consumers are becoming interested in health concerns and the need for transparency, which are reworking the development and selling of food. As consumers prioritise diet and nutrition, current food trends are concentrating on providing consumers with transparent and honest information that is easy to understand. One key pattern that is being executed by many organisations is clean labelling. This process centres around using clean and unrefined ingredients, with very little processing and additives. David Flochel would concur that customer demands shape the food industry. This shift is guided by growing consciousness of health implications and the environmental consequences of synthetic and processed ingredients. Health awareness is thus widely impacting customer buying habits. Research has shown that the majority of people would be inclined to spend more on food items and food companies that utilise clean labelling criteria. This demonstrates the demand for more transparent practices and efforts towards creating more natural and unrefined items.
For many consumers today, staying up to date with the next big food trend has taken an unforeseen turn. With improving the environment at the leading edge of the minds of most consumers, many industries are shifting all attention towards more ecologically conscious practices. In particular, sustainable food industry practices are concentrating on lowering ecological repercussions in practices such as food sourcing and waste reduction. Tim Parker would concur that sustainability is important. Similarly, George Weston would identify that cutting down on ecological impacts is a leading trend. These strategies are hoping to target problems such as food waste regulation and plastic pollution for decreasing carbon emissions and employing more eco friendly packaging. In addition, food sourcing processes, especially farming systems are being recognised as major locations of issue. Farmers are implementing techniques such as regenerative agriculture to sustain plant growth, while consumers are turning towards meat-free regimes out of concern for the effects of animal farming.