Today, a rising number of consumers seem to be asking the same question: What’s in my food and beverage? Unfortunately, when you’re talking about sweeteners and sweetening solutions, the answer to this question can be summed up in one common phrase: it’s complicated. This is due to consumers’ enduring preference for time-honored sweeteners—e.g., honey and sugar—in an era in which public-health concerns about over-indulgence and the physiological effects of sugar are well documented. The need to reduce sugar is not in dispute. Kerry’s global consumer research shows that 79 percent of global con ..read more

Food-waste reduction and shelf-life extension in bakery and meat is being driven by a strong consumer demand for sustainability. One of the more enduring effects of the pandemic has been increased consumer interest about reducing food waste, as greater attention was paid to consumption patterns in the home. It’s a development that appears to have become structural in nature. This has been leveraged even further by the recent cost-of-living crisis. Although the latter situation now appears to be moderating, prices are settling at notably higher levels. According to Kerry’s recent Left on the Sh ..read more

The alternative protein market has experienced significant growth due to increasing customer demand for sustainable and plant-based protein options. As manufacturers continue to develop and expand their product offerings in this space, it is crucial to ensure that these alternative protein products meet the nutritional needs of consumers, both in terms of macronutrients and micronutrients. In its infancy, the sector’s focus was to perfect macronutrient profiles to ensure customers were satisfied with protein and carbohydrate levels when buying meat alternatives. In the context of alternative p ..read more

We are living through times of huge stress. As Innova Market Insights noted in 2020, “Recent events have had a significant effect on mental wellbeing, with many people facing increased rates of anxiety off the back of the COVID-19 pandemic.”1 Since then, of course, new sources of uncertainty have emerged—inflation, economic volatility and a seemingly unstable geopolitical situation. This has changed the landscape for the food, beverage and supplements industries, which, according to Innova, are increasingly “playing a part in tackling mental unease, with mood-boosting products ranging from tho ..read more

Fifty years ago, Kerry was a small dairy company in the southwest of Ireland. Today, it’s a global leader in sustainable nutrition, health and food and beverage ingredients. One of the reasons it’s been able to grow is its commitment to scanning the horizon and keeping in touch with the way consumers’ nutrition needs have changed with time. And arguably, those needs are evolving more rapidly than ever before. Population aging has shifted priorities; areas, such as sleep improvement and stress reduction, are higher on the agenda, and consumers are increasingly aware of the complex links between ..read more

Why We Need a More Sustainable Food System As the world continues to confront the coronavirus pandemic, we have a striking opportunity and obligation to create a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food system. Today, our food system is responsible for more than 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, with food loss and waste alone accounting for 8 to 10 percent. The pandemic exposed the fragility of our global food supply chains. From field to fork, unprecedented stresses led to disruption at every level and many weaknesses in our food system were exposed. By 2050, our global population ..read more

What is driving the current interest in fermentation? There is no doubt that there is a growing consumer fascination with, and positivity toward, fermentation due to awareness of the health benefits that fermented food offers. This is based on the understanding that eating fermented foods has a positive impact on our gut microbiome, the trillions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in our gut. Consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of good gut health and its connection to many other aspects of our health including improved immune function and better mental health. The w ..read more

The surging interest in dairy alternatives provides new choices for consumers looking for plant-based dairy to meet their nutritional and lifestyle needs. Although generally seen as a healthy choice, plant-based dairy may not have the same health halo as that associated with traditional dairy. Here we address some of what may be missing, as well as considerations for adding functional ingredients, such as probiotics, to provide additional benefits. The Growth of Plant-based Dairy Over the last several years, consumers have been steadily replacing animal-derived foods and beverages with plant-b ..read more