A dream deferred: Bean sales soar as shoppers seek nutrient-dense, plant-based & diet-friendly foods Five years after the United Nations celebrated 2016 as the International Year of Pulses to raise awareness of legumes’ nutritional value and sustainability, SPINS data shows sales of dried beans are skyrocketing as consumers look for more nutrient-dense and budget-friendly products in the wake of the ongoing pandemic.
Sales of shelf stable vegetables, tomatoes, grains, canned beans and peanut butter also are on the rise and outperforming total product sales as the pandemic shifts consumer priorities to products that will sustain them between less frequent shopping trips, Kathryn Peters, executive vice president of business development at SPINS told attendees this week during New Hope Network’s Spark Change virtual Natural Products Expo.
New consumer research carried out by Kerry, the world’s leading taste and nutrition company, reveals that 65% of functional beverage consumers are more worried about their health since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cultivating animal fat for plant-based meat: ‘Nobody wants a burger that tastes of coconut’ London-based start-up Hoxton Farms is cultivating animal fat for plant-based meat alternatives. What is the secret to the duo’s competitive edge? Computational biology, the founders tell FoodNavigator.
The global meat market is worth some $1.3trn. The newer, plant-based meat alternative market is valued around the $4.3bn mark.
Yet despite their sizeable values, entrepreneurs Ed Steele and Dr Max Jamilly say both industries have serious flaws.
“The global meat market is broken. It’s killing us, it’s killing the planet,” said Dr Jamilly.
“2020 was a great example of how global food security is at an all-time low. Food supply is fragile and traditional intensive agriculture has a big role in the spread of animal-borne disease, antibiotic resistance, and its enormous impact on climate.”
The meal ‘capsule’ made of unwanted veg aiming to disrupt the ready meal category An Israeli start-up is leveraging culinary art and upcycling in an attempt to overhaul the perception of the run-of-the-mill and often unwholesome ready-to-cook food sector.
Anat Natan, CEO and Co-founder of Anina, told an online event organised by the Kitchen FoodTech Hub, the start-up incubator owned by Israeli food giant the Strauss Group, there’s a gap in the market to offer more nutrient-rich products with more natural ingredients in ready-to-cook sector.
Like the frozen category, this sector is enjoying rising consumer interest amid the lockdowns created by the pandemic. But these shoppers often face a lack of choice, she said.