The increasingly thoughtful and mindful consumer will continue to catalyze changes in the way that companies produce, package, and label their products, according to a 2018 trends forecast from Innova Market Insights. More conscious than ever about making responsible food choices, four in 10 U.S. and U.K. consumers increased their consumption of “healthy foods,” seven in 10 want to know and understand the ingredient list, one in five in the U.S. are most influenced by “real” ingredients, and ethical claims on packaging are top of mind. In response, better-for-you claims continue to be on-trend, having increased their market penetration from 42% in 2012 to 49% in 2017 YTD.
 
“Today’s consumer displays a high level of mindfulness about well-being and the environment,” reported Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights, “so it is no surprise that consumers are becoming increasingly mindful in their food choices, wanting to know what is in their foods in order to make decisions about health, sustainability and ethical issues.”
 
“Mindful Choices” leads the list of Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Trends for 2018, where the company continuously analyzes global developments in food and drinks launch activity and consumer research to highlight the trends most likely to impact the food and drinks industry over the coming year and beyond.
 
Innova Market Insights’ Top Five Trends for 2018 are:

1. Mindful Choices. Consumers are more conscious than ever about making responsible food choices, and increasingly want to know what is in their food and how it is produced. Innova Market Insights research data indicates that one in two U.S., U.K., and German consumers read ingredient labels often and that seven out of 10 U.S. and U.K. consumers want to know and understand ingredient lists. At the same time, rising levels of interest in ethical issues have resulted in the use of ethical claims for food and drink NPD in recent years, with a CAGR of 44% over the 2011-2016 period.
2. Lighter Enjoyment. As consumers continue to look for ways to eat and drink more healthily, they are seeking lightness in terms of alcohol content, sweetness, flavor, texture and even portion size, although definitely not at the expense of a familiar, high quality and indulgent taste profile. 
3. Positively Processed. As consumers become more concerned about naturalness and minimal processing techniques, the industry is reviving traditional processes such as fermented foods and cold brew tea and coffee, alongside the development of new ones.
4. Going Full Circle. The notion of closing the circle is increasingly taking hold, with greater consumer expectation that companies and brands will be more resource-smart via developments such as tip-to-tail eating, innovative uses for food waste and more biodegradable and renewable packaging.
5. Beyond the Coffeehouse. While coffee is clearly trending among Millennial and Generation Z consumers, tea is also seeking to reinvent itself among the younger generations. With the taste and experiential associations of coffee and the healthy image of tea, the industry is increasingly using coffee and tea as ingredients and flavors outside the hot drinks and iced tea and coffee sub- categories across a wide variety of products as varied as energy bars, yogurt and jam.

 
The other trends identified by Innova Market Insights are:
Say it with Color
Dining Out, In
From Snacks to Mini Meals
Ocean Garden
Bountiful Choice
 
The Top Trends for 2018 will be presented by Innova Market Insights at a live webinar to be held on November 21, 2017 at 4pm CET/10am EST.