The attributes consumers attach to their food and the relationships they have with food are important to track for those keeping their fingers on the pulse of what truly motivates purchasing patterns.

The International Food Information Council, an education-based nonprofit which provides communications on nutrition and food safety to policymakers and the food industry, recently published projections for topline trends affecting the food industry in 2022, based on developments in its consumer survey data.
 
Wellness
 
Americans have been indulging and backsliding health-wise with their dieting throughout the pandemic, IFIC said. But, their data suggests that people are going to be more conscientious about eating to promote wellness in the year ahead. “Consumers are proactively looking for positive food attributes like whole grains and fiber, and they’re exploring immune health more so than previously,” the company stated.
 
One key finding they noted is that awareness of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans has doubled over roughly the past decade. 46% of consumers told IFIC that they know at least a fair amount about these federal nutrition recommendations compared to 23% in 2010.
 
Economic insecurity will become a bigger part of the conversation about wellness in the year ahead, IFIC said. “A startling number of people live a single economic shock away from hunger and deprivation – and children are hit the hardest,” IFIC reports. “Consequently, we might expect more attention in 2022 from policymakers on issues like federal feeding programs, the need to act on health and nutrition disparities, and the role of lifestyle-related noncommunicable diseases – including the links between comorbidities and overall susceptibility to COVID.”
 
Stress management is also going to be a very prominent part of the wellness discussion, IFIC said, noting that people are turning to B vitamins, magnesium, whole grains, and protein as they connect these nutrition staples to feelings of stress. CBD-infused foods will also benefit from this trend as well, IFIC projects, as will non-alcoholic alternatives and other functional beverages.
 
Nostalgia
 
“All things simple and familiar will guide our food choices, whether it’s the recipes we follow or the snacks we reach for,” IFIC said. “For example, the Food Network, which launched in 1993 and has been known for its down-home and sometimes decadent cuisine, has experienced a pandemic-era ratings renaissance. Expect its ethos of simple, no-fuss home cooking to continue in 2022.”
 
Gastronomical Wanderlust
 
Perhaps tied to many Americans’ reluctance to travel, IFIC predicts that global influences on flavor will be highly important to keep an eye on. They expect exotic foods and flavors like hibiscus, yuzu, turmeric, kelp, gochujang, and ube to have a moment in the spotlight, as well as tastes such as umami, or the more rich sensation of kokumi, a Japanese term which describes a richer, longer-lasting taste.
 
Salt and sugar are out, however, and alternatives like potassium chloride, allulose, maltitol, and monk fruit will be preferred flavor sources.
 
Technology
 
Delivery-only kitchens, pop-ups, and greater adoption of QR codes and self-service will continue to be a big part of the restaurant experience, IFIC said, while other technological innovations, such as e-commerce, direct-to-consumer platforms, urban farming, vertical agriculture, and other innovations will continue to be a part of personal connections to food production.
 
CRISPR, a widely-accepted genetic modification platform in the medical space, will also become a major part of the discussion on agricultural biotechnology as a means to address food security, climate change, and sustainability, IFIC said.
 
Sustainability Cemented In
 
Sustainability will broaden its role everywhere, but especially so in attitudes and behaviors surrounding food, IFIC predicts, noting that in its 2021 Food and Health Survey 42% of consumers believe their food choices have a moderate or significant impact on the environment, while 7 in 10 say climate change sometimes influences their purchase decisions.
 
The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) will contribute to sustainable purchasing attitudes in the coming year, and environmental sustainability will help fuel low-carbon eating patterns sometimes coined as “reducetarian,” or “climatarian.”  
 
Social issues are also cemented into the sustainability discussion, the organization said, with more than half of the consumers it surveyed stating that they believe it is at least somewhat important that people working in food production, retail, and food service are treated fairly and equitably, and that this concern resonates most with younger consumers.