As a specialist, Cargill's FATitude research digs into consumers’ awareness and thoughts around the fats and oils found in packaged foods and found four key trends will impact the snacking space in 2021.
Seeking goodness
Today, consumers expect snacks and baked goods to go above and beyond everyday nutrition. While they want choices they perceive as healthier, it turns out ingredient avoidance is much more prevalent than ingredient seeking.
Food with a purpose
The story behind the brand is just as important as the product itself, with 56% of consumers stating this actually influences their purchasing decision. Wrapped up in this trend is the increased importance of accountability and transparency, which means the origin of the ingredients is important.
Boosted convenience
Consumers want it all and they want it fast, easy and portable. Cargill’s survey found more than half the respondents noted convenience as the leading influencer in brand selection, but they’re not willing to compromise health. In fact, it is those health concerns that are driving the snacking trend, with 50% of consumers around the world believing that consuming smaller portion of snack foods throughout the day is better than the set three-meals-a-day concept.
Plant popularity
No longer limited to vegetarians or vegans, more than half the world’s population is interested in adding more plant-based options to their diets. The key driver: consumers believe it’s healthier.
To help brands capitalize on these trends, Cargill’s portfolio includes a wide range of plant-based ingredients, extending to the fats and oils space.
Cargill is poised to help brands capitalise on these trends with a portfolio that includes a wide range of plant-based ingredients, and a greater emphasis on where these come from. For example, late last year, the company converted all of the production at one of its US refineries to segregated palm oil certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This move has dramatically increased the availability of sustainably sourced palm oil to its North American customers.
BakeryandSnacks chatted to Cargill’s Taylor Halstead, a commercial manager of the snacks category for Cargill’s Global Edible Oils business, to find out the company’s insight into what’s ahead.
