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The food industry needs to adapt to a paradigm shift among consumers away from traditional diets some experts believe and discussed the trend during FiE exhibition in Paris this year.
Many young people of the „millennial generation“ already changed their nutritional behaviour. Whereas their parents still are used to have 2-3 meals a day, traditionally cooked the young people prefer “food on demand”, fast, casual and immediately and everywhere available. As a breakfast some cereal flakes or a green smoothie, an energy bar later the day, perhaps an insect burger or a Chinese algae noodle soup for lunch, a protein shake during the after work gym, some super-food falafel or fresh vegan sushi on the run before diving into the urban evening entertainment.
The experts created already the expressions for it: flexitarianism, snackification and sportification to describe the nutritional trends during the FiE show.
In addition these multiple snacks replacing the traditional European diets shall fulfil individual nutritional demands and they should be tasty and exciting. As cooking at home is “out” and innovative street food is the urban alternative reflecting the modern way of living, the expectations of the younger people changed with respect to sustainability and health issues.
Functional food shall not only provide, what nutritional scientists demand, but also must have a low CO2 footprint to be liked by the Friday-for-Future kids. The negative image of prepared food (think of canned ravioli in tomato sauce) recovers. Today “prepared food” means “designed food”, enriched with special ingredients like anti-oxidants, vitamins, botanicals or even cognitive-enhancing actives. It is also said that this trend might not only be supported by the young generation, but also the ageing population which expects advantages from e.g. special anti-Alzheimer diets.
What does this all mean with respect to food analysis? New ingredients, novel processing, individualised food additives and supplements will cause demand for refined legal regulation and thus also for progressive analytical methods to keep high food safety levels, another common consumer expectation.
Only big laboratories, experienced in method adaptation and development and well-networked like the food labs of the AGROLAB GROUP will be prepared to meet the upcoming analytical challenges and ensure food safety in future.
Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger
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