Read our updated report here: 2021 Food and Beverage Industry Trends

The 2020 food and beverage industry trends reflect the changing tastes and preferences of consumers as they engage new attitudes to ingredients, meal habits, and more. Download the 2020 Food and Beverage Industry Trends Report below to learn more about how consumers’ tastes are driving innovation and change in the industry.

Food and Beverage Industry Trend #1:

Plant-based is here to stay

Plant-based products are having a moment. From April 2017 to April 2019, plant-based grocery sales reportedly skyrocketed 31.3% reaching a total market value of $4.5 billion. In 2020, plant-based products will continue to flourish as consumers shift towards a healthier lifestyle. We’ll see more innovation in plant-based meats, cheeses, and milks featuring more creative ingredients such as grains, beans, avocado, pumpkin, and hemp seed, rather than relying on soy as many plant-based companies do today. These ingredients will be used to replace animal protein and to mimic the textures of animal products.

Download the 2020 Food and Beverage Industry Trends

In 2019, we saw enormous growth for the plant-based meat category, mostly driven by the success of brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Both brands grew their restaurant footprint, expanding into quick service restaurants (QSRs) and casual restaurants such as Burger King, Del Taco, Qdoba, and TGI Fridays. But, the expansion wasn’t without challenges. Impossible Burger faced multiple shortages, leading to frustration for both consumers and customers. To be successful in today’s competitive and fast-moving plant-based category, companies need to re-enforce and strengthen supply chain processes in order to meet the increasing consumer demand.

Food and Beverage Industry Trend #2:

Plant-centered – the meeting of plants & meat

2019 may have been the year of plant-based, but 2020 will be the year that animals and plants mix. As people look to integrate more plants into their diets, products that blend plants and meats will find their footing.

In 2019, Tyson Foods released their first plant-meat blended burger as an option for meat eaters seeking a healthier lifestyle without giving up meat entirely. And, they’re not alone. You can find fish cut with rice and beans, dairy milk mixed with ground almonds, chicken and kale sausages, and meat and mushroom burgers in grocery aisles. While Americans are curious about plant-based products, many still see meat as a staple of their diet. Despite near record high consumption of meat, Americans are looking for ways to eat healthier; 95% of Americans sometimes or always look for healthy foods while shopping. By aligning with this desire to be healthier, while still including ingredients that consumers crave, brand are able to create opportunities to capture consumer interest.

To continue reading the 2020 Food and Beverage Industry Trends report, download below.

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Read last year’s Food and Beverage Industry Trends Report here.