If there was an on-trend word for 2020, it would have been “unprecedented.” The word was often used by on-air talking heads and writers to describe the events we witnessed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trending produce items
Produce-based snacks. Snacking in place of meals is a rising trend among young consumers with their always-on-the-go lifestyles. Keeping in line with a focus on healthier diets, produce-based snack food is a growing category, including fruit chips, especially tropical fruit, such as bananas and plantains.
In addition, fruit- and vegetable-based jerkies are included in Whole Foods’ recent “Top 10 Food Trends for 2021.”
“Jerky isn’t just for meat lovers anymore. Now all kinds of produce from mushrooms to jackfruit are being served jerky-style, providing a new, shelf-stable way to enjoy fruits and veggies. The produce is dried at the peak freshness to preserve nutrients and yumminess. If that’s not enough, suppliers are literally spicing things up with finishes of chili, salt, ginger and cacao drizzle,” WholeFoodsMarket.com reported.
Microgreens. Microgreens is an ongoing trend that is expected to continue with 7.5% growth during the period of 2020-25, according to Mordor Intelligence. They’re popular with consumers because they’re visually appealing additions to salads and other dishes, but more so because of their extremely high nutrient content. For producers, they have a quick growing cycle and can be produced through vertical farming.
Implementing microgreens into ready-to-eat salad products or health-focused smoothie drinks for on-the-go consumers could be a good marketing tool for food producers.
Read more at Produce Processing
Featured image courtesy of Unsplash
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