In this detailed 85 page report by Spoonshot that was published recently there are a wide range of predictions. It’s well worth reading in full, but this is a quick overview.
Spoonshot predict that people’s interest in boosting their immunity will change to a more holistic focus on health and that health foods will become more important to people. Concepts like bio-availability and food synergies will become increasingly important. We may see increased food synergies targeted at specific conditions. This might be through increased bioavailability through specific food combinations or through partnering foods. For example partnering foods known for containing certain vitamins and minerals which have been shown to be effective for a specific health gain – immunity, gut health etc. An increased awareness of the linkages between gut health and lung health will also play a role and increase the market for foods containing probiotics and prebiotics, like cheese.
Food Service
The report looks at food service businesses, the hardest hit sector of the pandemic. It predicts a change in how food businesses operate.
Food service may change due to the impact of anosmia, the loss of smell, that many sufferers of covid experienced. This is not something that most people have experienced before and the report predicts that sense of smell is going to play a role in the evolution of food service. Some smells have proven to be intolerable to those recovering from the coronavirus and might be avoided; conversely certain scents have been found to be beneficial. Spoonshot also predict that there’ll be an increase in automation to reduce contact between customer and staff, in terms of delivery, cooking and waiting.
Sustainability
Global warming will have an effect on the food chain and an increasing focus on sustainability. We’ll see more lab grown foods as well as more organic produce and more vegetarian foods. Lab grown meat is very likely to be a big player in the future food industry, but there are other attempts to create foods in the lab, including coffee and honey.
The report predicts that there will also be more plant based milks, and that soya and almond milk is being replaced by other sources like oat milk and barley milk which are more sustainable.
Upcycling
Food waste is being turned into commercially viable products even now and the report predicts that there will be more of that in the year ahead. For example, over ripe food and veg that is air-dried and packaged or normally unused coffee husks made into drinks. Waste products from the food industry is also being made into clothing and other non-food items.
Further ahead
Spoonshot sees an increase in awareness of postbiotics, which are a byproduct of fermentation in the intestine and contained in some fermented foods like kefir and cheese. They are not live so have a long shelf-life and could be used in a wide range of foods. The report also predicts that carbon labelling will be more and more prevalent on food packaging.
Read the Spoonshot report in full by clicking here – Report by Spoonshot