2022 Market trends for the Food and Beverage industry

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2021 can be presumed as a landmark era amidst the virus emergence. Moving ahead for the F&B Industry in 2022, a prediction of its state of services can be stated. The present scenario has been built on more conscious consumers. The need for more transparency, hygiene, long-term sustainability is leading to major innovations in the food industry. 

The Food and Beverage industry in the present scenario has seen a growth phase without the conventional physical interaction with the consumers. Developmental criteria project the predictions of the sector based on the consumerism patterns which are constantly varying Starting from the beginning era of covid, the segment has influential factors on varied scales, where the digital platform has performed in a growth phase. Adopting innovative culture, by giving tailored needs to the customers in the F&B industry, hypes the industry on a wider scope.  

Trends to look ahead to in 2022 in the F&B industry are:  

Plant-based consumption and cell-based foods: An average consumer in the present scenario focuses on more plant-based food by choosing to avoid animal-based food consumption. Globally the plant-based meat market is said to be worth around $85 million by 2030. Innovation of real meat from plants is an innovation that is being welcomed worldwide. Meat companies are turning towards meeting hybrid meat-veggie foods.  Cell-based foods are welcomed to suffice the sustainability act. Consumer education on cell-based food awareness addresses the food shortage crisis 

Sustainability-based consumption increasing demand: Sustainability is stated to be mainstream in the present scenario. Performing sustainable actions are increasing around the F&B industry with industry giants such as Pepsico aiming to eliminate all virgin plastics from their branded bottles sold in nine European countries by 2022. Eco-friendly products are said to increase the consumption of food and beverages. This sustainability factor is building a bridge between economy, ecology, and social issues. Striving towards achieving a sustainability-driven economy, the majority of the consumers are keen on consuming eco-friendly products.  

Direct-to consumers platform: Digitalization platform shapes the consumption patterns today, as major participation is seen in this phenomenon with consumers acquiring their needs without walking in a store or restaurant. Kraft Heinz, one of the global leaders in the F&B industry, has opened a digital hub to produce successful food ideas for enlarging the F&B segment. The hype of blockchain can be widely welcomed, as more companies move to blockchain trends and, the supply chain adheres to the latest tech platforms. From autonomous vehicles, drone deliveries, smart refrigerators, robotics, AI, walk-in-stores, tech used to check gut, etc. F&B in itself has infused technology that drives increased returns to the platform. Food delivery and cloud kitchen business are paving the way for enhancing the food and beverage sector.     

Meal Kits: Consumption of meal kits amidst the pandemic has increased on larger phase. The population strives to consume more nutritious food, with less time to be spent in preparing it. Meal kit promotes categories like Diet specialization, which provides niche diets, adhering to various lifestyle choices. The new pre-made meal kits are demanded on a wider scale, which requires minimum preparation or cleanup for the users. Both foodservice operators and retail grocers are upholding the responsibility of delivering food to consumers. Driverless tech providers like Motional and Uber Eats have come up with a plan to provide meal kits from selected restaurants. Motional, on one hand, is delivering food using the all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5- based Robo Taxis. Innovations in this segment of food delivery help in creating greater demand for consumers to hold onto a healthy lifestyle in their busy work schedules.

Cooking Robots: The creation of cooking Robots has paved the future for technological control without physical laborers. Robots are involved in both cooking and delivery activities. As per reports, Moley is the first robot to cook cuisines using AI techniques. It is stated that TUG, a delivery robot for patient meals has reduced 80% of labor costs at Reading Health Plex Pennsylvania. The surging scenario of robots and automation techniques in the dining industry is a trend to be looked at in the way forward resulting in semi-automated restaurants. The indulgence of huge ATM food markets is also becoming popular among the urban populace. The global Cooking Robot market is said to grow accordingly in the forecast period of 2022-26, resulting in increased demand from end-end users and industries of both residential and commercial applications.  

Looking ahead, the F&B Industry consists of a population who are aware of their consumption needs and are much more influenced through their personalized choices. As the industry is subjected to various vulnerabilities, AI plays a core role in all its functioning criteria, leading to higher efficiency in production and consumption. The flexibility of the F&B  industry is kindled through tie-ups for leveraging expertise, ideas, and productional factors for improved performance. 

 Article by Ramya. S