Canadian Food Business
By: Julianne Suleski
The end of 2016 saw a merger between an unlikely pair – the world’s second-largest food and beverage company, PepsiCo, and a small fermented drinks maker, KeVita. This could only mean one thing: fermented beverages have reached an unexpected level of success and are likely here to stay.
The trend of kombucha, kefir, kimchi and other fermented foods is on the rise due to their digestive health benefits, and PepsiCo buying in is another sign of the strength of this industry. Julian Mellentin, author of New Nutrition Business’ new report, Fermentation: how to make a trend into an opportunity, says, “Smart companies will seize the fermentation opportunity now, at day one. It’s a good time to take a calculated risk on a development that links to some powerful growth trends.”
These growth trends can be observed by looking at the sales of traditional foods in this space compared with the more on-trend foods. For example, spoonable yoghurt, a $6.9-billion industry, only saw 0.5% growth in 2016 versus kefir, which experienced 16% growth, and kombucha which saw 7% growth.
The success of these products is due to the digestive wellness benefits, which consumers have established as an important and a long-term priority. Keeping in line with healthful choices, consumers are also choosing lactose- and gluten-free products in order to “feel comfortable on the inside.”
Getting back to dietary basics is a concept that consumers are prioritizing. By lowering sugar intake, eating naturally functional foods such as non-dairy kefir shots, and increasing accessibility to single-serving vegetable-based snacks are just a few ways consumers are shaping the industry. This focus on a healthier diet, along with current purchasing trends is paving the way for fermented food success.
For the full press release, go to: http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/ingredient-communications/pressreleases/press-release-seize-the-fermented-foods-opportunity-1817384
