The food franchise industry is the largest and the most profitable of all the franchise industries. The biggest sub-industry of the food sector is fast-food franchises, such as McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, 7-Elevin Inc, and many more fast-food franchises. But every year there is always a new departure in the food industry that rivals fast-food eating and dining, and 2008 is no different.
This begs the questions, which way are consumer food trends heading for 2008? Although consumers are constantly bombarded with messages about healthy eating, encouraging them to cut down on fats, sugar and salt, obesity levels are still at an all time high. Convenience foods and takeaways are increasing. Nevertheless, there is a still a huge part of the market that is interested in new, healthier food which is all part of a global campaign for awareness of living a healthy, balanced life.
As a result the food industry is responding to consumer’s demands and changes in the market for fast-food convenience food. I have identified 10 key food trends that are encompassing this new desire for healthier foods, and these trends will be big news in the food franchise industry in 2008.
1. Wellness Foods
In response to government and health organizations warnings for greater awareness of what we take for granted in relation to excessive food habits, food companies are producing more foods with lower salt, less fat, more grains and fibres as well as other types of nutritionally beneficial ingredients.
The combination of nutrition and medicine is offering franchisors the opportunity for unlimited scope for new product developments. Recent examples include green tea drink with ginger that burns calories rather than adding them, vitamin enhanced beer and dark chocolate sold as an antioxidant.
2. New World Foods
There is a burgeoning interest in new foods sourced from “new” or “exotic” places. Superfruits like the purple acai berry from the rain forest, which has already achieved a market place in health food shops could make the transition to mainstream if undertaken effectively by clever business people.
Some have suggested that Peruvian cuisine- a combination of Spanish, Italian, Indian, Japanese and native cookery- could be the next big ethnic food. Coconut is finding new uses such as natural juice while fruit soups have also been encouraged as holding consumer potential.
3. Ethical/Environmental eating
This trend overlaps with wellness since both espouse organic and free range foods. However ethical eating goes beyond natural taste and health and into the realms of green politics and anti-globalization. It includes concepts of “fair-trade” and “sustainable” and also “food miles”, which brings together the related concepts of locality and seasonality. Good farming practices in terms of the treatment of livestock are also part of this trend. Organic or free-range food products will be a top of the food list for food franchises 2008-2012…
4. Ethnicity
Ethnic flavors that draw inspiration from distant cuisines are increasingly popular in the U.S. and across Europe. Vietnamese cuisine is becoming popular and, in cities, sushi is now a mainstream restaurant cuisine, and, in some locations, a mainstream supermarket product.
Spanish cuisines and South American restaurants are identified as trends with consumer potential. Similarly Asian food is also becoming quiet a popular food trend across the U.S., with great tasting low fat cuisines full of flavor becoming the dish of the day!
5. Water
Water is huge and is increasingly becoming a political and social conundrum, with the effects of global warming and the reduction in levels of water both for living and for consumption. The market potential for bottling naturally flavored water is huge and continues to be a highly lucrative industry. For example, there are now water bars, water menus along with some water sommeliers in restaurants to pair water with good food choices.
6. Specialities
Making ordinary food special, such as the way water can now be viewed as having health or other benefits, and can come in a range of product variations, is another growing trend.
An example is salt which has been diversified into gourmet sea salt, Hawaiian Red, Black Lava, Sel Gris, pink salt from the Andes and Tahitian vanilla salt. The variations are endless and any “ordinary” food product can be diversified into numerous “types”.
7. Portion Control
Portion control is one of the keys to attaining a healthy diet and losing weight effectively. This principle is also having a key influence on products and services within the franchise industry, such as “portion-controlled scoops”, or “portion-controlled plates” that help individuals effectively measure what is a good amount or bad amount of the food groups for each meal.
In addition, Spanish tapas, Greek meze, and Japanese izakayas are all types of the “portion-controlled” food an individual can buy in a restaurant. Manufacturers have also developed calorie-controlled mini portions of snacks and confectionary in response to healthy eating trends.
8. Constant Diet
Dieting will always be big franchise industry news, with the rise in products and services that help people diet lose weight and manage their weight. The increased pace in everyday life, the stress and longer working hours has ensured a consumer society that is dependent on quick food products.
But this is not great for the waistlines! Manufacturers have as a result come up with new services and products to encourage healthier eating and dieting. More personalized diets tailored to an individuals needs is becoming the new constant diet trend…
9. Provenance
Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of where their food comes from and its origins for safety. This trend overlaps with both wellness eating and ethical eating, but it is also a food trend and consumer preoccupation in its own right. Consumers no longer accept less than transparency. And this means products and services must display origins of content and structure…
10. Retro eating
Consumers, particularly boomers and generation X, tend to evoke sentiments of traditional food products. For the younger demographics, the concept of retro eating can be fun and exciting. There is an association with foods that are additive-free and pure, which, ostensibly, predate mass production and factory farming. And then there are as many new angles to retro eating as there are hindsight re-interpretations of history.
Appeasing today’s consumer is no small task. Food products need to address health concerns with features such as whole-grains, pro-biotics, omega-3, antioxidants, carotenes, vitamins, sugar-free and low-salt together with a dash of the three E’s- ethnicity, exoticism, and ethics- to top it all of, they need to be packaged in convenient, calorie-friendly portions!
Aine Meade is a Website Editor for Franchise Direct, a leading Internet franchise advertising portal. Aine creates high quality franchise information for its international websites in the U.S., and Europe. Aine has a BA (First) in English and History; MA in Literature & Publishing; Diploma in Media Journalism and a Diploma in Marketing.