Nowadays, people eat not only to fill their stomachs, but also hope that the food they eat is environmentally friendly, healthy, nutritious and convenient. Furthermore, sensory experiences related to food are increasingly sought after by consumers.
This means that consumers in the post-pandemic era have higher goals. They not only hope for sustainable development of the environment, but also hope to keep their bodies healthy and prolong their lives away from diseases. At the same time, foodies expect food to be more convenient and enjoyable.
Food suppliers have seen this change and are constantly advancing food innovations based on changing needs. There are many food companies that have launched technology-rich, user-oriented food services and innovative products.
1. Sustainability: Environmental Protection and Ethical Way
Farther Farms, based in New York, has created a new technology that uses supercritical carbon dioxide to naturally pasteurize food without freezing, refrigeration and artificial preservatives. This approach reduces the energy used in processing and distribution by 70% while preserving the shelf-life of fresh-cut produce. This may lead to cost savings in logistics and supply chain, as well as food quality assurance. Innovations in food preservation technology contribute to energy conservation.
Indonesia-based startup Evoware is leveraging plants as a plastic replacement for food packaging. They have plastic-free bags made from cassava, disposable straws made from rice, and cups and wrappers made from seaweed. Using plants as raw materials to make packaging bags can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, prevent soil and groundwater pollution, and save wild animals from being strangled by plastic.
As the global environmental cause continues to grow, consumers are increasingly concerned about where and how their food is obtained. French supermarket chain Super U has added a QR code on food labels that shoppers can scan it via Snapchat Stories to instantly know where the food came from and whether it was ethically caught, farmed or grown. More transparent information reassures consumers and can promote the transformation of the farming industry.
2. Health and Nutrition: Gluten-Free, Organic, Natural ingredients
A growing number of organizations and studies are reporting that we are in a nutrition crisis. Fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they used to be due to the pursuit of high-yield.
The nutritional value of a serving of vegetables today is much less than it was 70 years ago (National Geographic, 2022).
It is becoming more and more difficult for modern people to take in enough vitamins and minerals. Instead, they eat too much sugar, which leads to a higher and higher obesity rate. The huge demand for weight loss means that people are pursuing healthier and more nutritious food.
A trend has emerged. Ingredients such as MCT oil, cannabis, prebiotics/probiotics, and minerals make beverages functional as diverse nutrients boost immunity.
French startup Feed puts nutrition in a drink bottle. Their drinking products are gluten-free, vegan, lactose-free, and non-GMO. Each bottle of meals provides the same nutrients and energy of a complete meal, avoiding allergy. Food tech company Algama, also from France, is trying to turn microalgae into a tasty, environmentally friendly, vitamin-rich food source for everyday consumption.
Los Angeles-based Caulipower produces gluten-free bread from cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Their cauliflower-crust pizza and sweet potato chicken tenders are huge hits. The four-year-old company has grown quickly, reaching $100 million in sales in 2020, which is currently sold at more than 25,000 retailers and online grocery stores.
Cauliflower is packed with rich nutrients and lower in carbs, making it a great substitute for flour in staple meals like Caulipower's cauliflower noodles. Cauliflower is favored by ketogenic dieters, but also often appears on the table of vegetarians.
3. Convenience and Experience: Food Delivery, Application of New Technique
Food delivery is nothing new, but fast delivery is still a top concern for restaurants and diners alike. Cloud kitchens are popping up, and they generally do not have offline stores. Taster has more than 200 digital restaurants that only support online ordering. They can prepare food within 5 minutes and deliver it to your door in an average of 20 minutes. 60% of their users are repeat customers. Ghost restaurants can save the huge cost of opening offline stores and reduce business risks.
Foodies who hate the garlic breath but love it will thank Garlidoux. The company claims to have found a solution to get rid of the unpleasant taste of garlic so that you don't have to worry about bad breath after eating garlic. The company won the Asia Food Innovation Award 2019 for its unique products. The garlic paste made from non-GMO hand-picked garlic is free of cholesterol and trans fat.
Nutrigenomics, which uses a person's genetics to create a unique eating plan, is in its infancy but highly effective in improving an individual's nutritional status. By analyzing a person's genetic makeup, researchers can learn which nutrient the person can absorb more, and give corresponding nutritional supplement recipes. Companies such as 23andMe, DNAFit, Nutrigenomix and Habit are offering customized diets based on DNA samples.
VR can change people's eating experience. Cornell food scientists used virtual reality to show how people’s perception of real food can be altered by their surroundings, according to research published in the Journal of Food Science. We found that Project Nourished utilizes VR and AR to provide users with "meal virtual reality experiences" that mimic or enhance the texture, sound, taste and experience of eating certain foods to trick the senses. The technology is said to be used to treat eating disorders and weight management.