VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Aleksandra Żyłowska-Mharrab, dietitian, food technologist, educator
The market of food products and dietary supplements adapts very flexibly to what is now fashionable in diets and nutrition. The strongest trends visible in the products from the nutrition area are taking care of the mental state - good mood, sleep, relaxation and reducing stress as well as reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products. How does this translate into goods on store shelves? What will be fashionable in the food industry in 2022? We translate mods and provide numbers!
CBD is everywhere
Do you also have the impression that the CBD fashion seems to have skipped several stages of trend development? CBD products flooded the market almost out of nowhere, like a tsunami wave. In 2022, the value of the European CBD product market was $ 359 million, and by 2025 it is expected to grow to $ 3.1 billion. The popularity of CBD oils and drought was undeniably added to the coronavirus pandemic, which triggered many people's bad mood, anxiety and insomnia, and even neurosis and anxiety in others. CBD, on the other hand, hit a niche and suddenly became the product of first choice in the "wellness" and "mood enhancement" categories.
In 2022, we searched for CBD purchase opportunities 47% more often than in 2022, and the growing trend continues, although it is not so dynamic. Social media influencers also contributed to their popularity, but this turned out to be very unreliable, because CBD is not a product for everyone, and certainly not a product for people taking medications for depression, neurosis or anxiety disorders.
Today CBD is suspected to be interacting with these drugs. But no matter what science says about CBD (which is essentially good), I think we all feel that CBD products are popping out of the fridge. They're just everywhere.
What is CBD anyway? CBD is cannabidiol - an active substance obtained from hemp that has nothing to do with the psychedelic effects of THC from cannabis, i.e. marijuana. However, CBD affects the nervous system and the immune system, which is why it has many effects. According to research, CBD actually reduces tension, helps you relax, sleep and relieves pain.
No wonder then - CBDit responds to one of the greatest needs of the new, pandemic reality. Does it help everyone? Here, opinions are already divided. However, this does not change the fact that in herbal stores, with the so-called You can find masses of CBD products in he alth food, with supplements and in pharmacies.
Oils are just the beginning. Next we have droughts, pastes, e-cigarette refills, teas, ointments, cosmetics, bath balls and oils, chewing gums and even products for animals.
"Alcohol" without alcohol
Alcohol-free beer is available in virtually every store. They are produced by large international breweries and small craft breweries. In addition to the non-alcoholic version, there is also beer with a low alcohol content - 1%. And these are not only sweet radlers dedicated to women, but classic beers.
The market for dealcoholized wines is not that large and accessible yet, but it is growing. Would you like Aperol Spritz without alcohol? It will also be found. The global market for alcohol-free beers in 2022 was worth $ 15 billion and is estimated to reach $ 23 billion by 2025. In the UK, forecasts say sales of non-alcoholic beverages will increase by 17% in 2022.
What is behind the growth of the market for beers and drinks without alcohol? Increase in awareness. More and more people no longer want to drink as much as before. Knowledge about the negative effects of alcohol on physical and mental he alth is becoming more and more common, and hangovers are spoken of not only in the context of headaches and dry mouth, but also in lowering mood and exacerbating depressive states.
Some limit their drinking alcohol for the sake of physical he alth, others for the figure, and still others so as not to aggravate mental and emotional problems. It's getting fashionable to be sober.
Probiotics
Since it is known how a he althy microbiome has a beneficial effect on human he alth in many sectors, the interest in probiotic products (they provide he althy bacteria to the body) is constantly growing. Both with food and supplements. Sauerkraut and sauerkraut are returning to favors.
Fermented tea drink - kombucha - is appearing on the market in an increasing selection of flavors. We buy probiotics at the pharmacy not only for antibiotic therapy. New scientific reports say that he alth is influenced not only by the intestinal microbiome, but also by the skin and mouth. Will 2022 provide us with new probiotic cosmetics? There is a good chance of that.
Ashwagandha
The ashwagandha boom began in earnest in 2022, is still ongoing and, according to forecasts by market research specialists, will continue to grow.Selling ashwagandha root extract supplements or dried, ground root becomes a profitable business.
Each year, sales of ashwagandha supplements increase by 11.4%, and by 2029 the global market is expected to reach nearly $ 103 million. Why? What is it about ashwagandha that makes it one of the strongest trending products - products that are gaining popularity?
Ashwagandha belongs to adaptogens - plant raw materials which, thanks to the unique content of bioactive phiotochemicals, help the body better cope with physical and mental stress and fight the effects of stress. Looking at what life is like in Western countries, it is no wonder that ashwagandha is entering the mainstream. Almost everyone needs it, and chronic stress is an everyday reality.
Ashwagandha is also becoming one of the most popular sleep aids. There are many adaptogens on the market, but it seems that the effects of ashwagandha are best documented by scientific research, hence greater trust in this product.
The huge increase in interest in ashwagandha since 2022, as well as many changes in attitudes to he alth and nutrition, are due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The time of isolation and uncertainty triggered the greatest human fears, and in a period of constant anxiety, it seemed natural to seek support in the fight against stress and insomnia.
Vegetable substitutes for meat and dairy
Until a few years ago, vegetarians and vegans had a choice of tofu and … tofu in the store. Sometimes maybe soy chops. Currently, the Polish market is swelling with new products - vegetable substitutes for meat and dairy products.
Vegetable milk is completely no surprise. Almost every big store sells vegetable yoghurt, and vegan yellow, feta and blue cheeses appear. For the average consumer, however, the biggest change is in the variety of vegan options instead of meat.
Pulled "beef" from jackfruit, "minced meat" based on peas, "fish cutlets" without soy and with the addition of oyster mushrooms … These are just a few suggestions from Polish producers that appeared on store shelves in January 2022. Not to mention the availability of sausages, cold cuts, burgers and vegetable kabanos. In addition, Starbucks abolishes the surcharge for plant-based coffee milk.
In Poland, from the beginning of 2022 to the end of 2022, the sale of vegetable meat substitutes increased by 480%. The market for plant substitutes for meat and dairy products is growing 18.8% annually and will continue to grow as long as there is so much interest in reductarianism, vegetarianism and veganism.
