the rts blog

Food Industry Trends: Health and Wellbeing

2012-01-26T15:05:00.002Z

Kate Hand

Research and Marketing

Co-ordinator

As reported in our top trends report for 2012, the trend for health and wellbeing is set to continue as consumers become more aware of the foods they eat. I was interested to see a new line of salads in UK supermarket Asda at the weekend - produced by Del Monte UK and branded 'Love Salad'.

This innovative new range contains a selection of meats, cous cous and salad vegetables with a dressing. They contain fewer than 370 calories, no artificial colours, flavours or hydrogenated fats and are low in sugar, fat and salt. When considering the trend for health and wellbeing, they seem to tick all of the boxes.

I purchased the feta and beetroot cous cous salad (pictured below) - it was particularly interesting to note the combination of flavours in the maple and balsamic dressing and the new take on a cous cous salad containing beetroot. This colourful salad would appeal to the consumers' eye as well as their palate.

Full ingredients list:

Beetroot, Cous Cous (57%) [Water, Beetroot, Cous Cous, Concentrated Beetroot Juice, Invert Sugar, Rapeseed Oil], Leaf Mix (18%) [Spinach and Rocket], Balsamic and Maple Dressing (13%) [Balsamic vinegar of Madena, Maple Syrup, Rapeseed Oil] Feta Cheese (11%)

Top food trends for 2012

2011-12-07T14:32:00.001Z

Following the success of our 2011 top trend report, we have just published Top Food and Ingredient Trends 2012.

To receive the report, sign up to our new trend briefing service.

In our last blog post, we highlighted the importance of trend-led data and analysis. As traditional markets stagnate, it is growing markets such as convenience, health and natural ingredients that are creating opportunities for suppliers. Our research has revealed five exciting new trends for 2012:

The New Frugality
Future Now
Healthy Alternative
Home Advantage
The key flavour trend for 2012.

Learn more about each trend in our free report.

To receive the report, simply sign up to our monthly trend briefings using the form below. This new service - beginning in January 2012 - is designed to provide you with the latest trend information especially designed for the food and ingredients industry.

Trends - why they have become the driving force behind value growth in the food and ingredients industry

2011-11-01T14:53:00.001Z

In this article, we highlight the importance of understanding the key trends and how they work together. We uncover how this can open the doors to business growth for ingredient suppliers and food manufacturers.

Everyone seems to be talking about food trends: consumer trends, market trends and flavour trends. Is this simply the new buzzword or are trends really becoming a crucial part of creating your strategy for growth? How can ingredient suppliers use trend-led information to drive NPD?

Why are trends so important?

In today’s highly competitive market, producing great ingredients is no longer enough to guarantee success. You must also clearly communicate the benefits of your products - both to manufacturers and consumers. Knowing which trends are driving the market and, crucially, how to make them work for you is the key to developing products that sell.

Our research has revealed that trends are not only effective individually but that when linked together they become powerful market drivers. Understanding how trends link together will provide focus and inspiration for new products and ingredient solutions, opening doors to new markets and product categories.

Identifying and applying key trends will help you to:

Identify opportunities for NPD
Enter new markets
Enter new countries or regions
Supply new product categories
Create innovative ingredient solutions
Create food and beverage products that consumers are demanding
Stay ahead of your competitors

The data behind the trends
Our extensive global food industry research allows us to determine the importance and significance of trends in the food and ingredients industry.

The chart below shows the difference between growth in traditional markets and trend-led markets.

Whilst growth has slowed in traditional markets, trend-led markets have been growing at a much faster rate. Our research has shown that this is set to continue as trends become even more important in developing new products.

Value growth of food and ingredients market (%)

What future trends will impact the food and beverage industry?

Our research has identified three key SuperTrends:

We have written a detailed report for each of the above SuperTrends. By clicking on each title, you can find out more information about each report.

Stay ahead with our FREE monthly food industry trend briefing

Within each of these SuperTrends, there are numerous smaller trends driving the market, that can be used by suppliers and manufacturers for NPD.

To gain further insight into these trends, the drivers, recent innovation and how they can be used in your company, subscribe to our free monthly trend briefing.

Each month you will be sent detailed information about one key trend impacting the industry with inspiration for applying this trend to your business. To receive these valuable briefings, fill in the form below.

Food Industry Report: The shift towards natural flavours and its impact on the market for natural ingredients

2011-10-07T10:25:00.000+01:00

Global market for flavours in food and drink forecast by RTS to reach $9.0bn by 2015. Our latest research reveals a shift towards natural ingredients. In this free global industry report we highlight the growing markets and key product categories.

The global flavours market - what we know from our research

The global market for flavours as an ingredient in food and drink is currently worth $7.8bn, according to research by RTS, with natural flavours now worth $3.3bn - a 43% share of the total flavours market. This shift in demand towards natural flavours is increasing the price of natural ingredients, which in turn is driving value growth ahead of the market.

While demand for synthetics has stalled, demand for natural flavours have been growing rapidly at a rate of 9.1% per year as food and drink manufacturers across the world respond to consumer and retailer pressure and replace synthetic flavours with natural alternatives.

How does this impact suppliers to the food industry?

Consumers are looking for healthier, more natural food products. This trend, together with increased pressure from governments, health organisations and retailers to move towards natural ingredients, has created a significant shift in demand away from synthetic ingredients.

As a result of this change in demand, many manufacturers are reformulating their products to ‘clean-label’ formulations. Natural flavours offer perceived health benefits in addition to taste, so manufacturers can promote this to health-aware consumers as another reason to buy.

As demand for natural flavours grows, the resulting rise in value will drive the market.

How can you use this information to benefit your business?

Consider the key markets - our research has identified the US, followed by China, the UK and Germany as the most significant for natural flavours. But also look at markets where significant growth potential exists, even while demand remains comparatively low - we would recommend Brazil, India and Russia as important growing markets.

Consider the key product categories for natural flavours - we have identified soft drinks, yoghurts and desserts as the largest market sectors. Do you have a natural ingredient - perhaps herb or spice based - that could take advantage of growth in these categories? For example, if you supply a spice-derived flavour to ready meals, there could be an opportunity for you to expand into the soft drinks sector.

Request the full report for FREE

This global food industry report examines the shift from synthetic to natural flavours and highlights key opportunities and growth areas.

We will send you this report for free when you fill in your details below. You will receive it by email.

Simply fill in the form below..

Other titles in our food industry report series:

We also offer a range of related reports that will provide you with in-depth information on the market for natural ingredients. Click on the links below to find out more.

Natural and Synthetic Flavours as an ingredient for food and drink
Seasonings, Herbs and Spices as ingredients for food and drink
Natural Flavours - Global market data pack
Synthetic Flavours - Global market data pack

Authenticity: a key future market driver - Experiences

2011-09-22T13:46:00.000+01:00

As consumers search for new taste experiences, the desire for authentic, traceable ingredients is increasing.

Proving provenance
The micro-regional trend brings authenticity to a new level, focusing on the specific dishes and flavour combinations from regions and thus widening the scope of options that can be offered. Using traditional, regional recipes and authentic ingredients - preferably that come from the region itself - allows manufacturers to offer new experiences to consumers.

Tell the story
If consumers feel that they know the people producing the goods, an emotional connection is established and support for the producers becomes personal. Manufacturers that reinforce their relationship with producers thus offer consumers important reassurance to further strengthen loyalty.

Ethics and ethos
When working with small producers in other countries, it is vital that manufacturers and retailers clearly convey a strong ethics policy, especially in relation to commitment to the wellbeing of producer communities, environment (carbon footprint) and sustainability.

Taken from SuperTrends: Experiences from RTS. To order your copy of the report, click here.

Reinvigorating consumers reaps rewards - Experiences

2011-09-14T15:53:00.000+01:00

Re-imagining and reinvigorating shopping and dining out experiences can drive product popularity and create opportunities for manufacturers, retailers and foodservice providers.

Searching for the ‘new’
As the market for food and beverages becomes ever more crowded, manufacturers are being called upon to work harder than ever before to establish new products and maintain their existing market share.

Technology sells
Advances in technology - particularly in relation to smartphone applications or ‘Apps’ and mobile internet - are opening up considerable opportunities for food manufacturers and retailers. New vending technology is also being used to extend the shopping experience.

The element of surprise
Anything which surprises consumers or challenges their preconceptions (especially in the case of multinational manufacturers and well-established brands) can have a positive impact. Recent innovations such as flash sales, pop-up shops/restaurants, flash markets, random acts of kindness and surprise visits to consumers’ homes/workplaces have all been used effectively by companies across the world.

Taken from SuperTrends: Experiences from RTS. To order your copy of the report, click here

The future of flavour: Flavour Experiences

2011-09-09T16:04:00.000+01:00

As consumer tastes develop, flavours which present a new experience will be in demand.

Taste travel
Consumers are continually looking for new taste experiences as their tastes develop. As consumers cut back on foreign travel but still wish to experience new tastes, flavours which are authentic to a particular region or country will grow in demand.

Be creative
Today’s consumers are willing to experiment with flavours. As a result, demand for interesting flavour combinations is growing. The key to success is knowing your market and creating flavour experiences that appeal to your target customers.

Added benefits
As the use of natural flavours is increasingly becoming a consumer expectation, manufacturers can take careful advantage of the added functional benefits that can be offered by using flavours derived from fruit and herbs.

Taken from SuperTrends: Experiences from RTS. To order your copy of the report, click here

Creating a Theatre of Eating - Experiences

2011-09-09T14:55:00.000+01:00

As consumers increasingly demand more from the food they eat, products which innovate and entertain, whether linked with technology, simply offering ‘something new, or add to the home dining experience, will become increasingly desirable.

Extending the experience

A rise in interest in home cooking, together with fast-developing technology products that can deliver recipe information and virtual entertainment are offering food manufacturers a growing range of opportunities to extend the eating experience within the home.

A new approach

The Theatre of Eating trend is more than just technology, however. Established brands can take advantage of this trend by re-imagining their popular products, perhaps using limited edition flavours. This will not only reinvigorate existing consumer interest but also attract new customers who are looking for new experiences or eating occasions.

For the people

Linking products to web-based campaigns, events and free gifts can strengthen brand loyalty by making consumers feel valued. Online communities extend the eating experience and encourage consumers to contribute and feel a part of the brand.

Taken from SuperTrends: Experiences from RTS. To order your copy of the report, click here.

Opportunities for seasonings, herbs and spices

2011-09-06T10:23:00.005+01:00

Increasing demand for highly flavoured foods, consumers seeking new taste experiences and rising commodity prices means the global market for industrial seasonings, herbs and spices is growing at a rate of 4.7% per year in value.

This, combined with increased industrial food production and a growing awareness of the health benefits of herbs and spices is driving demand globally.

Our new report, Industrial Seasonings, Herbs and Spices, is designed exclusively for suppliers and manufacturers of herbs and spices to the food industry and will enable you to grow your business and exploit the opportunities in this $6.0bn global market.

This report also sees the launch of the first in our new DataPack series, competitively priced and offering unrivalled access to market data and analysis on the global ingredients market in 20 countries with volume and value forecasts to 2015.

Industrial Seasonings, Herbs and Spices is available now from our report store where you can also download sample pages and view the table of contents. Or for more detailed information contact Jamie Rice on +44 1902 422282.

Indulgent treats tempt cash-strapped consumers

2011-08-26T11:33:00.003+01:00

Amid reports of increasing energy prices and a consumer recession, there has never been a more important time for indulgent treats.

The food and ingredients industry provides the perfect market place to sell a wide range of treats across different product categories and to suit any budget. This means that a product no longer has to be seen as 'premium' to be considered a treat.

Biscuit suppliers are leading the way in indulgent innovation. Here is a selection of new product launches in UK supermarkets

Brands cashing in on the trend for indulgent treats

KP
Nutty Nibbles

Flavours:
Biscuits and Chocolate Nut Mix
Fruit and Chocolate Nut Mix
www.kpnuts.com

McVities
Temptations

Flavours:
Belgian Milk Chocolate and Hazlenut
Belgian White Chocolate and Truffle
Belgian Milk Chocolate and Praline
www.mcvities.co.uk

Asda
Indulgent Treats

An assortment of biscuit snacks
Left: Chocolate biscuit assortment
www.asda.com

Milka
Choco Minis

Other new products from Milka:
Choco Cookies
Choco Grains
www.milka.com

More information:

For more information on the trend for indulgence see our Supertrends: Experiences report

Contact us for market data including value and volumes for the global snack market

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news and analysis from the food industry

Trend News: Coconut - emerging ingredient and flavour

2011-08-11T16:15:00.000+01:00

In recent months, we have seen a market rise in the popularity of coconut, both as an ingredient and as a key flavour. Here is our guide to the benefits of coconut and the key trends that this ingredient follows.

One fruit, many forms

Used widely across Asia, the fruit of the coconut palm is often referred to as 'the tree of life'. The flesh or kernel of the coconut from mature fruit is eaten and used in cooking, the 'water' or liquor inside unripened or green fruit is used for energy and medicinal purposes and 'milk' can be produced by squeezing the fully formed flesh of mature coconuts.

Key Trend 1: ADDED BENEFITS

Coconut boasts many healthy properties. Coconut water is a natural isotonic and therefore an excellent source of natural energy that is growing in popularity amongst Western nations as an alternative to energy drinks, to manage weight, to benefit skin, hair, bones and teeth and to strengthen immunity. In addition to this, recent research suggests that coconuts could help in the treatment of diabetes and kidney conditions; it aids digestion and is both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.

Key Trend 2: FREE-FROM / HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE

Coconut milk is used as a substitute for cow's milk, both for vegan diets and for lactose-free diets. This appeals not only to those who wish to use dairy alternatives for medical reasons, but also for consumers who are looking for healthier, less processed diets as part of the Food+Lifestyle trend.

Key Trend 3: TASTE TRAVEL

Coconut is a key component of many meals in India and Asia, especially in Thai cuisine, so convenient products that allow consumers to recreate these dishes using authentic ingredients are likely to grow in demand.

Key Trend 4: ETHICAL

Coconut is the latest subject of an emerging trend for ingredients that are ethically and fairly traded. For example, Ben & Jerry's has just added a new FairTrade coconut variety to its ethically-sourced ice-cream range.

To find out more key trends, visit our report store to see our SuperTrend reports - Health & Wellbeing, Experiences and (coming soon) Local:Global.

See the latest trends in Health and Wellbeing

2011-08-04T09:51:00.000+01:00

New to the RTS blog - our vlogs!
At RTS, we like to bring you new and innovative ways of accessing the latest market data and trend analysis. So. we're proud to launch our brand new RTS vlogs.

SuperTrends: Health and Wellbeing
In the first of our new vlogs, discover the first title in our SuperTrends report series, looking at the latest and emerging trends in health and wellbeing products. From the new functional foods, to food as a lifestyle indicator, new health claims legislation and consumer demand for clean-label products, we bring you a detailed video guide to the key features of SuperTrends: Health and Wellbeing.

Watch out for a new blog series to accompany this video, looking at each key feature in a little more detail.

To order your copy of the report, visit our Report Store.

New products - July 2011

2011-08-02T14:01:00.002+01:00

UK product launches inspired by the latest trends in the food industry.....

Uncle Bens Rice Time Ready Meals

Following the trends: Convenience, Health and Wellbeing, Low Fat, Portion Control, Quality Ingredients

Flavours: Sweet and Sour, Medium Curry, Spicy Tikka Masala, Mexican Chilli, Cantonese

More Information: http://www.unclebens.co.uk/ricetime

Dolmio Pasta Vita Ready Meals
Following the trends: Convenience, Health and Wellbeing, Low Fat, Natural Ingredients, Provenance (Italian Ingredients), POrtion Control

Flavours: Roasted Garlic and Tomato, Tomato and Basil, Sweet Pepper, Tomato and Chilli, Fusilli Bolognese

More Information: http://www.dolmio.co.uk/

Heinz Squeeze and Stir Soups
Following the trends: Convenience, Food on-the-go, Low Fat

Flavours: Cream of Tomato Soup, Cream of Tomato Soup with Basil, Minestrone Soup, Mediterranean Vegetable Soup

More Information: http://www.heinz.co.uk/Ourfood/Soups

How can we help?

If you require information about the market for ready meals and convenience foods contact us

For the latest food industry news, articles and discounts on our products join our mailing list by filling out the form to the right

For more information about trends view our latest reports

Image Credits: Uncle Bens, Heinz, Dolmio

Free-from here to stay!

2011-07-26T15:18:00.003+01:00

Image: The Co-operative
new free-from range

In our recent article 'Free-from, passing trend or here to stay ?' we reported on the growing trend for free-from foods including recent product launches.

According to The Grocer this trend is here to stay with sales of free-from products totalling £199.5 million (52w/e 17 April 2011) in the UK alone an increase of 14.5% year-on-year.*

The report states that sales of free-from products have grown across many product categories from bakery to dairy to frozen prepared foods. This represents an opportunity for suppliers and manufacturers to develop new free-from ranges as well as offering free-from versions of their most popular products.

This is just one example of how trends are driving growth in today's complex food and drink market. As consumers actively seek to lead healthier lifestyles, health and wellbeing represents a significant opportunity for suppliers and manufacturers to add value.

For more information on this and other opportunities in Health and Wellbeing, take a look at our new report.

* Kantar World Panel. Source: The Grocer 16 July 2011

Recent product launches include:

The Co-operative free-from and Wholefoods ranges

Mrs Crimble Chocolate and Orange Mini Macaroons

Kikkoman gluten-free soy sauce

Key flavour trends revealed

2011-06-24T10:51:00.001+01:00

Which trends will shape the food and ingredients market in the future? RTS reveals all.

The team at RTS were delighted to be invited to present at the Fi Flavours, Trends and Innovation conference in Amsterdam last month.

Our flavour trends presentation
- free when you subscribe to our newsletter

We revealed the key flavour trends for food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers, demonstrating how these will work together to drive growth in the market in the coming years.

From natural flavours to convenience, we investigated the longevity of each trend, showing how consumer attitudes, lifestyle aspirations and expectations will affect the $7.4bn global flavours market.

insight
- the free newsletter
from RTS

This month, all of the subscribers to our monthly insight newsletter received this full presentation for free. Packed with the latest industry news, special offers and free downloads, insight is the must-have resource for the food and ingredients industry. It's completely free to subscribe and we're planning some exciting exclusives for our subscribers in the coming months!

You can receive this presentation for free - simply subscribe to insight (use the orange box on the right) and start enjoying the benefits immediately!

Emerging trend: Theatre of Shopping

2011-06-23T11:23:00.000+01:00

Advances in technology - particularly in relation to android phone applications and mobile internet - are opening up considerable opportunities for manufacturers in all industries, and food manufacturers are no exception to this. As part of the Experiences SuperTrend, new technologies are creating an emerging trend for Theatre of Shopping - extending the shopping experience using applications and online content, amongst other initiatives.

A QR (Quick Response) Code

New interactive technology, such as the use of Quick Response (QR) codes, could provide manufacturers with the opportunity of offering exclusive content to extend the reach of their products and brands into consumers’ homes. QR codes are becoming widely used in Japan and the US (with new trials currently being conducted in Europe and the UK) to open specific content on online sites or add products to a virtual shopping basket.

Increasingly, QR codes are being used by manufacturers to unlock content or, when sent in a multimedia text message (MMS), as discount codes within supermarkets and retail outlets. QR codes are easy to generate using free online generator sites such as www.qrstuff.com and www.quikqr.com and can link to anything from websites to special promotions, blogs or social media applications.

PepsiCo’s Doritos brand (UK, Europe, South Africa, Scandinavia, Canada, The USA and Latin America) recently promoted a ‘Late Night’ multimedia experience to accompany its sharing bags of tortilla chips, where a QR code (Quick Response) unlocked music videos when scanned via a webcam or android phone with a QR reader application.

source: www.japantrends.com

Meanwhile in Japan, beverage manufacturer JT (Japan Tobacco) recently joined forces with publisher Viz Media’s Shonen Jump Manga brand comics to offer free downloadable mini comic book episodes via a QR code.

As this trend is new and still developing, food manufacturers and retailers who take the initiative may well give themselves a valuable advantage over their competitors.

This is taken from SUPERTRENDS: EXPERIENCES, the latest report from RTS Resource, due to be launched next month. For more details, or to reserve your copy, email us.

New Products - May 2011

2011-05-23T14:59:00.001+01:00

The latest product launches in the UK

Tesco Lightly Seeded Haddock Fillets
Following the trends - Health & Wellbeing, Functional, Healthy Alternative, Convenience

Find out more: www.tesco.com

Waitrose Good to Go
A new range of convenient snacks, cakes, salads and sandwiches
Left: Nut snack packs from the new range; Pecans & Ginger, Brazil Nuts
Below Left: Romain Lettuce Leaf Boat filled with sweet chilli chicken and noodles
Following the trends - Convenience, Healthy Indulgence, Health and Wellbeing

Find out more: www.waitrose.com

Gressingham Duck Sausages
These sausages will be served in Whitbread Table pubs as part of a seasonal offering
Following the trends: Convenience, Experiences, British, Seasonal, Premium Indulgence

Find out more: www.gressinghamfoods.co.uk

Marks and Spencer Deli Tapas range
A new range inspired by local spanish cuisine
Following the trends: Authentic, Regional, Mediterranean cuisine, Convenience
The range includes:
Spiced Chicken and Giant Chick Peas
Roasted Chorizo
Spanish Tortillas
Goat's Cheese Bites

Find out more: www.marksandspencer.com

Fox's Ambers
A range of biscuits for everyday indulgence
Following the trends: Indulgence, Convenience
The range includes:
Ambers Milk Chocolate
Ambers Praline
Ambers Caramel

Find out more: www.foxs-biscuits.co.uk

For the latest news, product launches and free reports, make sure you receive our newsletter. You can sign up in the box at the top of the page...

Images: Tesco, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer, Fox's Biscuits, RTS

New Trend: Customisation

2011-05-10T10:19:00.000+01:00

Above: Unilever ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's ran a

recent competition where consumers created recipes to be

released as limited editions, the most popular of which was

then added to the standard range.

Small Beginnings....
The trends for customisation had its beginnings predominantly in smaller, niche markets driven by new businesses and artisan manufacturers, but the trend is now showing signs of breaking into the mainstream markets. While artisan companies have the edge in terms of being able to offer fully customisable service, established brands and major manufacturers may well prove to be key to this trend's success, as they have the distribution/reach that smaller companies do not possess.

Especially for you
Customisation is a trend which can command a premium by its very nature, providing the products are desirable. Consumers will be prepared to pay a premium (within reason) for the privilege of being able to create/design/influence their own versions of products. The key point to consider here is many of the customisation/design-your-own products currently appearing are small, artisan manufacturers selling added-value products.

Testing the market
Customisation may be viewed by many in the food industry as a niche service, but there is definite scope for extending the experience of being able to choose recipes/flavours/components to the wider market. This is especially true in the case of limited editions, where manufacturers can trial new ideas without cost and implications of a full-blown product launch. If consumers feel they are included in the decision-making process regarding product ranges, they will be far more likely to feel an affinity with - and remain loyal to - an established products, brand or manufacturer.

Examples

Chocomize
customisable chocolate

Consumers can customise their Converse shoes

Taken from our forthcoming trend report, Experiences - to be launched at the end of May 2011. Newsletter subscribers will receive a free Experiences Essentials download (worth €20). Sign up to the newsletter by filling in your details in the form at the right hand side of this post.

Top 5 tips for ingredient companies

2011-05-09T12:45:00.006+01:00

In the highly competitive ingredients market, how can you ensure success? RTS Director, Jamie Rice, offers five proven tips to growing your business.

1. Know your market

As an ingredient company, do you know the size of your market? Are you actively increasing your share or simply growing with the market?

In my experience of working with ingredient companies across the global marketplace, I've found that understanding your market is essential not only to see where your company currently fits into it but also where you want to be.

If you know your market, you can then understand exactly where you need to focus, which in turn will enable you to see new opportunities, increase sales team performance and bring clarity to your business planning.

Knowing your market will enable you to monitor the progress of company objectives and financial targets. You can determine if your strategy will deliver what you are looking to achieve and if not explore new opportunities for both organic and external growth.

2. See the complete picture

Is all information useful? As a company you are probably bombarded with information, but if you can't apply it to your specific needs then all this data does is cloud the issues that really matter.

We have found that by measuring total food consumption you can see opportunities outside of existing markets and break down sales by volumes in different channels, including industrial ingredients and foodservice. This will allow you to quickly build up a complete picture of the opportunities available to you.

I am constantly receiving marketing information, news updates and promotions full of information. The key is to carefully evaluate the most valuable, consistently reliable sources. This may mean cutting or back on some services and finding one or two trusted suppliers who can save valuable time and money and give you the information you really need.

3. Add value through trends

Trends aren't just clever marketing terms in the global food and ingredients industry today: they are fast becoming the key driving force of growth. So it is crucial to keep abreast of this ever-changing area in order to stay ahead of your competition.

The industrial food and drink market is growing slowly at rate of 2.4% per year while trends such as ethical, organic and convenience are delivering growth rates of up to 14% per year. This therefore represents a massive opportunity to add value. The message is clear: unless you're supplying products aimed at these trends, you will be left behind in declining markets that are under increasing price pressure.

4. Look beyond brand share

In today's global food and drink industry, brand share is now irrelevant when it comes to understanding the ingredients market.

With so many major brands outsourcing production, the critical consideration today is identifying where this production takes place.

A large part of my work at RTS is now focused on helping companies to identify production sites and calculate ingredient volumes used by each site. Our clients have found this extremely useful in discovering where the real supply opportunities are.

5. Be ahead of your customers

As an ingredient supplier, it is no longer simply enough to turn up and present your latest ingredients.

In fact, it's often expected that you are ahead of the game, providing your customers the latest information regarding markets, cutting edge technology, packaging, trends and 'the story' behind your new products.

RTS can help you to do this by taking time to find out how you define your business, products and market in order to provide you with information that is specifically tailored to your company. We have worked with ingredient companies across the industry, from flavours and colours suppliers to hydrocolloids and industrial ingredients manufacturers. When it comes to providing market information, we believe it should always be a case of what you need, never what we've got.

To see how RTS can help grow your business, call Jamie on +44(0) 1902 422282 or contact us

And, if you are a subscriber to our newsletter, the initial consultations and proposal are free of charge.

4. Look beyond brand share

In today's global food and drink industry, brand share is now irrelevant when it comes to understanding the ingredients market.

With so many major brands outsourcing production, the critical consideration today is identifying where this production takes place.

A large part of my work at RTS is now focused on helping companies to identify production sites and calculate ingredient volumes used by each site. We can even supply contact information for these producers so that your sales team knows who to call.

5. Be ahead of your customers

As an ingredient supplier, it is no longer simply enough to turn up and present your latest ingredients.

In fact, it's often expected that you are ahead of the game, providing your customers the latest information regarding markets, trends and 'the story' behind your new products.

At RTS we not only supply this information, but we can also put together the presentation for you.

To see how RTS can help grow your business, call Jamie on +44(0) 1902 422282 or contact us

New Products - April 2011 - Edible Flowers, Meals and Spiced Yoghurt Drinks

2011-04-27T12:46:00.005+01:00

Our round-up of new product launches in the UK.

Waitrose Edible Flowers
Part of the range of 'finishing touches' side dishes to add to salads, cocktails and cakes
Following the trends - Health & Wellbeing, Florals
Flavours:
Mauve-coloured Violas
Yellow Nasturtiums
Find out more: www.waitrose.com

Birds Eye Rice Fusions
A combination of vegetables and rice in a 'pyramid steamer'
Following the trends - 'Healthier carbs', Convenience, Portion control, Preservative free, Easy to prepare
Flavours:
Mediterranean Vegetable
Egg Fried Rice with Peas
Pilau with Peas & Spinach
Country Mushroom
Find out more www.birdseye.co.uk

Young's Chip Shop Mackerel Fillets in Beer Batter
2 Mackerel Fillets in a light and crispy beer batter
Following the trends - Limited trial edition (consumers are asked to vote on facebook), Sustainably Sourced, Convenience, Value (cheaper alternative to take-away), Health & Wellbeing
Find out more www.youngsseafood.co.uk

Made with Joy Lassi drinks
Yoghurt based drink with herbs and spices
Following the trends - Asian flavours, Herbs and Spices, Fusion Flavours, Florals, Probiotic, no added sugar (replaced with agave nectar), Low Fat
Flavours:
Strawberry and Holy Basil
Mango
Cardomom and Rose
Find out more www.madewithjoy.co.uk

McVitie's Breakfast Muffin
Individually wrapped muffin containing fruit, seeds and spices
Following the trends - Convenience, Food on the go, Indulgence, Comfort food
Find out more www.mcvities.co.uk

McVitie's Tea Loaf
Lemon and Ginger flavoured loaf cake
Following the trends - British, Spices, Lighter-alternative, Snacking
Find out more www.mcvities.co.uk

Kitchen Express Karahi Lamb Curry
Halal ready meals
Following the trends - Asian cuisine, Regional Cuisine, Intense flavours, Seasonings herbs & spices, Convenience
Find out more www.v8gourmet.com

Free-from - Passing trend or here to stay?

2011-04-21T11:57:00.003+01:00

Image: Glutenfreetees

The move into mainstream

In recent years there has been a significant rise in recognised food allergies and intolerances, leading to a shift in the ranges of specialist diet-compatible foods available. Gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free products have moved from specialist suppliers and health food retailers to dedicated sections in supermarket aisles, and more recently alongside mainstream products.

Health and wellbeing
In addition to diagnosed food allergies, there is growing demand from consumers without allergies who are seeking to reduce gluten, dairy and processed sugar from their diets. In some countries, such as the US, consumers are turning to gluten-free and dairy-free diets because they perceive them to be healthier. Often, consumers perceive that they have a problem with certain foods, adding to demand for ‘free-from’ products. In the UK, a recent study by Portsmouth University found that while ’20% of adults in Britain claim they are unable to eat foods from milk to mustard, fewer than 2% actually have an intolerance.’ This research was challenged by several food allergy commentators - but whatever the true scale of the problem, the fact remains that today’s consumers are more conscious of the foods they eat than ever before.

Passing trend or here to stay?
Just as 'natural' products are becoming a consumer expectation rather than a niche market, free-from could soon be following in the same direction. Many of the well-known brands are reformulating products and expanding product ranges to include free-from products and some companies are adding claims to products such as smoothies to reassure consumers of their free-from credentials.

Find out more
This information is taken from Supertrends Health and Wellbeing.
Contact us for more information on the free-from market including, ingredients usage, market value and volume.

Here are a few examples of free-from products from the UK and US:

US Manufacturer of free-from, vegetarian and organic foods Amy's has opened a production site at Corby, UK. The company also plans to export products to Europe.

UK gluten-free foods manufacturer DS now sells frozen products in the Co-operative including pizza, sausage rolls and yorkshire pudding

UK Chinese foods producer Amoy has launches its first gluten-free noodles. The noodles sit alongside other products in the Amoy range.

Warburtons has launched a range of gluten-free, wheat-free breads. The range can be found in the bakery aisle alongside other products in the Warburtons range.

Images: Amy's Kitchen, Amoy, DS, Warburtons

Too much information

2011-04-12T11:15:00.000+01:00

How often do we hear these words? With the internet it’s easy to become overwhelmed with information and dangerous to assume anything that’s 'out there' can be applied to your business.

Instead we suggest that the problem is not too much information, it’s too little of the right information.

Information is only of value if it's put to practical use.

Too much of the wrong information can leave you feeling overwhelmed and confused.

Equally, spend time searching the internet and you can rapidly eat up precious time - an inefficient use of your company’s resources.

At RTS we believe in saving you time and money, giving you the information that’s relevant to your business today, and that works hard to make your business grow in the future.

Get in touch and see how we can help.

Ask us a question on twitter

Email us at ask@researchtosolutions.com

Or why not pick the good old-fashioned phone and give us a call on

+44 (0)1902 422282 and talk to Jamie or Steve

Health and Wellbeing Trends in Herbs and Spices

2011-04-05T14:51:00.000+01:00

Consumers are increasingly expecting the food and drink they buy to contain natural ingredients. As interest in healthier lifestyles and natural, less-processed food grows, manufacturers and retailers are looking for natural ingredients that can deliver functional values. Herbs and spices have long been acknowledged for their health-boosting and medicinal properties, but now ingredient suppliers are investigating other potential uses, especially in terms of functionality.

Here are some examples:

Antioxidants
Rosemary, sage, thyme, cinnamon, oregano, paprika and ginger all boast high levels of antioxidants and Vitamin C, believed to be beneficial for healthy immune systems and preventing disease.

A recent study by The University of Bologna in Italy has found that adding ginger powder to bakery products can significantly increase levels of antioxidants in the finished products thus offering additional health benefits. The study found that bread made with three percent of ginger powder had double the amount of antioxidants of bread made without. According to the researchers, the findings suggest that ginger could be regarded as a potential health-promoting functional ingredient. (source: Food Navigator)

Brain Health
Turmeric could be used for its links with brain health. Garlic improves blood flowto the brain. Rosemary has inflammatory properties that are currently being investigated to help combat the effects of Alzheimers. Basil, bay, lemon balm and sage can boost brain power. Rosemary may also boost memory according to a recent study by the University of Northumbria, which found that inhaling rosemary essential oils aided memory and alertness. (http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207450390161903)

Digestive Health
Ginger is currently being investigated for its digestive properties. Parsley can be used to relieve bloating and help with detoxifying the body as a diuretic. Mint can be used to relieve heartburn, digestive discomfort and flatulence.

According to a 1996 study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition dietary curcumin, capsaicin, piperine and ginger 'prominently enhanced intestinal lipase activity, and also the disaccharidases sucrase and maltase', while dietry cumin, fenugreek, mustard and asafoetida were found to bring about decreases in th levels of phosphatases and sucrase.

Weight Management and Satiety
Meanwhile, with weight management set to become a major trend over the next five years, acoording to our research, cayenne and fennel are likely to be favoured for increasing satiety and promoting healthy metabolism - two crucial components for weight management products. Chilli powder shaken onto food may help to prevent a spike in insulin levels after a meal (according to a small study in Australia), aiding weight loss by increasing satiety.

Information taken from our forthcoming report Natural, Health and Flavour Trends in Seasonings, Herbs and Spices Launch date: 20th April 2011

New Products - March 2011 - Meat, Meals, Snacks and Soya

2011-03-29T08:06:00.006+01:00

New products in the UK

Ginsters Cornish Bara
Microwaveable snack - a pasty and sandwich combined
Following the trends: British, Provenance, Local, Convenience
Flavours:
Hog Roast
Flame Grilled Chicken
Spicy Meatball
www.ginsters.co.uk

Pot Noodle GTI
Microwaveable snack - first pot noodle product to contain 'real meat'
Following the trends: Convenience, Pot Meals
Flavours:
Chilli Con Carne
Tikka Masala
Spaghetti Bolognese
www.potnoodle.com

Asda Meals 'wok in 4 mins'

Straight to wok convenience meals

Following the trends: Health & Wellbeing, Portion Control, Healthy Alternative, Convenience, Japanese Cuisine, Vietnamese Cuisine, Regional Cuisine, Exotic Flavours

Flavours:
Japanese style chilli chicken with sticky rice
Pad Thai style chicken noodles
Vietnamese style nuoc cham chicken noodles
Chicken noodles singapore style
Massaman chicken curry with sticky rice
www.asda.com

M&S Super Soya
Range of soya based meals and products
Following the Trends: Health and Wellbeing, Convenience, Lowering meat consumption, Healthy Alternative
Flavours:
Lasagne
Cottage Pie
Soya strips in black bean sauce
Soya strips
Soya mince
www.marksandspencer.com

M&S 150 Calories or less
Calorie controlled snacks
Following the Trends: Health and Wellbeing, Weight Loss, Convenience, Snacks, Healthy Alternative
Flavours:
Range includes flapjacks, cake bars, chocolate, dried fruit, nuts and popcorn
www.marksandspencer.com

If you would like us to feature your new product here or in one of our forthcoming reports, please email us

Images: Ginsters, Asda, M&S, Pot Noodle

New Trend: Let us Entertain you...

2011-03-25T08:38:00.007Z

Cross Market Trend

Doritos worked with YouTube to deliver its customers an interactive video experience, and luxury fashion house Hermès is providing its customers with a creative 'make your own handbag' pattern of the iconic Kelly bag which is being promoted via facebook. UK DIY retailer B&Q is the latest company to tap into this rapidly growing trend for entertaining customers with an invitation to its stores for live 'you can do it' demonstrations. This provides the opportunity to engage and visit a store when they may otherwise be ordering on the internet. A visit to store may encourage more purchases and return visits as staff will have the opportunity to build relationships with customers.

How can this work for the food industry?
There are many opportunities for retailers, food suppliers and manufacturers to use this idea within the food industry encouraging customers to visit stores, make more and new purchases, adding value to the shopping experience and building relationships with customers. In-store cooking demonstrations could demonstrate healthier, cost effective ways to cook, or special 1 hour events or 'flash sales' could be held where certain products will be on offer for a set time only. Food suppliers and manufacturers could set up pop up shops or work with retailers to offer consumers a new shopping experience. This new trend offers many opportunities to re-connect with consumers and gain valuable feedback.

Want to know more?
We will soon be releasing more information about our forthcoming report SuperTrends Experiences which will be released in May. Subscribers to our newsletter 'Insight' will also be recieving a free briefing. For more information please contact us.

Here is the new TV advert from B&Q promoting the 'you can do it' sessions....

Keep it simple - Why convenience is key to weight management

2011-03-22T08:24:00.003Z

When it comes to the growing trend for weight management products, convenience counts. Regardless of the format in which products are offered - be they meal replacement programmes, portion-controlled packs of existing snacks, or home delivery meals - the simpler solution, the more likely consumers are to adopt it.

Smaller portions
While many in the diet industry would admit that there is no magic solution to healthy, sustained weight-loss, nevertheless convenience and ease of use are key considerations for consumers. Many consumers want to manage their weight without embarking on a specific diet, so controlled portion packs of the snacks and confectionery they currently enjoy. Recent examples include Procter and Gamble's 100-calorie packs of Pringles, Kraft's 100-calorie packs of Milka and Toblerone (France) and the Calories Exactly range of snacks (UK).

Meal replacement schemes
Success in recent years for meal replacement programmes such as Atkins and Unilever's SlimFast has seen several high-profile launches for similar schemes. Recent examples include the Tony Ferguson programme (recently brought to the UK from Australia by Boots) and Lighter Life, which is a restricted diet plan. Many of these schemes now feature one-on-one and group counselling, in a bid to keep consumers motivated to lose weight.

Home Delivery
Manufacturers such as Wiltshire Farm Foods (UK), who have traditionally offered home-delivered meals for elderly people, are now moving into provision of nutritionally balanced, calorie-controlled meals for busy consumers who wish to lose weight. Diet Chef and Nestlé's Jenny Craig programme are recent additions to this growing market.

All information taken from the latest Supertrends report - Health and Wellbeing. Contact us for the latest market data and to discover how you can take advantage of opportunities in weight management for your business

Stevia: a viable option for Europe?

2011-03-17T10:57:00.004Z

With the expected EU ruling on Stevia as a sweetener, we look at how manufacturers could take advantage of this natural product.

What is Stevia?

Stevia is a plant form the Chrysantemum family native to Paraguay and Brazil where it was traditionally used to sweeten medicinal drinks and food. Stevioside and rebaudioside - two of the sweet steviol glycosides found in the stevia leaf - are used to produce the non-synthetic sweetener, which is said to be around 250 times sweeter than sugar. Rebaudioside (or 'Reb-A') was approved for use as a sweetener in the US in December 2008. Japan, China and Korea have used Stevia as a sweetener in food and drink for many years, with stevia cultivation in Japan beginning in the 1970's.

What applications does it have?

Currently used in beverages and snacks, stevia based confectionery, bakery, cereals & bars, jams & preserves, sauces and dairy products are expected to follow.

Legal Position

Currently, stevia is licensed in the US, Canada, Australia and Latin America. The EU is awaiting legislation but member states have been given the right to authorise it as a sweetener while formal legislation goes through. To date, only France and Switzerland have done so. beverage giants Coca-Cola (with Cargill) and PepsiCo (with Whole Earth Sweetener Company) have both invested heavily in stevia-based sweeteners (Truvai and PureVia respectivelt) with Coca-cola launching its first stevia-sweetened beverage, Fanta still, in France in 2010.

Opportunities

The global market for industrial usage of sweeteners is expected to rise to 878,417 tonnes by 2013, with the value of the market rising to $2,157m. If Stevia is approved globally, it could challenge existing sweeteners for the global market opening the door for NPD and product reformulation. For ingredients suppliers, there will be an opportunity to expand product ranges and with health and wellbeing a key trend for 2011, consumers may welcome the natural credentials that stevia will bring to food and beverage products. Stevia is believed to be beneficial for its low GI index. It is also PH and temperature stable, and is suitable for diabetics and those on fructose-intolerant diets.

Contact us to find out more about the market for sweeteners or how this could benefit your business.

Shelf Life: Kent Crisps

2011-03-10T09:26:00.001Z

Kent Crisps - a division of Quex Foods - has launched a range of premium crisps inspired by local Kent produce. The crisps contain only natural flavours and colours and are produced using sustainable methods.
Kent Crisps are available in four flavours:

Ashmore Cheese and Onion
Biddenden Cider Vinegar
Oyster and Vinegar
Sea Salt

This is an excellent example of a product building on the provenance trend. The crisps are also in line with recent demand for premium snacks and convenience products.

SuperTrends: Health & Wellbeing - our new report

2011-02-17T09:21:00.000Z

The trends that matter.
Why they matter.
And how to make them work for you.

We're proud to introduce you to our brand new report series. SuperTrends goes beyond other trend reports to not only give you an in-depth understanding of the trends that are set to shape the industry, but also practical advice on how to take full advantage of them in order to grow your business.

Health and Wellbeing - the first report
The first title in the SuperTrends series is Health and Wellbeing. As consumers look to leading healthier, more fulfilled lives, their expectations of food are evolving. Whether it is using food as a lifestyle indicator, demanding natural ingredients or looking to the food and drink they choose to lift mood, benefit their health or manage their weight, consumers want products to work harder for them than ever before. SuperTrends: Health and Wellbeing gives you not only the trends, but also practical strategies for applying the trends to your business and making the most of the future opportunities on offer.

Free download
Here is an exclusive first-look at one of the report's key findings.

Open publication - Free publishing - More wellness

For a detailed overview of the report's key findings, click here.

Health & Wellbeing SuperTrend: Satiety

2011-02-17T09:12:00.002Z

As consumers seek healthier and more fulfilling diets, products which offer increased satiety are set to rise in prominence.

Satiety is a key feature of Nestlé's Jenny Craig diet programme (US, UK and Europe)

The theory behind products which offer satiety - or slow-release energy - is that if products make consumers feel fuller for longer they will be less tempted to snack between meals, thus assisting weight control and, ultimately, leading to a greater sense of wellbeing. Recent examples have included oat-based cereals, breakfast yogurts with added oat muesli and healthy, protein-rich ready meals, such as the ‘Simply Fuller Longer’ range from Marks and Spencer. As with most of the current Health and Wellbeing trends, satiety is desirable because it taps into the consumer need for reassurance: by controlling what they eat, consumers will feel they have control of at least part of their lives.

The Simply Fuller Longer range of protein-rich ready meals from M&S (UK)

This trend could also represent a move away from foods labelled as 'light' or 'diet'. A recent study conducted by the University of Bristol revealed that the way in which consumers perceive the possible satisfaction level of food before they eat it is key to how full it makes them feel. Therefore, ‘light’ or ‘diet’ labels on products may prove counterproductive when consumers are making purchase decisions, whereas 'fuller for longer' messages could be more successful as purchase motivators.

Kellogg's Special K Sustain cereal combines protein and fibre (US, UK)

For more on the trend for Satiety, see our new report, SuperTrends: Health and Wellbeing, now available from our website. To see this report's key findings, we have also created a SuperTrends: and Wellbeing Briefing.

Shelf Life: Lovely Vegetables

2011-02-11T09:55:00.004Z

Marks & Spencer has launched a new range of vegetable based ready meals and snack pots under the brand 'Lovely Vegetables'.

Products in the range include Beetroot and Goat's Cheese Multigrain Risotto, Red Pepper, Artichoke & Feta Bucatini, Feta & Falafel Snackpot and Vegetable Paella.

All images from Marks & Spencer website

Shelf Life: 'gluten-free' goes mainstream

2011-02-03T14:50:00.002Z

Warburtons have developed a new range of gluten-free, wheat-free breads. Products include sliced white and sliced brown with crumpets, teacakes and rolls launching soon.

The company produces this range from a new site dedicated to gluten-free, wheat-free.

All images from Warburtons website

Exciting new launch, coming soon!

2011-01-14T10:16:00.000Z

At RTS we're excited about what's in store for this year.

We're currently putting the finishing touches to our brand new report series. Due to be launched at the end of January, our new reports will set the bar for industry analysis, data and practical advice, giving manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and new product developers a crucial advantage over the next five years.

To make sure you are the first to hear about this groundbreaking series, subscribe to our newsletter using the form on the right-hand side of this blog.

Keep watching the RTS blog for more details, coming next week!

What next for frozen? Premium ready meals

2011-01-02T15:27:00.000Z

Recent trends show that consumers are looking for natural, clean label food products made with trusted ingredients. In the chilled ready meal category, food manufacturers have been creating fresh, convenient meals, in line with current trends to satisfy these consumer demands.

Traditionally, these trends may have more difficult to interpret in frozen meals, but new ranges of premium ready meals are attempting to use these and other trends to reignite consumer interest in the frozen aisle.

Here are the latest product launches in this new category:

UK: Findus Group launched new products under the Findus and Young's brands. The new Fresher Taste and Fishermans Choice product ranges reflect the group's strategy to create a new premium sub-category in the frozen food sector.

UK: Birds Eye launched the 'Bake to Perfection' range. The first meals included fish fillets and later, in 2010, the range expanded to include poultry and seafood.

UK: Asda launched its 'Chosen by you' range using this as an opportunity to introduce the 'Fresh Tastes' frozen meals. The meals are inspired by regional flavours from around the world.

US: ConAgra Foods Inc has launched a new range of frozen entrée meals using premium ingredients. The meals are 'steam cooked for freshness'.

Follow us on twitter or sign up to our newsletter to hear about new blog posts when they are published.

Shelf Life - Meat Products

2010-12-07T10:55:00.001Z

New product launches from the meat and savoury aisle.

Waitrose Christmas Dinner Pasty

Christmas Dinner Pasty
Trend: Seasonal

Aside from the usual festive inspired sandwiches and party snacks, Waitrose has launched the Christmas dinner pasty. Ingredients include: turkey, sage and onion stuffing, potato, onion, carrot and cranberries. Price: £1.99 for 200g.

Mattessons Rippa Dippa Sausage Bites

Sausage Bites
Trend: Convenience / on-the-go

New from Mattesons, Rippa Dippa meat snacks are available in two varieties: chicken bites with a ketchup dip and sausage bites with a ketchup dip. Price: £1.50 for 3x55g multipack.

Colours - a natural evolution?

2010-11-30T14:43:00.004Z

The market for colours is heading towards naturals but synthetics still have an important part to play. That was the key message from Hi Europe where we presented on the market for colours.

The colours market is an essential part of the food ingredients industry, worth $1.7bn globally and synthetics still account for the largest share of the market at $1bn while naturals are currently worth $0.65bn.

However, this is changing...

From the RTS ingredient database we can clearly see the shift towards naturals. However it varies significantly from country to country and across different product categories. The key is to quantify the natural/synthetic split in each product category, understand the 'natural drivers' and plan accordingly.

What is clear is that natural colours will grow significantly over the next five years. “Our forecasts now show very little growth for synthetics, with all of the growth coming from naturals.” says Steve Rice, director at RTS.

Download the full presentation

To receive a full copy of the presentation simply sign up to our monthly newsletter - Insight. For more information click here.

Get in touch

To discuss the market for natural colours and latest trends in more detail call Jamie Rice on +44 (0)1902 422282.

Latest News: RTS presents at HI Europe - Madrid 2010

2010-11-26T11:57:00.002Z

Last week Jamie and Steve presented at Health Ingredients Europe 2010 in Madrid.

A summary of the presentation 'Natural colours on the rise, but synthetics not yet dead' can be found on Food Navigator.

Shelf life: Doritos entertain consumers with new snack range

2010-11-10T11:07:00.004Z

Doritos have launched a late night snack range with takeaway inspired flavours - Tantalising Tikka and BBQ Rib.

The product has been marketed as a late night sharing snack, and features an on pack promotion for a new interactive video on YouTube. This is the first 3D video where consumers can control what they see on screen.

Could this be a new trend for food manufacturers to also entertain consumers?

Sign up for insight - our free newsletter - in the box to the right and be the first to receive our top trends for 2011 including flavour trends.

UPDATE 18 November 2010

The latest company to combine a new product launch with an online initiative is Innocent Smoothies. The company has launched limited edition flavour 'Peaches and Passion Fruit' and consumers are invited to share their recipes online here. The online venture is in collaboration with 'we are what we do'.

Image: Innocent Smoothies

Top Trends for 2011 - Coming Soon!

2010-11-05T16:23:00.001Z

About this time of year, lists begin appearing for next year's top trends. But for the food and ingredients industry there is only one list that matters - the RTS Top Trends for 2011.

Exactly what you need
We focus on the trends that matter, looking both inside and outside the industry to identify the trends you need to know about. Unlike some other researchers, we won't pad out our recommendations with lots of meaningless speculation. We tell you exactly what you need to know - and show you how to best take advantage of each trend to help grow your business.

Nobody understands the food and ingredients industry like RTS
We understand the complex workings of food markets across the globe and, using our trend analysis expertise and extensive experience of the food and ingredients industry, we can bring you a unique insight into the trends that matter for 2011 and beyond.

Top Flavour Trends for 2011
In addition to the Top Trends for 2011, we've also compiled a list of the Top Flavour Trends for 2011 - a must for ingredient suppliers, NPD visionaries and companies wishing to extend their product offering.

See our recommendations before anyone else
We're publishing our list of the Top Trends for 2011 on Friday 19th November exclusively for subscribers to our newsletter. Later in the month, we'll blog the list here on the RTS Blog. So if you would like to see the list before anyone else - including your competitors - sign up for insight - our free newsletter - in the box on the right-hand column of this blog.

We're excited about the trend lists and we're looking forward to sharing them with you!

Premium or Price? Supermarkets competing at both ends of the scale

2010-11-03T14:14:00.001Z

British supermarkets have traditionally competed on either price or quality. However, last month saw Asda and Waitrose competing in both arenas.

Waitrose, well-known for its quality produce and premium pricing launched a TV advertisement claiming to have lowered many branded items to the same price as Tesco whilst simultaneously launching the premium 'Heston from Waitrose' range.

At Asda, the focus was on the new 'chosen by you' range offering value on a range of everyday Asda own-label products. At the same time, the company expanded and promoted its 'Extra Special' range with offers in the month of October.

This shows that supermarkets have listened to consumer demands; value on everyday essential items and the opportunity to buy something new and a little indulgent. During the last few years of the recession, this has been key to satisfying consumer needs and is set to continue into 2011. Although consumers have tightened their belts, they still want to treat themselves with a special meal or indulgent snack.

For Food and ingredient manufacturers this provides the opportunity to broaden product ranges ensuring that basic ingredient requirements can be satisfied at low prices whilst also providing new and exciting ingredients and blends. As stated in our article in May 2009 Don't bin your NPD the companies surviving the recession are those who continued to develop products in line with current trends.

To keep up to date with the latest news and trends in the food industry, sign up to our free monthly newsletter RTS Insight in the form to the right.

Top 10 Flavour & Ingredient Companies

2010-10-12T13:48:00.012+01:00

Little change at the top with Kerry, Cargill and Givaudan still the leaders in our top flavour and ingredient companies analysis for 2010.

Kerry Ingredients and Flavours €3.3bn

Cargill Food Ingredients €3.0bn*

Givaudan Flavours €1.6bn

Firmenich Flavors €1.0bn

IFF Flavors €0.8bn

Symrise Flavours and Nutrition €0.7bn

Sensient Flavors €0.5bn

Griffiths Laboratories €0.4bn

DSM Food Specialities €0.4bn

Frutarom Flavours and Fine Ingredients €0.3bn

Source: RTS Resource from annual reports and calculations. *=estimate

Rapid growth in emerging markets

Flavour companies are increasingly focused on emerging markets, with IFF, Givaudan and Kerry all posting above average growth. Kerry recently reported an 11.8% increase in sales in Asia-Pacific while Givaudan posted an increase of 9.3% in this region.

Putting consumers at the heart of business development

Symrise is placing emphasis on its taste for life® programme to help manufacturers make sense of often conflicting consumer needs. Givaudan, through its TasteSolutions™ Salt and the Sense It™ is targeting customers looking to reformulate and reduce sodium levels in a range of applications - soups, sauces and snacks, ready-meals and cereals – without compromising on taste. Meanwhile Kerry, under its single Kerry Ingredients and Flavours structure, has focused on four central pillars of weight management, clean label, cost reduction and increased speed to market.

Social media and brand butlers

Food ingredient companies are communicating with their customers in new and innovative ways. Cargill, DM Flavors, Givaudan and Firmenich all have twitter feeds. CulinEssence is new taste blog from IFF, providing culinary insights and trends, while Givaudan has even launched an iPerfumer app for the iPhone.

The market for flavours

The global market for flavours in food & drink is currently worth $6.7 billion according to research by RTS, with rapid growth forecast for Asia Pacific (3.9% CAGR) and Eastern Europe (3.0%).

For more information on companies, customers or market trends and insight contact us

Image courtesy of Symrise

TrendWatch: Health & Wellbeing: Energy

2010-10-08T11:50:00.002+01:00

As consumer lifestyles move at an ever more frenetic pace, the demand for products that boost energy continues to grow.

HiJinks Energy Mixer
(US) turns any soft drink
into an energy drink

Products within this category are becoming more diverse, with innovations from energy ʻshotʼ drinks to yoghurts and bars with added ingredients associated with energy, such as ephedrine, taurine, ginseng, B-vitamins, guarana seed, carnitine, creatine, inositol and ginkgo bilboa. With this diversiﬁcation, we are seeing a move towards products boasting energy as just one of a raft of beneﬁts - for example, energy with calcium and omega-3.

As with many trends in the Health & Wellness supertrend, ʻnaturalʼ is a key word for energy products - especially as consumers look to move away from caffeine and artiﬁcial energy boosters. Ingredients such as oats, which provide a ʻslow-releaseʼ of energy as the body digests them, and guarana (a stimulant derived from seeds of a small shrub native to Venezuela and Brazil) are appearing in yoghurts, smoothies and cereal bars.

Coca-Cola's Powerade
Play is an energy drink
aimed at children (US)

In the US particularly, there has been a trend in recent years for energy drinks aimed at teenagers. This has been the cause of some controversy, with concerns over younger consumers relying on greater levels of caffeine and sugar in their diet. A recent survey in the US found that 73% of 12-18 year olds polled were consuming more than 100mg of caffeine a day, with much of this in the evenings.

In Europe and the UK, professional bodies are moving to curb this trend, with both the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) and the Union of European Beverages Associations (UNESDA) publishing codes of practice for marketing caffeine-enriched products to under 16s. Other concerns raised regard the possible dangers of consumers failing to regulate the amount of caffeine they consume - leading to calls from some government bodies for energy shot drinks to be closely regulated or even banned from sale.

As the popularity of energy products continues to rise, manufacturers should expect further regulation on caffeine content within products, together with marketing and labelling guidelines.

This trend research is taken from our forthcoming SuperTrends: Health and Wellbeing report, part of our new range of Trendwatch SuperTrends reports.

For more information email us, or subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you are the first to receive exclusive previews and valuable discounts on our reports.

The Rise in Packaged Food

2010-10-04T08:43:00.002+01:00

Increase in packaging

The continued advance of multiple and convenience retailing, coupled with consumer demand for greater convenience in meal preparation, have combined to drive the quantity of pre-packaged foods available in most countries. Therefore, it is little surprise that the demand for packaging over the next five years will continue to exceed the growth in food consumption, according to our analysis.

Cans missing out

Inevitably, some forms of packaging are performing much better than others and food cans (as distinct from beverage cans) have tended to be the loser on most counts. Both consumer trends and alternative forms of packaging have been challenging the use and distribution of food cans for many years.

However, not all trends have been negative. For example, cans have benefited from the growth in sales of petfoods, canned fish and the wider use of ring-pull and easier-opening cans. They also still represent a convenient way of storing food without any form of refrigeration.

Fresher packaging

At the same time, consumers have responded positively to the increased availability of fresher alternative forms of food preservation and pack types. Packaging types, such as aluminium and plastic trays and retortable pouches, have become more popular for manufacturers and retailers as these make it is easier for them to add value. Key examples of products now packaged in this way include shelf-stable ready meals, soups, preserved fish and petfood.

Growth in Eastern Europe

Not all markets are the same, of course. RTS analysis shows that whilst can usage continues to decline slowly in Western Europe, Eastern Europe is showing a small growth. Most of this growth is being derived from fruit, fish and petfood.

Overall usage of food cans throughout Europe is put at more than 40bn units in 2009 although no growth is expected over the next 5 years.

Packaging considerations

Packaging stands in the forefront of changes surrounding the selection of food and beverages. Packaging entices product selection as much as it serves a functional role. However the role of, and demands being placed upon, packaging are complex. In addition to presenting, protecting and preserving food there remain the opposing issues of cost, wastage, recycling and overall carbon footprint.

Future issues

These issues are not mutually exclusive and it is unlikely that the industry will solve all the problems it is being presented with. However, its task for the future will be to continue to strive to achieve them all and food cans should be part of this.

Shelf Life: One stop pot

2010-09-30T11:43:00.003+01:00

With convenience at the top of consumers' priority lists, it is no surprise that the 'one pot' meal trend is catching on fast in the UK.

First came the Innocent veg pots, made with healthy, natural ingredients. Princes and Heinz have produced soup style pot meals and more recently Asda and Marks & Spencer have added to ready meal ranges with these convenient meals.

Asda has introduced Vegetable Curry, Morrocan Chickpea, Tuscan Chicken and Chicken Miso pots to the Fresh Tastes range and Marks & Spencer has launched a full range of Italian, English and Indian inspired meals. Flavours include Thai Green Chicken Curry and rice, Spiced Chicken and King Prawns with Pilau rice, Sausage Casserole, Fish Pie, Beef Bolognese Penne, Fragrant Peppered Spaghetti and Spicy Prawn Arrabiata Linguine.

For consumers looking for a healthy, convenient meal, these pots tick all of the boxes. They can be eaten for lunch, a light meal or meal accompaniment and are packaged in handy single serve pots. The wide variety of flavours available will satisfy almost any taste whether consumers are looking to experience taste travel, healthy indulgence or traditional English dishes.

Here are a selection of one pot meals from the UK supermarkets.

Open publication - Free publishing - More health

Health & Wellbeing SuperTrend: Food+Lifestyle

2010-09-09T14:41:00.001+01:00

Consumers move beyond diet food
Re-establishing the connection between food & nature
Impact on suppliers of ingredients

The way in which consumers perceive food has changed radically in recent years. No longer simply a means of sustenance, today’s food products are also lifestyle indicators, emotional enhancers and longevity enablers. The FOOD+LIFESTYLE super trend is growing significantly across the world.

Not just a matter of weight...

Heinz Farmers' Market Soup (UK)
taps into the trend for seasonal diets
and aspirational lifestyles

More than simply diet foods, the Food+Lifestyle trend is more than simply weight management. This trend is about all the elements that make a difference in the consumer’s life: healthier lifestyles, aspirational diets, healthy alternatives and wellbeing. For the majority of consumers, these things represent a place/body shape/lifestyle that they aspire to have - and this could prove to be a powerful purchase motivator in the supermarket aisles. Sub-trends such as Organic, Healthy Naturals (including ingredients believed to have certain health benefits, formerly known as superfoods), Healthy Alternatives (products which offer reduced salt, fat or sugar to allow consumers to continue eating the foods they enjoy), Fairtrade, Local/Seasonal and Keep It Simple (the trend for clean-label, less processed products) all point to a perceived way of life, be it simpler, healthier or more locally-focused.

Francesco Rinaldi
To Be Healthy pasta sauce (US)
- a recognisable product with
less fat and added Omega3

Media influence

Media coverage has a huge impact on the Food+Lifestyle trend, promoting the ideals of health, wellbeing, increased fitness and a more natural diet being key elements of a happy life. Consumers are encouraged to incorporate these ideals into their everyday lives - and food choice is the easiest place to start. Therefore ingredients, products and diets promoted by the media will be highly sought-after - although by its very nature this is a fast-changing area, so it can be prone to fads.

Emotional connection

The link between food and mood has long been recognised - and predictions of a rise in sales of ‘comfort food’ during the recession appear to be bearing fruit. (In the UK, bakery chain Greggs recently reported selling an extra 15m sausage rolls each year, whilst Heinz saw sales of its Baked Beans rise by 21% on the previous year.) Reassurance is a key element of this: in testing times, when consumers cannot rely on their jobs or finances to provide the comfort or reassurance they need, they will turn to other areas of their lives to find it instead. Food and diet are relatively easy areas to change and control.

How to make this trend work for you

With a dizzying array of 'beneficial' products already on the market, consumers need a clear reason to buy - whether that is to aid a healthier diet, to promote a sense of wellbeing or to indicate a certain aspirational lifestyle. Manufacturers are well advised to focus on a single selling point of their product - whether this is its 'naturalness', the provenance of the ingredients, or a single ingredient (instead of its perceived benefits).

This trend research is taken from our forthcoming SuperTrends: Health and Wellbeing report, part of our new range of Trendwatch SuperTrends reports.
For more information email us, or subscribe to our newsletter to make sure you are the first to receive exclusive previews and valuable discounts on our reports.

Free Market Briefing: Chilled Foods

2010-08-20T12:32:00.000+01:00

On the RTS Blog we like to bring you the best in market analysis and data for the food and ingredients industries. Today, we look at the market for Chilled Foods.

Open publication - Free publishing - More ingredients

Free Market Briefing: Healthy Ingredients

2010-08-20T12:04:00.001+01:00

On the RTS Blog we like to bring you the best in market analysis and data for the food and ingredients industries. Today, we look at the market for Healthy Ingredients.

Open publication - Free publishing - More ingredients

Flavours - a return to nature?

2010-08-02T14:54:00.006+01:00

Latest flavour trends
According to Innova Market Insights there has been a rise in usage of so-called garden fruits in new product launches such as rhubarb and quince and fruits with a positive health benefit such as yacon (claimed to have prebiotic properties) and baobab (high in antioxidants and vitamins according to reports)

Flavour perceptions
Interestingly, Leatherhead highlighted research where consumers are less worried about added flavours in sauces, ice cream and soft drinks compared with meat, baby foods and vegetables.

The global market for flavours
Our latest research indicates a global market for flavours at $6.7 billion with the largest sectors identified as beverages ($2.1 billion), dairy spreads & ice cream ($1.4 billion) and snacks & confectionery ($0.9 billion). Source: RTS Resource

At the Flavour Trends & Innovations conference we highlighted how a number of 'flavour forces' are influencing flavour creation strategy and categorised these under the following key headings:
1. Trends
2. Health & wellbeing
3. Tastes
4. Cuisines
5. Enhancers

Measuring trends
For more information about the latest trends and market for flavours, including how we help companies measure the impact of flavour trends please get in touch.

How trends are influencing flavour creation strategy

2010-06-29T11:20:00.006+01:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More trends

Click on the slide to see the full presentation.

We spoke about how trends are influencing flavour creation strategy at the Fi Flavour Trends & Innovations conference in Amsterdam last week.

If you need more information on the market for natural and synthetic flavours and flavour trends then get in touch.

RTS Bite Size : Ready Meals

2010-06-25T14:04:00.011+01:00

Fast Facts

€12.8bn

Consumer expenditure on all meals

Western Europe, 2009

3.2%

Growth in expenditure on all meals

Western Europe, CAGR, 2004-2009

Did you know?

The frozen meals market is still larger than chilled in volume terms

Source: RTS Resource

Market drivers

• Quality

• Provenance

• Emerging cuisines (including regional ethnic)

• Occasions

Source: RTS Resource

Flavour trends

• Regional ethnic

• Asian

• Moroccan

• Middle Eastern

• Scandinavian/Northern European

Opportunities & Threats

Opportunities

• Convenience

• Health & nutrition

• New experiences

Threats

• Competition

• Alternative meal solutions

• Recession

Source: RTS Resource

Selected manufacturers

Agis www.agis-sa.fr

Bakkavor www.bakkavor.com

Bighams www.bighams.co.uk

Compagnie Artique www.compagnie-artique.com

d'Aucy (Cecab Group) www.daucy.fr

Frosta (Stockmeyer Group) www.frosta.de

Gastraval www.gastraval.com

Greencore www.greencore.com

Gusto www.gusto-si.it

Iglo www.iglo.de

Kerry Foods www.kerrygroup.com

Northern Foods www.northern-foods.co.uk

Maheso www.maheso.com

Mantua www.mantuasurgelati.com

Paul and Louise (Covi) www.pauletlouise.com

Viva La Mamma www.vivalamamma.com

Data taken from The Orange Book - the essential convenience food & drink databook.

What are the next big flavour trends in snacks?

2010-06-24T15:24:00.224+01:00

Consumers are now demanding more intense flavours with stronger and more defined taste experiences. UK snack manufacturers have been quick to respond to this demand with an influx of new and innovative crisp flavours.

Hot and fiery flavour combinations have been popular but our research shows that the next big flavour trends may include more cool and soothing ingredients.

Leading the way in flavour innovation, the premium crisp market has seen new flavours such as Firecracker Lobster from Burts and Keralan King Prawn from the recently launched Hairy Bikers brand. Mid-range brands have been quick to follow with American Cheeseburger from Walkers and Fiery Wasabi from Pringles.

According to Leatherhead Food Research, almost half of crisp sales in the UK are for ready salted and cheese and onion flavours. (Source: Food&Drink Europe) It would appear that the classic flavours remain popular and are here to stay for the foreseeable future, but the new flavours are adding excitement and interest and attracting consumer attention even if consumers still go away with their favourite bag of ready salted.

For consumers who do want to try something new and who are looking for a new taste experience, there is plenty to choose from. Crisps may be seen as an indulgent treat and are a relatively inexpensive investment. Some brands have introduced seasonal and limited edition flavours recognising that consumers buying into the new flavours are always on the look out for something new to try.

Current flavour trends

We have identified four flavour sub trends in the crisps market:

Provenance
Seasonal
Gourmet
Hot & Spicy

Open publication - Free publishing - More trends

What next? New trends

With the trend for fuller flavours set to continue, snack companies need to prepare for consumers tiring of the current hot and fiery combinations whilst still offering the taste experience that they are now looking for. This can be done by regularly introducing new flavours and staying in tune with consumer demand. This market lends itself to limited edition and seasonal flavour varieties which will help to keep consumers returning to the snack aisle. Our research shows that he next generation of flavours could include the following:

Cool ingredients
e.g. cucumber, mint, lime

Floral ingredients
e.g. lavender, rosemary, geranium

Global Regional Spices
e.g. from a specific area of India

Vegetables
e.g. carrot, parsnip, beetroot

The demise of traffic lights - what next for nutritional information?

2010-06-21T15:12:00.000+01:00

Last week (16th June) the European Parliament voted against the introduction of the 'traffic light' food labelling system across Europe. Currently used in the UK (and favoured by consumer and health groups), the system classifies food and drink products as having high, medium and low levels of salt, sugar and fat, providing an 'at-a-glance' snapshot of the nutritional content. Many in the food industry strongly opposed a Europe-wide implementation of the system, however, arguing that it wrongly 'demonised' food groups and could therefore be misleading to consumers, favouring Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) - which show sugar, salt and fat levels as a portion-based percentage of daily recommended intake instead.

So, what's next for nutritional information?

At the time of writing, it is unclear whether or not the traffic light system will disappear from UK food and drink products, and the European Parliament is currently consulting with member states' parliaments to decide on the next move. What is certain is that nutritional labelling is now mandatory, so some kind of information must be displayed on food and drink packaging. In addition, the EU Parliament also agreed that trans-fats, nano-particles and appetite-enhancing ingredients must be declared on labels, together with sweetners. (source: EurActiv.com)

One thing is certain: whatever is decided, the information given on packaging is becoming increasingly important to consumers. At RTS our research into emerging food trends has highlighted reassurance and accountability as crucial trends to ensure product success and - most importantly - good manufacturer-consumer relationships. Consumers are increasingly concerned about what they are eating and need reassurance in the form of clear, simple information based on balanced lifestyles and diet. Manufacturers must therefore be seen to be doing as much as they can to advise consumers - and those that succeed here will be those favoured by consumers.

For more on emerging food trends, visit our website or follow us on Twitter.

Flavour Trends & Innovations

2010-06-11T12:36:00.006+01:00

We'll be presenting at the Flavour Trends & Innovations conference in Amsterdam on the 23 June 2010 where we'll be talking about the latest trends influencing flavours, the market for naturals and synthetics and opportunities for flavours including latest market data from the RTS global ingredient database.

Follow us on twitter for live tweets from the conference (look for #fiflavour) and receive a free copy of our presentation.

What next for frozen? Innovation in sauces...

2010-06-09T09:21:00.006+01:00

Manufacturers aim to add value in the frozen aisle with NPD

Despite efforts from manufacturers to persuade consumers of the benefits of buying frozen food, UK consumers have been reluctant to spend more of their weekly food budget in this category. Perhaps perceived as low-value and more of a stand-by than a meal of choice, what are manufacturers and retailers doing to excite and entice consumers to re-consider frozen as a real meal option?

Manufacturers and retailers have recently attempted to add value to the frozen aisle with new flavours, re-formulations and even a trip down memory lane with retro ice creams and desserts.

Recent developments have included pasta and risotto in multiple-portion re-sealable packs from Findus and Waitrose Frozen, while Birds Eye have introduced new products including Reggae-Reggae chicken and fish prepared in a convenient oven-ready bag.

Image: Findus

Our latest trend research reveals that today's consumer is looking for convenience, a helping hand to prepare home cooked meals whilst also becoming aware of the benefits of eating natural and clean label foods and new developments in frozen sauces seem to tick all of these boxes.

Sargento Foods inc. in the US identified convenience as an upcoming trend in 2007 when they acquired Portionables. Using IQF technology the company claims that the frozen pellets allow them to provide 'very high end cream and cheese-based sauces that are difficult to incorporate traditionally' indicating that this method of production provides high quality taste and convenience. Sargento supply frozen sauce pellets to foodservice and national brand labels in Northern America and across Europe.

In the UK two companies have recently launched new, convenient frozen sauces.

New Artisan sauce company The Sauce Kitchen has produced a new range of frozen sauces from natural ingredients that you would find at home. Packaged in individual single portion sachets, they are convenient to use and it is claimed that they taste as good as homemade sauce. Flavours include Seb's smoked bacon and red wine and Patrick's Irish stout and mushroom.

Image: The Sauce Kitchen

Waitrose has also produced a range of single-portion frozen sauces under the Waitrose frozen brand. Aimed at consumers who have a 'fridge full of half-empty pesto jars' the range includes Green Pesto, Tomato Ragu and Cheddar Cheese.

The economic downturn saw an increase in frozen sales as consumers sought a more cost-effective meal solution, but as the UK moves out of the recession, manufacturers and retailers will need to re-think NPD and really understand what is driving consumer demand. Can frozen food manufacturers develop products to meet consumer needs in 2010? Perhaps Birds Eye's forthcoming multimedia campaign will give a helping hand at re-affirming the benefits of buying frozen. (Source: The Grocer)

What next for functional ingredients?

2010-06-01T13:39:00.011+01:00

The wellness food and drink market in Europe offers significant opportunities for functional ingredients. According to the latest research from RTS, the market for wellness food & drink is worth €14bn and growing at a rate of 13.6% per year. The key for ingredient suppliers is to exploit growth trends with the right ingredients aimed at clearly defined markets.

At Nutraformulate, Steve and Jamie Rice revealed how consumer demand for wellness food and drink is driving demand for functional ingredients and the size of the market and opportunities for vitamins & minerals, omega-3, prebiotics and probiotics.

Using latest data from the RTS global ingredient database, we also looked at how the market breaks down by key consumer benefit: gut health, mood, disease prevention, intelligence; and how products categories such as dairy, soft drinks and confectionery are delivering these benefits including the size and opportunities in these markets.

To download the full presentation click here.

Catch our next presentation at Flavour Trends and Innovations in June where we’ll be talking about the the latest flavour trends and opportunities for flavour manufacturers.

Note: Europe = EU(15).

Opportunities for colours

2010-05-12T12:32:00.005+01:00

The colours market is showing limited growth, consumer pressure is having a negative impact on synthetic colours and manufacturers are responding by reformulating their products and moving towards colouring foodstuffs.

However, opportunities still exist, especially in emerging markets and the move towards natural colours. Here are RTS we can not only help uncover the opportunities, we use information to enhance business strategy.

Whether its making sure you’re making the most in existing markets, measuring growth in natural colours or targeting new, profitable customers we can help. We can even measure demand by individual food colour.

For more information on how to uncover the opportunities call +44 (0)1902 422282 or visit www.rts-resource.com and click on contact us.

Colours under pressure while naturals forge ahead

2010-05-12T12:15:00.004+01:00

The global market for colours is currently worth $1.7bn but despite increased demand for natural colours, the market as a whole offers limited growth opportunities according to the latest research from RTS.

Consumer awareness of, and desire for, natural ingredients is driving down demand for synthetic colours and this, coupled with the shift towards colouring foodstuffs as manufacturers seek to reformulate their products, means that the colours market is will grow only slightly, forecast to reach $1.8bn by 2014.

Source : RTS Resource. Note : Excludes caramel. Industrial food ingredients only.

Opportunities

So where are the opportunities? While the market for synthetics still grow, mainly due to increased industrial food production, growth will come from natural colours with the global market forecast to reach $773m by 2014.

For more information about how demand for natural colours is affecting your market and to see how RTS can help identify growth opportunities visit www.rts-resource.com and click on contact us.

The future for natural colours is anything but dull

2010-05-07T14:21:00.240+01:00

The rise and rise of the trend for natural ingredients can be seen by the increase in 'natural' claims on the front of packaging. In the USA of the new products launched in 2009, the second largest label claim was 'natural' showing that it is a growing trend for food manufacturers around the globe. (Source: Neilsen)

According to Steve Talliday, Principal Product Technologist at Nestlé speaking at the Natural colours conference in London earlier this year, no artificial colours and no E numbers are two key issues for consumers. With this in mind, Nestlé reformulated Smarties to include natural colours such as black carrot, safflower, radish, hibiscus and red cabbage.

With 'natural' becoming a firm priority for consumers and food manufacturers, this could provide a real opportunity for colour manufactuers. In 2009 the market for natural colours was worth $644m and is forecast to rise to $773m by the end of 2014 according to the latest data from RTS offering real growth potential.

For manufactuers of synthetic colours, this may be a reminder to take a look at the market to see if there needs to be any adjustment to product ranges. However, our research has shown that the market for synthetic colours is still growing at a rate of 2.7% per year in value mainly due to increased industrial food production. There are still plenty of countries, such as Malaysia, where synthetic colours are acceptable.

Some of the key issues to consider are:
Is it possible to offer a wide range of stable, natural colours suitable for different applications?
Is the trend for natural set to continue or will there be a shift to colouring foodstuffs?
Will consumers stop buying a product if it does not include all natural ingredients?
How can colours such as green and blue be produced naturally?
Under current legislation, how can manufacturers communicate the benefits of 'natural' with consumers on packaging?
How can global food producers overcome problems with different legislation across different countries?

To answer these and other issues, we are preparing a report on the market for colours. Sign up to our mailing list to make sure you get a copy of the free preview due out later this year.

Soft drinks and confectionery are two product categories where there has been a move to natural colours. Here are a few products from around the world...

Photo: RTS

V Water, Ginger & Mango

Colours: Carotenes & Anthocyanins

Photo: butik-hemlangtan

Sweden

Malaco Truly Juicy

Colours: Curcumin, Carmines & Chlorophyl Copper Complex

Hansens Natural Cane Soda

Colours: Not stated

Regional/Seasonal trend in Japan from Nestlé

2010-04-19T10:03:00.003+01:00

Nestlé has just launched a range of 19 regional variations of its KitKat range of confectionary in Japan. The flavours are based on local foods from various areas of Japan:

Photo: GamerGrrlz.net

Photo: Tasty Japan

Photo: InventorSpot.com

The range also includes soy sauce, cherry (from the Tohoku region), yuzu fruit and red potatoes, kinako (soy bean), sweet potato and blueberry (from the Kanto region).

Seasonal editions are nothing new in Japan, but the trend for regional / seasonal flavours and variations has definite potential for transference into Western markets. To discover more key trends in the food industry with our Trendwatch reports, click here

Shelf Life: Peppermint & Geranium cupcakes

2010-04-12T10:26:00.004+01:00

Continuing the trend for cupcakes, Waitrose now have individually packaged cakes displayed at the sandwich counter. We spotted Chocolate and Peppermint and Cherry & Geranium flavours. Floral flavours are a new trend in cakes and confectionery. If you want to find out more about flavour trends we have a flavours report coming out this year. Find out more here.

Travel the world from your kitchen: taste travel

2010-02-24T12:11:00.008Z

The recession will prompt a new trend for ʻtaste travelʼ, fuelling increased demand

for seasonings, herbs & spices, according to a new report from RTS Resource.

Prior to the global recession, consumers had enjoyed more opportunities to travel the world

than the generations before them. Wishing to recreate the travel experience when they

came home drove the desire for specialist ethnic ingredients. Italian and Thai foods enjoyed

great popularity, which remains to this day.

Research by RTS Resource found that while the economic downturn forced many to cut back on spending - with foreign travel an early casualty of budget cuts - consumers still want to experience new and exciting taste combinations. This, coupled with increased media coverage (e.g. celebrity chefsʼ journeys and travel magazines/TV programmes) is driving demand for ethnic ﬂavours and blends as consumers seek to travel the world from their kitchen.

According to the report by RTS Resource, global demand for industrial seasonings, herbs and spices in food and drink production will to grow to reach 1.5bn tonnes by 2014.

Increased consumer interest, linking in with the current trend for cook-at-home, is now inﬂuencing supermarkets to make ethnic ingredients more widely available - something which food manufacturers can take advantage of. “Consumers are looking for affordable, convenient ways to bring ethnic ﬂavours into their cooking,” says RTS Resource Director, Jamie Rice, “so ready-made and pre-measured spice blends, pre-prepared ethnic meals and condiment mixes - such as Berbere and Zatar blends - could all beneﬁt.”

Shelf Life: Asian meal kits

2010-02-15T09:52:00.011Z

Meal kits, street food and asian food are all set to be hot in the UK food industry this year. These new products from Waitrose are some of the first to follow these new trends.

Following the trend for Meal Assembly Kits, Taiko have launched a 'Make your own sushi' kit. Each pack contains 10 nigri, 4 salmon slices, 4 sushi prawns and 2 slices of mackrel with soy sauce and wasabi. The kit is priced at £7.99.

Mumbai Spice have introduced a Chowpatty appetiser selection inspired by Indian street snack's. Papdi Chaat comprises of crispy crackers topped with chutney and Ragda Pattice is made with fried potato patties, chickpea masala and is served hot. Priced at £3.49 (introductory offer) This is part of a new range from Mumbai Spice. Other meals include Kashmiri lamb rogan josh and Bengali Chicken Jalfrezi.

Stay up to date with the latest product launches and food industry trends with Trendwatch. Each issue contains in depth analysis and insight of new trends from around the world.

Hot Food Trends for 2010 and beyond

2010-02-10T10:19:00.010Z

Food industry insiders are tipping Middle Eastern flavours as the taste to watch for 2010.

Consumers are demanding ever more exciting taste combinations and food manufacturers are following suit. According to a new report from RTS Resource, top taste tips for 2010 include: single-origin flavours, such as Malaysian, Vietnamese and Middle Eastern, or fusion blends like Chinese/Indian, Creole/African and American/Mexican.

In the new report, Seasonings, Herbs and Spices, RTS Resource predicts that Middle Eastern cuisine is likely to continue to rise in popularity, together with Scandinavian/Northern European food (currently flavour of the month in restaurants, particularly in America) and Eastern European food, especially Polish. Spice blends such as Berbere and Ras-el-hanout, and ingredients such as Sumac, Juniper, Smoked Paprika and Tobacco-infusions are all expected to become more widely used.

Recent media interest has highlighted Caribbean and North African cuisines and this is likely to spark a range of products inspired by these cultures entering the market, the report reveals.

As result, the global market for industrial seasonings, herbs and spices in food and drink is forecast to grow by 11.6% over the next five years, based on increased demand for these flavour combinations, according to RTS.

According to RTS Director, Jamie Rice, authenticity is key to success for new products. “With consumers becoming more knowledgeable through travel, media coverage and restaurant experience, food manufacturers must be able to recreate ethnic flavours precisely, or else risk failure.”

Exclusive FiE 2009 Conference report!

2009-11-27T15:03:00.010Z

Jamie Rice, Director at RTS, brings us his exclusive conference report from FiE 2009 in Frankfurt, Germany.

We were delighted to be asked to present at FiE 2009. Our presentation received a great response and it was good to be part of this major exhibition for the global food ingredients market.

At FiE, we looked at consumer trends and how they drive demand for natural and functional ingredients.

If we measure the market using traditional categories, such as confectionery, dairy and baked goods, we see growth rates of around 4 to 5% per year in Europe.

However, if we look at trends, we can see much more significant growth rates. For example Ethical is growing at 16.2% per year, Wellness at 13.6% per year, Food-to-go, 7.1% per year and Convenience food 6.1% per year.

Obviously trends such as health and wellness necessitate the need for natural and functional ingredients.

Demand for healthy ingredients

Western Europe, Market value of healthy ingredients, 2009

If, as a food and drink manufacturer, you are not developing products that target these growth trends, you risk getting squeezed out in a declining markets. The same is true for ingredient suppliers. The key is to develop and sell into markets that are on trend and benefit from not only the high growth rates but also the premiums that are to be had.

Walking round the exhibition halls after our presentation, it was interesting to note the key trends being promoted, including digestive health, beauty foods, mood flavours and naturals.

We're at FiE, Frankfurt

2009-11-06T16:03:00.009Z

Come and see us at FiE 2009, Messe Frankfurt, 17th to 19th November!

RTS will be at FiE 2009 in Frankfurt from 17th to 19th November at Messe Frankfurt. On Day One (17th), RTS Director Jamie Rice will be presenting on Consumer Trends and how they drive demand for natural and functional ingredients in the Natural Ingredients Europe Conference taking place alongside the FiE and Ni Exhibition, in module N1 - New Natural & Functional Ingredients, from 10.30am till 12noon.

Kate and Miranda will be sending RTS-60 live reports via Twitter throughout the conference, looking for the latest innovations, future trends and new products. Make sure you are following RTS on Twitter here - all our FiE reports will feature the #rts60 hashtag.

If you're heading to FiE 2009, hope to see you there - if not, follow our reports for the latest news!

Free Download - Food & Drink Trends 2010 and beyond

2009-11-06T15:44:00.007Z

We were delighted to be asked by Jeffrey Hyman of The Food & Drink Innovation Network to present at a one-day conference last month. Our presentation looked at the current and future trends for 'food-to-go' and was very well received. If you would like to see the presentation, you can download it here - simply click the download button below.

Food To Go - Food & Drink Trends 2010 and Beyond - RTS Presentation for FDIN

The Best 100 Global Brands – how useful is it?

2009-09-18T11:31:00.012+01:00

BusinessWeek and Interbrand today published their annual list of the top 100 global brands, with Coca-Cola retaining its crown as the leading brand for the ninth year running.

Notable food and foodservice entries include McDonalds (6^th), up by 4%; Kellogg’s (34^th), up by 7%; and Heinz (48^th), up by 9%.

But how useful is this information for those in the food industry?

For years, brand shares have been the major indicator used by companies to determine the major players. Traditionally, this was a fairly reliable measure, as most production was in-house and therefore easy to correlate brand worth with production output.

But in today’s market, particularly with the current global economic crisis, the picture is not so clear.

Take Nestlé for example. Ranked 58^th in the Best Global Brands list, the company’s annual turnover was €72bn last year. Under the brand share model, it would be easy for ingredient suppliers to conclude that Nestlé has a massive share of the confectionery market – but where are its products manufactured and what about own-label market share? In many instances, named brands are outsourcing production to manufacturers who also produce own-label products.

Jamie Rice of RTS explains: “If you are looking to supply a particular market, you need to know who the major producers are and where they are based. Brand shares are little more than marketing tools for global companies – they tell you nothing about production volumes or who manufacturers the product. RTS is able to provide information at this level: identifying the major producers, we are able to help companies identify and target profitable business opportunities.”

To find out how RTS can help grow your business, click here

Recession success #2: Don't cheapen your product

2009-06-11T10:13:00.010+01:00

Steve Rice, MD of RTS, continues his series for the RTS Blog looking at how to help your business succeed in tough financial times.

This week: Cheaper products versus good quality alternatives

The recession has caused many to rethink their spending habits. According to a recent poll by Shoppercentric, 90% of shoppers said they were adopting more cautious buying strategies – an increase of four percent since January this year – but, interestingly, the percentage of consumers buying more own-label products has fallen by 4%.

This illustrates an important point when it comes to surviving the recession: cheapening your products is not necessarily the best policy to attract consumers.

Whilst it is often thought that economising means buying lower quality alternatives, the reverse may actually be the case. Consumers are certainly watching their spending more closely than in previous years, but the desire for good quality, affordable products remains as strong as ever. The main change in customer buying habits will be switching from one added-value product to another; for example, a consumer may opt for a good quality pie or organic sausages instead of a ready meal.

Manufacturers who simply cheapen products in a bid to maintain market share run the risk of alienating consumers – making them look elsewhere. With so many good quality alternatives already on the market, this could be a dangerous position for any manufacturer to be in.

This is where new product development (NPD) can benefit manufacturers. By carefully watching the market and targeting products to specific groups and occasions, manufacturers can offer good quality alternatives to products regarded as more expensive. Products that will survive the current economic climate will be those considered indispensable by consumers. Any product regarded as frivolous will be the first casualties of any economy drive.

RTS can help you to understand the current market, identify future opportunities and specifically target your products. If you would like to know more, email us.

Next time: Watch your competitors

Recession success #1: Keep an eye on future trends

2009-06-05T13:08:00.011+01:00

In a new series, Steve Rice, MD of RTS, offers an insight into making your business successful in tough financial times.

This week: Spotting future trends

Despite gloomy reports across the media regarding the effects of recession in the UK, potential still exists within the food and ingredients market, both in key sub-sectors and as a whole. But whilst some companies are reportedly cutting their NPD in order to save money, the manufacturers who will ultimately see significant opportunities will be those that invest in the future now.

Generally speaking, companies that have been successful in tougher times have had one thing in common: they have all identified new trends early and then grown as the sector has expanded. Contrary to popular opinion, we believe that NPD is the most important component of your business during the recession, not an expendable one. Maintaining NPD through the recession will ensure that you are best placed for growth when recovery starts.

At RTS, we have been looking at this issue across the global food and drink market. Time after time, the same key point emerges: that as the market becomes more competitive, the manufacturers and products that succeed will be those that are carefully targeted to specific consumers and occasions. By understanding trends as they emerge – and creating new products that respond to these – you will give your business a valuable advantage over your competitors. At RTS we can help you and your NPD, by bringing our in-depth market knowledge to help you identify key areas and opportunities. To find out more, email us.

The message is simple: don’t bin your NPD!

Next time: Cheaper products or good quality alternatives?

A touch of indulgence in tough times

2009-05-29T12:06:00.017+01:00

Everybody likes to feel special.

One look at the added-value sectors of the food industry will confirm that, despite the recession, consumers are still buying indulgent treats - albeit maybe less often and perhaps with a little more of a 'spending savvy' approach.

In our forthcoming series of blogs by Steve Rice, MD of RTS, we will look in more detail at the place indulgent or added-value products are likely to have in the food and drink industry - both during and post-recession. Contrary to popular belief, the recession may actually prove to be good news for manufacturers in these sectors - but careful marketing is key to creating successful brands and products. More on this next week.

In the meantime, if you would like a little extra-special treatment from RTS, why not sign up for our newsletter? Subscribers to our monthly RTS News receive exclusive special offers, access to previews of forthcoming reports, free downloads and much more. Simply click here.

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A touch of indulgence in tough times