Foods trends like gluten free, protein and on-the-go snacks dominated consumer purchases in 2015, but as the year draws to a close, what food trends will emerge in 2016? To answer that question, food researcher Technomic identified 10 trends that it says may prove transformational in 2016.
The gluten-free food trend is showing no signs of stopping according to a recent study by Transparency Market Research which projects the gluten-free food segment to reach $4.89 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of 7.7 percent.
Despite a growing amount of consumers focused on healthy eating, Americans still have a sweet tooth for chocolate according to a report from market analyst Packaged Facts.
SUBWAY Restaurants announced this week it has updated its antibiotic-free policy and will transition to only serving protein from animals that have never received antibiotics across all of its 27,000 U.S. stores in 2016.
With more consumers trending towards natural and organic food options, Dietz & Watson announced it has launched a new product line known as “Originals”—a collection of antibiotic free deli meats, organic deli meats, rBST-free cheeses and organic beef hot dogs.
The increase in vegetarianism and flexitarianism has made the meat alternatives market a competitive and lucrative space, according to market research publisher Packaged Facts, New York. In the report “Proteins - Classic, Alternative and Exotic Sources: Culinary Trend Tracking Series,” 28% of respondents indicated they are seeking vegetarian sources of protein, which span a healthy range of products from beans and legumes to "fake meat."