2023 Food Trends

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With 2023 quickly approaching, a new year brings new opportunities. For food manufacturers, opportunity often presents itself in the form of demand – so how do you meet the demand with your supply for the coming year? Whole Foods and The Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Trendspotter Panel have the answers as they have rounded up their top food trend predictions for 2023 and we’ve summarized the highlights below.

Produce

• According to Growing Produce, produce is stepping in for pasta: “First it was chickpea pasta, then cauliflower gnocchi. And who could forget zoodles? Now there’s a new crop of plant-based pasta alternatives to help us all up our veggie and fruit intake, with ingredients like spaghetti squash, hearts of palm, and even green bananas.”
• Additionally, dates are taking center stage: “The dehydrated fruit often referred to as “nature’s candy” is having a major renaissance as a sweetener—not only for at-home bakers, but also in the form of pastes and syrups, and hidden in everything from ketchup to overnight oats.”

Packaging

• Food Business News reports that “the panel also believes consumers will look for innovative packaging that can offer increased portability while lessening messiness. Brands should similarly look to improve messaging on their labels and tap into consumer values like sustainability.”
• Similarly, Growing Produce noted the importance of eco-friendly packaging: “With an increased consumer demand for sustainable food, packaging companies are expanding into recycled options. ‘Climate consciousness is more relevant than ever, and as a result, brands are working to improve the impact of food and beverage production.’”

Sustainability

• Progressive Grocer emphasized, “Environmentally friendly foods, including alternative seafood, will help sustainability-minded consumers keep an eye toward the environment when making specialty product choices. Ingredients like mushrooms, seaweed and jackfruit are being made into different products, and pasta has also seen innovation with black rice, pumpkin, red lentils, lupini and purple carrots. Companies will increasingly focus on regenerative agriculture, more localized and biodynamic food systems, carbon farming, and indigenous farming practices.”
• Food Business News stated, “In addition to its importance in messaging, continued sustainability and environmental concerns led environmentally friendly foods to rank No.2 on the panel’s 2023 trends,” quoting, “‘With growing unrest over climate issues and their impact on the future food supply, products that feature some aspect of sustainable ingredients, upcycled ingredients, or environment-friendly packaging, are leading the way,’ said Jonathan Deutsch, a panel member and founding director of the Drexel Food Core Lab.”

Convenience

• Food Business News indicated, “Convenience will be at the forefront of consumers’ minds in 2023, according to the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) Trendspotter Panel.
• According to Progressive Grocer, “When it comes to convenience, home cooks with an eye toward restaurant-quality meals are looking for easy solutions without a high price tag. ‘The coming year will pave the way for curated meal kits with specialty foods that one can make and serve at home without sacrificing authenticity, convenience, and taste,’ said Trendspotter Panel member and Institute of Food Technologists fellow Kantha Shelke.”

Health

• Progressive Grocer reported, “A balance between health and indulgence will be on the menu in 2023, and ‘better-for-you snacks like dehydrated vegetables or mushroom chips [will] continue to dominate,’ said panel member Lindsay Leopold.”
• They continued to quote, “‘Specialty food consumers are looking to make their meal prep easy but exciting and that is driving many of this year’s trends regarding convenience, packaging improvements, and global flavors,’ said Denise Purcell, VP of resource development at New York-based SFA. ‘At the same time, they continue to care about how their food is grown and the health benefits it offers, giving rise to evolving sustainability, plant-based, and better-for-you trends.’”