Among the top 2022 food trends, the popularization of fermented foods or probiotics has been noteworthy. Recent nutritional research insights have highlighted a strong correlation between a robust gut-biome, good immunity, and overall health. Health enthusiasts today are therefore keener to include probiotic foods, drinks, and supplements in their diets.
Given that this is a food and beverage category that offers a lot more than fundamental nutrition, there is scope to innovate and go the extra mile to meet consumer needs to the hilt.
2021 Food Trends in the Probiotics Industry
- For the next five years, a compounded growth rate of 8.08% annually has been predicted by data analysts for the global probiotics market.
- This growth implies that its current market capitalization of 61.1 billion USD should expand to 91.1 billion USD by 2026.
- While flavoured yogurts and fermented drinks were already popular earlier, there has been a fascination with traditional probiotic recipes, especially from Asian countries like China, Japan, and India.
- Within the probiotics industry, the yeast segment is the most lucrative as of now. The demand for yeast-fermented drinks and patisserie products is steadily rising. The Saccharomyces Boulardii is a tropical strain that is particularly renowned for its gut invigorating properties.
- Lactobacillus-fortified drinks are also a fast-selling segment, especially in countries with hot and humid climates. Traditional fermented drinks like Kombucha, Tepache, Kefir, Rice Wine, and Mead make a comeback. At the same time, adding a ‘probiotic spin’ or fortification of conventional drinks is also becoming a fast trend. The most common examples are probiotic lemonades, fermented coffee, and Lacto-fermented sodas.
- The Asia Pacific is one of the fastest-growing market segments where probiotic foods thrive as per market size. Given that the native diets of most countries in this zone incorporate a lot of fermented fares already, consumer tastes are already familiar with these foods and beverages. So the markets here are a lot more receptive to the modern-day probiotic diet.
Fermented Food Market Analysis: Top Trends
The most significant aspect of the fermented food market analysis is the sheer diversification of offerings. Food, beverage, and pharmaceutical companies are vying for the attention of the gut-conscious consumer.
Despite its sheer magnitude globally, this sector is largely unorganized, and there is a lot of scope for organized ventures and precision-based marketing. Data-driven forecasting is helping companies envisage customized fermented food and beverage products to cater to the reigning consumer needs at present and in the future.
Dietary Trends Augmenting the Demand for Fermented Food and Drinks
The prevalent GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Diet stresses the importance of consuming gut-friendly foods to curtail autoimmune illnesses. If we speak of the dietary classification of this food and beverage segment, the major categories are as follows:
- Probiotic Yogurt and Cereals
- Baked Goods with Probiotic Fortifications
- Fermented Drinks that are Dairy-based
- Probiotic Fruit Drinks
- Probiotic Baby Food and Formula
- Prebiotic and Probiotic Dietary Supplements
- Traditional Probiotic Recipes like Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Miso, Aged Cheese, and so on
- Ingredients Kits for home-cooking of probiotic recipes like Probiotic Breakfast Bowls and Probiotic Smoothies.
Conclusion
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a conscious shift towards embracing health and wellness-boosting foods, drinks, and supplements. Many are marketing probiotics as holistic food for better immunity, anti-aging, weight loss, and keeping metabolic disorders at bay. For food and beverage start-ups (and established brands), this ‘probiotics boom’ is an excellent opportunity to cash on, providing consumers with exactly what they require.
