Convenience, plant-based nutrition, and restaurant-inspired international flavors are driving food innovations, and chopped salads kits are well positioned to drive growth for the value-added salad.

Plant-based consumer demand is shifting. No longer just a substitute meant to mimic animal products, plant-based is becoming a standalone segment, creating a wide new space for brands to let their innovation instincts grow.

Recipe innovation is at the forefront of product development, and to win new customers, traditional combinations (featuring such standbys as pepperoni, sausage, or mushrooms) are giving up space to new meat combinations, as well as novel vegetable crusts, sauces, plant-based toppings, other natural ingredients and spices sourced from the world’s cuisines. 

David Feder, Executive Editor Technical, kicks off 2023 with a new editorial feature, Reasoned Opinion, an op-ed series of his reflections on the trends happening in the food, beverage, nutrition, and ingredient industries.

Over the last year, cost and value for money have become more important to more than half of food and beverage consumers worldwide. Today’s shoppers are increasingly exploring money-saving strategies, such as choosing lower cost items and cooking from scratch. 

Over the course of 2022, Prepared Foods developed dozens of articles, podcasts, videos and infographics about food and beverage product development in the immunity space. Here six items that the Prepared Foods community found most compelling in the past year.

Nick Fallucca, Chief Product and Innovation Officer of Palermo Villa, Inc., brainstorms pizza with Prepared Foods’ Executive Editor-Technical David Feder.

Premixes range from the mandated vitamins and minerals for addressing nutrient shortfalls to trendy ingredients like turmeric, ginger, activated charcoal, collagen, and botanical bioactives that consumers believe are healthier for them.

David Feder, Executive Editor-Technical for Prepared Foods, interviews Martin Pamensky, CEO and president of the Stanmar International Group of Companies and CEO and founder of Simply Delish, makers of sugar-free, keto-certified desserts and other sugar-free products.

Trend observers from the Naturally Network and SPINS LLC identify eight key growth areas for 2023.