2022 Food and Beverage Trends

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Last year saw Kellogg introduce MorningStar Farms® Incogmeato® Homestyle Chik'n Tenders so restaurant operators could add plant-based protein to the menu. This back-of-house product can be quickly fried or baked and used in any and every daypart.

In 2021, plant-based meat’s dollar share equated to 2.7% of retail packaged meat sales, or 1.4% of the total meat category (including random weight meat), according to data released by the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), The Good Food Institute (GFI), and SPINS.

Kellogg Company announced that its board of directors has approved a plan to separate its North American cereal and plant-based foods businesses, via tax-free spin-offs, resulting in three independent public companies, each better positioned to unlock full standalone potential. 

IFT FIRST: Annual Event & Expo, whose updated brand is an acronym for Food Improved by Research, Science and Technology, takes place July 10-13 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, It will bring together the science of food community to solve food-centric challenges and spark innovation to benefit the global population for years to come. More than 18,000 people are expected to attend the in-person event, along with nearly 2,000 expo booths.

For several years now, Innova’s Top 10 Trends have been headed by issues related to transparency and building consumer trust. By 2022, these trends had zeroed in on environmental issues and a shift in key consumer concerns about the environment. Even in a pandemic, the health of the planet took over as the top global concern ahead of population health.

Here’s a story where you could say the “i” stands for innovation and the “t’s” refer to taste and texture. It took Hormel Foods about two and half years to develop Happy Little Plants Meatballs, one of the foodservice industry’s first plant-based meatball products. Hormel launched the product last July and showcased it at this year’s National Restaurant Association exhibition.  

Whole Foods Market’s summer condiment trends predictions come at a time when customers are turning to condiments to elevate their meals more than ever before. According to Mintel, sales for the condiment, marinade and dressing category are expected to hit $2.9 billion by 2024, showing growth of more than 5% since 2020.

Last year saw Applegate take that farm-to-fork commitment to change one step further. With the October launch of Applegate Naturals Do Good Dog hot dogs, it became one of the first and few to appeal to consumers on the basis of regenerative agriculture.

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) announced new details around the in-person experience at IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, taking place July 10-13 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

This year brought more than 120 submissions and after two judged panel tastings, experts selected six items according to a 10-point scale for overall innovation, the team’s problem-solution story and sensory performance (including taste, appearance, texture, smell, etc.)