European Food Trends Report 2019 (EN)

Hacking Food: Redefining What We Eat

Farmers’ markets, allotment gardens, homemade – at present, our longing for authenticity and naturalness determines how we eat. But we will have to take leave of these nostalgic ideas, even if doing so hurts. First-world romance will not help us feed ten billion people by 2050. Instead, we have to look at the global food system as a whole, change our (eating) habits, and accept that we cannot escape a sweeping process of technisation. There are three causes: environment, health and everyday stress.

Many people are becoming more aware of the impact of our consumer and eating habits on the environment, climate and animal welfare. Because it can no longer be denied: the climate crisis affects the production of food, while our diet is exacerbating this crisis. Sustainability also means less food waste, more ecological packaging solutions, and more circular economy.

Physical and mental well-being have become a lifestyle, and the right diet is more important than ever before. Consumers want to use the ideal nutrient combination and biohacking to eliminate feeling unwell and to get rid of digestive problems, tiredness, a lack of fitness and to optimise their mental powers.

In everyday life, consumers want efficient meals, and the food market is reacting. The entire food service sector, from fast-food outlets to fine-dining restaurants, is caught up in the supply frenzy. For a long time now, delivery menus have not only been offered by traditional restaurants, but also by high-performance kitchens without a dining room that organise their meal deliveries most efficiently.

The 39 food experts interviewed for this study agree that scientific innovations offer new solutions that go far beyond convenience. For them, tech topics head the list at all levels of the value chain: from new sources of protein – such as plant-based meat alternatives or meat grown from stem cells in the laboratory – and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to more automation, networking and augmented reality retail.

By the way: Author of the study and researcher Christine Schäfer will also speak about the latest trends in the food industry in your company. For further information please contact Ingrid Schmid.