Klara Lynch - Global Grad, Strategic Insight and Planning - Bord Bia - Irish Food Board
As can be seen in many of the recent FoodAlert articles, both Health & Wellbeing and convenience (seen through the Fuller Lives Consumer Lifestyle Trend) appear to be as dominant as ever and the dairy sector is reacting to this, as are other sectors within the food and drink industry (Bord Bia, 2018).
According to Stylus, the dairy industry is producing some great new innovations to meet consumers’ wants and needs in the ever changing landscape. Some of these include products with interesting and intriguing flavours, options that are considered “health-boosting”, and even more convenient and consumer friendly formats (Stylus, 2019).
Within the dairy sector the range of opportunities is vast. From cheese to yogurt, ice cream to milk, there is an array of different innovations emerging and numerous different areas where further innovations could evolve. The US has seen the launch of products such as Milk Chews, where new company Nüma have created an Asian nougat inspired snack bar that is milk based and contains dried fruits and nuts (Stylus, 2019).
China is another market that has experienced some interesting flavour launches within the dairy sector, particularly in the yoghurt category. Some examples of these include flower flavoured products, such as You Chun Shanghai Style Osmanthus Rice Wine Brewed Yogurt, and nuts and grains flavoured products, like New Hope Black Rice and Walnut Flavoured Yogurt with Bits (Mintel, 2019a).
The idea of functional ingredients being utilised in food and drink products has transcended into almost every sector, including dairy. Both bigger and smaller brands are now emerging in this space, with the likes of Unilever launching ‘Culture Republik’, which is a range of probiotic ice-creams that contain three billion live cultures in each pint tub (Stylus, 2019). Yakult, an already strong player within this area, is moving outside merely digestive claims and has recently launched Yakult Beauty Plus+ Drinking Yogurt for Skin, in South Korea (Mintel, 2019b). Staying on that trend, US brand GoodBe has also developed a range of chilled snack bars that contain probiotic bacteria, which are made from granola and yoghurt (Stylus, 2019).
As seen in Bord Bia’s Consumer Lifestyle Trends, both the Health & Wellbeing and Fuller Lives Trends are set to continue shaping consumers’ decisions and influencing the food and drink market over the next three to five years. As a result, Irish dairy companies should move in tandem with these trends and follow them to allow for, and help with, innovation in new, unusual or atypical ways to what is expected. By reaching consumers with new formats or flavours, dairy companies may be able to break into unexpected parts of consumers’ lives and take advantage of new occasion opportunities too!
If you’re interested in the Health & Wellbeing trend, take a look at Mairead’s recent FoodAlert on Health & Wellness, which you can find by clicking here and if you want more information on Bord Bia’s Consumer Lifestyle Trends, you can visit the Consumer Lifestyle Trends website by clicking here.
References:
Bord Bia. (2018). Consumer Lifestyle Trends: Health & Wellbeing. Available from: https://www.bordbiaconsumerlifestyletrends.ie/trends/health-wellbeing/
Bord Bia. (2018). Consumer Lifestyle Trends: Fuller Lives. Available from: https://www.bordbiaconsumerlifestyletrends.ie/trends/fuller-lives/
Stylus. (2019). Reclaiming Dairy’s Universal Appeal.
Mintel. (2019a). The Future of Yogurt and Desserts: 2019. Mintel.
Mintel. (2019b). The Future of Dairy Drinks: 2019. Mintel.