Trend Tracker: Health vs flavour, tea in China, veganism, free-from and more feature in this edition of our trends round-up
Health overtaking flavour: Food companies ride on rising salt reduction and clean label trends in China
Health concerns are overtaking flavour preferences in China — where dishes are traditionally prepared with substantial amounts of seasonings and spices — and food companies are increasingly using this trend to their advantage.
According to market intelligence agency Mintel, over the last six months 94% of urban Chinese consumers have opted to reduce their salt intake, a significant departure from traditional Chinese cooking styles.
Tea in China: Non-dairy milk could revive growth of a slowing market, say analysts
The tea market in China appeared to have hit peak growth in 2017-2018, but analysts at Mintel say that using non-traditional complements like non-dairy milks could spell broader opportunities.
According to the market intelligence agency, the tea market in China grew by 14% from 2017 to 2018 to reach CNY48.5bn, and appeared to have reached the pinnacle of its growth. Volumes also surged 4% in this period to reach some 1.3bn litres.
Oceania tops vegan list: Australia, New Zealand seize top spots for veganism popularity in 2018
A new international listing shows that Australia and New Zealand have clinched the first and third spots respectively in terms of veganism popularity globally.
According to Chef’s Pencil, which compiled the list based on Google Trends data, Australians showed the highest levels of interest in veganism worldwide based on their internet searches.
Where regulatory and consumer demands converge: Why free-from is expanding in APAC - DuPont
Regulatory and consumer demands are converging to drive free-from demand in APAC, with government action around sugar taxes and regional preferences for meat-free and dairy-free products spurring innovation.
In the last two years, there has been about 20% increase in free-from products related queries from manufacturers, DuPont Nutrition & Health's Innovation Group Manager, ASEAN, Xue Si-Ying revealed.
Vegan ice cream: Unilever to launch first dairy-free Magnum in New Zealand
Unilever‘s Magnum has launched its first ever vegan ice cream made available in New Zealand this month, marketed as the Magnum Dairy Free.
The ice cream is made from pea proteins, hence is considered to be a plant-based product. Magnum boasts ‘the highest quality plant-based ingredients’ in the official press release, and emphasised that it has received certification from the New Zealand Vegan Association.
