It is no secret that novelty is an important purchasing driver for Asian consumers when it comes to making food and grocery decisions, driven by curiosity and a fondness of exploration.
This has been at the heart of rapid new product innovation efforts in the region, but novelty alone is no longer sufficient to attract interest, according to industry experts.
“The Asian consumer landscape has evolved to prioritise not just new experiences, but new experiences with a purpose,” Koelnmesse general manager for food exhibitions Wendy Lim told us at the firm’s recent ThaiFex-Anuga Asia 2025 show in Bangkok, Thailand.
“This has led to many companies in the region increasingly focusing on purpose-driven innovation when it comes to their new product development, with functionality often highlighted as one of the core ‘purposes’ here.”
Examples of this ‘purpose-driven’ innovation include Thailand-based upcycled functional beverage brand Coffogenic, as well as Taiwan-based FoodHo with its GABA Calm Drip Coffee.
“These innovations were both winners of this year’s tasteInnovation awards, and showcase the rising importance of functional products to consumers in Asia,” she added.
There is also a compelling need to ensure purpose-driven innovations are on-trend with current health and wellness needs – for instance, Coffogenic was developed from the pulp of coffee cherries and successfully fulfils both upcycling and wellness purposes.
“The pulp of coffee cherries is usually discarded as a by-product of the coffee production process, so the development of this product has added value to the coffee supply chain,” the firm told us.
“We use a patented process to extract bioactive substances from the coffee pulp which have been shown to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in the body.”
Similarly, there is very high demand in the Asian region for products that can help to improve mental wellbeing and relaxation.
“Many Asian consumers from office workers to students face high levels of stress, and are looking for ways to promote calming and reduce their stress levels,” FoodHo General Manager Sunny Hsu added.
“This was the white space we saw to create a product specifically targeting this need, hence the launch of GABA Calm Drip Coffee that infuses postbiotics into coffee to help with stress relief.”
Sustainability no longer just a trend
Another area of purposeful innovation focuses on sustainability trends, which more firms are prioritising in order to future-proof their businesses.
“Sustainability is no longer just a trend or an option but a must-have,” Koelnmesse Project Director Lynn Ho added.
“This can be interpreted at various levels – the most obvious is of course in terms of packaging waste reduction, but there is also the increased emphasis on cleaner products and health-forward foods in this region.”
AI to tie purpose with products
In order to tie purpose-driven innovation to actual product development, Lim stressed that a technology focus, particularly on things like big data and AI, is going to be imperative for the food industry moving forward.
“AI can help product development in many ways, but the main one is to remove the guesswork out of consumer demands as it can lay these out for manufacturers,” she said.
“This means that food firms who leverage big data and AI are going to be the ones who can go to market with products faster, sometimes even before the demand emerges, and this can make a very big difference to success in the market.”
