2020 Food Trends — What’s Hot Right Now

The Specialty Food Association Trendspotter panel — made up of buyers, chefs, culinary education professionals and industry watchers — recently put out its annual list of top food trends. If you’ve been paying attention at all, most of these won’t come as a big surprise!

Plants as Plants: Meat Replacement Pushback

The popularity of meat replacements is expected to wane, with consumers thinking critically about them and moving toward eating more real fruits and vegetables instead.

Convenient Cocktails and Mocktails 

The expansion of cocktails in cans and bottled mocktails is apt to continue — canned beverages spiked with CBD are on the horizon. We are particularly excited about Helios Revive – infused with hemp extract and vitamins and other ingredients that assist in hydration or give a natural boost.

Prebiotic Foods Gain Awareness

More products featuring prebiotics — types of dietary fiber that feed the gut’s friendly bacteria, found in foods like bananas, asparagus, seaweed and barley — will be hitting the shelves.

Fermented Condiments: Gochujang Comes to the Forefront

While fermented foods in general have been trending, look for gochujang — a red chile paste made with fermented soybeans, seasonings and glutinous rice — to be more present on menus and at retailers.

Sustainability-Driven Product Development

Products whose values center around sustainability are hot, including those made from upcycled products — ingredients that would have otherwise been discarded — and biodynamically farmed products.

Protein Takes Unexpected Turns: Anchovies and Noodles

With consumers continuing to search out ways to add protein to their diets, anchovies are trending, along with protein-packed noodles made from seafood or nutrient-packed noodles containing minerals and dietary fiber. We are super fans of Chickapea pastas, made with chickpeas and lentils, with plant-based protein and real food ingredients.  Plus, it cooks up perfectly!

Since trends don’t magically stop at the end of a calendar year, those that are still going strong from 2019 include CBD; dairy-free products; fermented beverages; and regional cuisines of Asia, West Africa, and Latin America. And if you’re wondering about trends that are just emerging, the panel points to three: ruby cocoa, heirloom flours and less (or zero) sugar instead of sugar substitutes.

We are excited to see what’s to come and engage consumers in learning more about these trends!