What products are consumers looking for? Which trends promise attractive sales? From among the current Top Ten Trends listed by Innova Market Insights, Hydrosol has identified three promising focus areas for the meat industry: Ingredients and Beyond, Precision Wellness, and Climate Adaption.
Protein: The Star Ingredient
“Ingredients and Beyond” is this year’s top trend, and nutritional content, especially protein, plays a central role in it. According to the 2024 Innova Trend Survey, for 42 percent of consumers worldwide protein content is the most important factor. One in three looks at the protein content when purchasing meat and poultry products. Natural ingredients and clean label also play a major role for meat consumers. The same applies to the demand-oriented snack market. For meat snacks alone, experts project an average annual growth rate of just under 6.7 percent for the next four years, to 26.8 billion USD. The main driver is take-away snacks that offer not just convenience but also high nutritional value. To meet these consumer expectations, Hydrosol has developed several formulations that enable high protein content whilst rendering the addition of phosphates unnecessary. These formulations are suitable for making many different meat snacks, from chicken jerky and chips to kebab and shawarma.
Precision Wellness
The Precision Wellness Trend combines personalized nutrition with convenience. The focus is on products aligned towards specific life phases or lifestyles. Hydrosol already laid the groundwork for its offerings in this area several years ago with concepts for children’s products. From dairy and deli products to hybrid meat products with extra vegetables, the success of this product range shows how important tailored nutritional solutions are for even the youngest consumers. Another example is Hydrosol’s Best Agers concepts for Generation 55 plus. These center on dairy and deli products that combine health and indulgence. For the meat category Hydrosol has developed functional systems that are aligned towards the various quality expectations of diverse target groups. According to Innova Market Insights, while Baby Boomers and Generation X define product quality by freshness, shelf life, and naturalness, for Millennials and Gen Z safety is the most important criterion. With systems from the Naturom and Hydrolon product lines, manufacturers can address these different consumer quality expectations.
Climate Adaption
Climate change is one of the central reasons that more and more consumers are limiting their meat consumption. According to an Innova Trend survey last year, one in four consumers worldwide considers themselves a “meat reducer” or flexitarian. Innova calls this Top Trend “Climate Adaption”. Hybrid products are one way to reduce meat consumption. These combinations of traditional meat with vegetables, plant proteins, mycoproteins, or cultured cells have enormous market potential. One out of three consumers around the world is willing to try hybrid products, according to the Innova survey. Hydrosol supports manufacturers with stabilizing systems from the PLUSmulson and PLUSstabil ranges. These make it possible to create a wide range of products, from burgers, meatballs, and nuggets to schnitzel, kebab, and fish products, as well as cold cuts and formed ham, containing varying amounts of different vegetables. The final products feature an even, meaty bite and a tender, juicy consistency. Attendees at this year’s IFFA can experience it for themselves. At Booth C89 in Hall 11.0 the company is presenting solutions for kebab, nuggets, and formed ham, as well as creative ideas for meat snacks and other trending products.
