The team at Natural Food Expo caught up with Louise Allen, Senior Local Forager from Whole Foods Market about trends and insights ahead of us for 2024.
In terms of food and beverage trends, what do you predict for 2024?
Last year, Whole Foods Market’s Trends Council unveiled the top 8 anticipated food trends for 2024 in our ninth-annual Trends predictions report. The Trends Council is a global collective of more than 50 members of the Whole Foods Market team, including foragers, buyers and culinary experts. The annual trend report forms part of our mission to continuously provide our customers with a trend-driven offering centred around quality and innovation. Whole Foods Market’s top food trend predictions for 2024:
- Put the “Plant” back in “Plant-Based”
- The OGs of plant-based cuisine are making a comeback, putting the “veggie” back in your veggie burger and shrinking labels all over the plant-based category. We’re seeing new and emerging protein-forward products with mushrooms, walnuts, tempeh and legumes in place of complex meat alternatives.
- Clean & Conserve: Water Stewardship
- Brands across the aisles are promoting water conservation, and consumers are listening. New water brands use water from fruit by-products, which would otherwise be discarded. As well as the growing trend of regenerative agriculture, non-governmental organisations are also showing their support of farmed oysters, leveraging aquaculture to filter water and help restore coastal ecosystems. Lifestyle brands are also pushing water-conscious products like dry shampoos, shampoo bars and laundry detergent sheets.
- Feel the Burn
- Complex heat continues its evolution with global peppers taking off in every aisle—and the trend is only getting hotter. Specialty varieties like Carolina Reapers, Scorpion Peppers, Guajillo or Hungarian Goathorn Peppers are found fresh, whole, ground or pickled, and a new wave of botana sauces and chilli oils are popping up in condiment aisles nationwide.
- Noodle News
- Shoppers have been finding ways to dress up their instant ramen at home for years now, but as brands step up their game, noodle lovers can take on less of the workload. Even better, brands are creating more gourmet options to rival the classics without certain preservatives and added MSG.
- Little Luxuries
- TikTok creators have brought “Little Treat Culture” into the zeitgeist, and we’re on board. We know firsthand the power of a treat, like an impulse macaron buy or a fizzy, functional and flavour-forward drink. Brands are getting in on the trend by considering both cost and format—like individual serving packages that add joy without breaking a budget.
- Women’s Health: From Taboo to Top of Mind
- This year on social media, we’ve seen hormonal remedy recipes go viral, including raw carrot salad for estrogen management, seed cycling energy bites for each cycle phase and “sleepy girl mocktails.” We’re seeing more brands making products to support periods, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause and even sleep that address life stages and symptoms previously swept under the rug.
- A Better Boost
- Whatever your go-to source of caffeine, there are new ways to get the absolute most out of your morning or afternoon pick-me-up. Combining a boost with benefits has never been easier thanks to new coffee and energy drinks with added mushrooms, probiotics and more. There’s never been a better time to search the “clean caffeine” space for your next obsession.
- Flavours of Mexico
- Mexican ingredients and foods that haven’t always been mainstream are now coming to the forefront. Consumers are exploring flavours of Mexico beyond the taco—and in new formats, too. You can now find products like botana sauces, to-go tamales and tepache ready-to-drink beverages on shelves like never before.
We’re delighted that Whole Foods are part of the show. What kind of brands are you looking for & what are you looking forward to most about the show?
We’re excited to discover new, innovative, mission-driven brands. We recognise brands that raise the industry bar for quality, innovation, value and social and environmental responsibility, and are aligned with Whole Foods Market’s Core Values, such as caring for local communities and practicing win-win partnerships.
Have you noticed any changes in consumer habits over the past couple of years?
Cost of living has had a large impact, and consumers are more focused on value and discount opportunities. This is why we’ve introduced over 141 staple, UK-favourite brands to our offering across our seven London store. All of which have all passed our rigorous, industry leading Quality Food Standards, which prohibit over 230 preservatives, flavours, colours, sweeteners and other ingredients commonly found in food.
Why do you think Natural & Organic Products Expo is an important event for the industry?
As a leader in sourcing innovative products, championing emerging and innovate brands, this event not only provides a great opportunity for Whole Foods Market to discover just this, it continues to raise the bar for creating excellence within the retail space.
Natural & Organic Products Expo returns to ExCeL London on 14-15 April. Register for a free trade ticket here, or visit www.naturalproducts.co.uk.
