Ten Trends to Watch in 2024

As a brand and trend expert, it was an honor to share my insights on the ‘10 Trends to Watch in 2024′ at the Natural & Organic Products Expo in London on April 14, 2024.

Trends reflect my first-hand knowledge from travels to stores and trade events in London, Sweden, and the Natural Products Expo West. The top trends are mushrooms, protein in multiple formats, foods, and supplements for brain and digestive support, and gummies in every category. ‘Take Your Best Shot’ as single dose portions continue to be available in immunity boosters, protein or collagen powders, packets of supplements, mushroom powder,

KÄÄPÄ Mushrooms, Fungi Perfecti LLC/Host Defense, Om Mushroom Superfood, 12 Tides, Youtheory, Orgain,  Atlantic Sea Farms, 8Greens,  Huel,  Healthy Crunch,  Macalat,  Protein2o Inc., Konscious Foods and so many more.

 

‘1. Mushroom Power

• Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane are trending for their potential health benefits, including cognitive, immune support, and energy boosts. Lion’s Mane is a brain health superfood that may help support memory, focus, nerve health, creativity, and mood.
• Functional Mushroom Beverages: The trend in adding functional mushrooms, into coffees, teas, and ready-to-drink beverages is gaining momentum.
• Mushroom-Based Snacks: Mushrooms as a base for snacks is a growing trend. From mushroom jerky to chips and even mushroom-based popcorn alternatives, these snacks are innovative and offer plant-based, sustainable snack options.
• Mushroom Supplements: Products ranging from capsules, gummies, and powders to tinctures. These supplements target wellness goals, such as stress relief, immune support, and overall vitality, leveraging the adaptogenic properties of mushrooms.
• Culinary Mushroom Varieties: There’s a trend to diversify the types of mushrooms available for culinary use, beyond the common button and portobello mushrooms to more exotic varieties like maitake, shiitake, oyster, and enoki.

2. Eat Your Greens from Land & Sea

• Ingredients from the sea continue sales growth as more consumers learn the health benefits.
• Seaweed and Kelp-based products grow quickly and are nutritious and versatile, found in noodles, chips, fish-free sauces, supplements, and more.
• Seaweed has many of the minerals we need in our daily diets, including iodine, sodium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and selenium.
• Super Green Powders with leafy greens, algae, barley grass, vitamins, and probiotics are available in single-shot and large format containers.

3. Protein Even in Water

• Top growth reasons for protein include meal replacement, muscle growth, dietary supplements, and weight loss.
• Protein bars and snacks are convenient for our on-the-go lifestyle and are in demand.
• Standard protein supplements and additions: Chia, granola, hemp, rolled oats, nuts, peanut butter, Greek-style yogurt, and snack cheeses.
• Clear & clean labeling with the key nutritional values is a selling benefit for brands.
• Collagen protein continues to gain popularity for its benefits to skin, joint, and bone health. Bovine and Marine!
• Specialized protein products to fit individual dietary needs like vegan, keto-friendly, low carb, low or zero sugar, and all with high protein formulations.
• Top brands Orgain plant-based protein powder and Garden of Life with their grass-fed whey protein are owned by Nestle Health Science.
• I have watched the Ancient Nutrition and RX Bar business explode in the protein, collagen, and bar categories.

4. Brain Function & Support

• Brain support is a key trend with more introductions focused on feeding the mind.
• Adaptogen herbs like ashwagandha and ginseng are prevalent and gaining popularity for their ability to help the body manage stress and may have a positive impact on brain function.
• Creatine supplements are often used for building muscle and improving athletic performance, but recent research suggests creatine may help improve brain function as well.
• Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA in fish oil and even more introductions from algae.
• Nootropic herbs such as ginkgo biloba and lion’s mane mushrooms are being researched for their potential to enhance memory and focus.

5. Hydration

• Re-usable water bottles, ready-to-drink beverages, single-dose stick packs, tablets, and mini-drinks have made it easy to stay hydrated and get you through the day.
• At Expo West, Path Water gave away thousands of reusable aluminum bottles with Still and Sparkling water.
• The numbers of PH and Alkaline water brands continue to grow.
• Hydration powder and tablet shots
• Liquid IV brand sales have expanded 4x since being acquired by Unilever.

Consumer Health Data

(Euromonitor International 2023 Data)

6. Love Super Foods – Chocolate, Coffee and Matcha

• Who doesn’t love Chocolate, coffee, or tea?
• The continued growth in these categories was seen on almost every aisle at Expo West.
• Rich in antioxidants and all may support brain health.
• Chocolate, coffee, and tea may improve metabolism, mood, and energy.
• Matcha contains a high concentration of chlorophyll, due to the way it is grown in shade, making the tea leaves a bright green. Chlorophyll is a natural detoxifier. A higher-quality matcha may have a more intense green.
• Other superfoods included Acai, Pomegranate, Mushrooms, Ashwagandha, Turmeric, Maca and so many more!

7. Less and Zero Sugar

• Continued shift to natural sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit, dates, exotic fruits, and allulose.
• There are new sugar reduction technologies that reduce sugar content without compromising taste.
• ’Clean Label’ products with fewer ingredients. I want to know what I am eating and appreciate the brands that are more transparent with their sourcing.
• More functional ingredients that add more health benefits beyond sugar like protein, probiotics, and fiber.
• There is an ever-bigger trend to watch blood sugar levels throughout the day.
• Macalat uses mushroom mycelium flavors to create its sweet dark chocolate.

Beverage Claims % To Total

(Euromonitor International 2023 Data)

8. Digestive Health

• Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, gut health, microbiome, and the gut-brain connection.
• Orgain introduced Wonder Gut at Expo West, a daily 5-in-1 digestion blend for maximum microbiome support. “Made with 25 organic greens and 50 superfoods, each serving of Wonder Gut contains (5g) of fiber to support digestion, 1 billion probiotics + enzymes to support gut health, and adaptogens including ashwagandha, reishi, and lion’s mane to support overall wellness.”
• ”Microbiome diversity” has become a more prominent term in discussions about digestive wellness. Prebiotics: Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that nourish and support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.
• Research into the gut-brain connection has led to increased interest in how gut health influences mental well-being and vice versa. Fermented Foods: Fermented foods, such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha, are rich in beneficial probiotics and enzymes that support digestive health. The term “fermented foods” has gained popularity as people seek out these traditional foods for their gut-friendly properties.

9. Gummies Even From Greens

• Gummy bears have come a long way! Gummies in every category from supplements, beauty and foods.
• Beauty brands are offering gummies to supplement their skincare.
• The Haribo gummy booth at the show continues to grow
• Plant-based and vegan gummies.
• Eat your greens in a gummy.

10. Regenerative Organic Certified

• The top priorities in regenerative organic products are soil health and biodiversity which contribute to sustainable agricultural practices.
• ROC products often result in more nutrient-rich produce due to the healthy soil.
• The social impact of ROC products supports fair labor practices and benefits local communities where sourced.
• Top Regenerative Organic Certified brands include Patagonia Provisions, Dr. Bronner’s, Nature’s Path, and Maple Hill Creamery.
• Transparency of farm to production.

There is Growth in Certifications

An update from last fall includes a visual increase in more labels and certifications by brands on products and packaging.

The latest from B Lab and B Corp as of December 2023:

‘The B Corp community has continued to grow rapidly over the past year. Today, there are nearly 8,000 Certified B Corps employing over 700,000 workers in 93 countries around the world. B Corps are:

• Paying workers fair wages so they can afford a decent standard of living (B Corps are twice as likely to pay all employees a family living wage);
• Enabling workers to generate wealth (119,000 B Corp workers own shares in their company);
• Actively working to reduce the negative environmental impact of their business (8.4 million tons of waste have been saved from landfills or incineration by B Corps).
• Small to medium size businesses make up over 90% of B Corp Certified Companies.”

There is more work to do for brands that are certified.

Big thank you to Ekaterina Tretyakova and Euromonitor International for support with data!