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Consumer tastes and preferences are constantly evolving and becoming more individualised
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Friday, 29 July, 2022, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Seema Jindal Jajodia
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An unintended fallout of the information revolution, spearheaded by access to more information through the internet and social media, is the tangible way in which consumer habits and preferences have changed. This is not, however, a new phenomenon.
Throughout history, we have seen clear examples of how the way people dress, speak, and eat, have gone through substantial changes. Living in the 21st Century, we have embraced newer methods of consumption and access to other people’s methodologies and practices have ushered in a newer, more collaborative way in which consumers shop, in particular for food and beverages.
One of the many ways in which this change is visible is in your average supermarket shelf. The erstwhile options that were few and far between have now been replaced by an explosion of competitive options all stacked up in abundance ready for the taking. Global brands have made it to your neighborhood grocery store, and the nature of competition has also changed.
Consumers are now more aware of what goes into their food and resultantly what goes into their bodies, coaxing them to read labels and understand the composition of what food is made of. Thus, brands are now competing on having more health-conscious ingredients rather than more attractive packaging or lower pricing.
Add to this the plethora of dietary themes that are flooding the market. From fad diets to veganism to keto, the last decade has witnessed the rise and emergence of a group of powerhouse dietary methods, each with its own benefits. There has, in fact, also been a shift one step further - a refreshed focus on organic and sustainably grown food items.
Such is the awareness of today’s consumer that the concept of farm to table begins right from the seed, down to the water and soil used, and eventually a chemical-free upbringing. While much of it may be a bandwagon effect, there can be no complaints when people are making an active and conscious choice to be healthier in their daily lives.
Cognisance about consumer habits has provided some much-needed direction to the food industry as a whole. Gone are the days when ‘taste’ was the sole determinant of the attractiveness of a food product.
The roadmap, while not a straitjacket formula for all, does have some key concepts that would set the food industry as a whole on the right track. First, there needs to be a conscious shift from mere quantity to greater quality. Consumers are now actively looking out for the best ingredients, and the industry as a whole must make a choice to increase food quality in terms of nutrition, growing methods, and an absence of chemical and artificial enhancers.
Second, despite the obvious advantages of traditional farming and food production methods, quality and efficiency can be assisted and promoted through the use and up scaling of technology. Where technology was once employed to use artificial additives to make foodstuffs cheaper but of a lower quality, the same focus on innovation can lead to a contrary effect.
Food technology has reached a crossroads where the emphasis on quality has led developers to look for fresh ways to contribute to the industry. From cleaner and greener production techniques to bringing some semblance of affordability to the high-quality food market to reduction of a producer’s carbon footprint through local production and robust supply chains, technology can be leveraged to bring about a newer revolution for quality food.
Finally, the industry itself must collaborate not just with consumers but with each other to ensure that the contemporary food space marks a renewed focus on health. By creating a competitive market in the space of nourishment for health and wellness, the food and beverage industry must recalibrate itself to accept the realities of today.
Such acceptance is not simply about attempting an individual effort at change, but also about knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and cracking the consumer code on preferences. This is a business lesson that to some may seem antithetical - how can we let the competition know what we’re doing? The answer is simple - because for any business to succeed there needs to be a clear and fundamental rule followed, i.e., the consumer is paramount.
Industry is always driven by consumers. As consumer awareness around the connection between human health and food ingredients continues to rise, it is imperative that the food industry prepare strategies for the new future; and understand the concerns, needs and emotions of shoppers. And that’s not all! Today, we’re reaching a stage where the consumer is making choices not just for the individual but also for the globe. While we do have a long way to go, we now know for sure that the future of food is sustainable & more biodiverse.
(The author is founder at Nourish Organics)
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