March 2, 2015

In Rabobank’s recent report, ‘What’s Cooking in Tomorrow’s Kitchen?’ the group examines the transformation of static consumer patterns toward a three-pronged ‘dynamic consumer’ mindset focused on sustainability, convenience, and health. Understanding these mindsets and applying new technologies along the food chain will be critical in remaining relevant in a sector experiencing pressure from retailers, quickly changing consumer behavior and market demands.

The use of alternative ingredients such as insects and algae is a realistic and viable option in the near future according to the report to meet the sustainability objectives of buyers, as long as scale, cost of production and consumer acceptance can be met. In terms of convenience, online food shopping is predicted to grow, providing more personal shopping experiences and augmented offerings over the next 20 years.  Wearable technology and hand-held scanners that can inform a consumer about the nutritional value of a particular food, and track data on caloric intake are predicted to become more mainstream as well. And extrapolating this trend even further, Rabobank goes on to state that 3-D printed food will also apply under the health conscious mindset, giving consumers the choice to personalize their food items according to portion size, flavors, and nutritional value.

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