Bakels: Trends impacting bakery 2024: EATING TO STAY WELL FOR LONGER

People are enjoying extended lifespans and longer working lives. Healthy ageing is set to be redefined by debunking ‘old’ stigmas and prioritising extending consumers’ healthy years by eating healthily.

Proper nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining overall health as we age, and can significantly impact the development and progression of age-related conditions such as diabetes, bone and joint issues, and heart disease.

The pandemic kick-started a shift towards healthier lives, with more onus on the individual, and now consumers are much more aware. Mintel’s report points to enhanced transparency around food processing over the next two to five years creating better-informed food and drink shoppers. Minimally processed products that boast higher nutritional value and are easy to use will win over more consumers. Today’s concerns about ultra-processed food and drink will build on the aversion to artificial ingredients, making consumers turn to bakers. However, say the researchers, moving beyond the sentimental stories of craft and artisan techniques, they will want to know how processing improves bakers’ products. In the coming years, Mintel also predict interest will grow in less processed food made with upcycled ingredients rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein and other nutrients.
Members of Generation X, those currently in their mid-40s-to-late-50s, are pioneering a new approach to healthy ageing that includes products that will help them thrive in their diverse lifestyles now and for decades to come. The new focus for ageing societies will be an extended healthspan — the period of life spent in good health, which requires a proactive long-term strategy. Importantly, Gen X’s are openly discussing and leading conversations around ageing concerns that were once considered taboo.

Source: https://www.bakels.com/insights/trends-impacting-bakery-in-2024/
Reference 1: Mintel Global Food & Drink Trends 2024