Trends Impacting the Global Food and Drink Industry in 2019

Mintel recently announced three forward-looking trends that will lead the momentum of food and drink innovations in 2019 and the years beyond.

Mintel’s Global Food and Drink Trends 2019 at a glance:

• Evergreen Consumption: A circular view of sustainability that spans the entire product lifecycle requires action from suppliers to consumers.

• Through the Ages: Food and drink will build on today’s dialogue about wellness and transition into more solutions for healthy ageing.

• Elevated Convenience: To match the premium expectations of consumers in the on-demand age, convenience food and drink will get an upgrade.

Evergreen consumption

The definition of sustainability is extending to encompass the entire product lifecycle. This circular approach will require companies, retailers and consumers to embrace their roles in the sustainable sourcing, production, distribution, consumption and disposal of products.

There is a movement towards circularity as new approaches to sustainability span the entire life of a product, from ingredient sourcing to package design, disposal, or reuse. The 360-degree approach reflects the principles of a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value while in use and then recovering materials at the end of use.

Additionally, consumers are becoming more aware of the damage plastic waste does to the planet. Mintel research reveals that three in five Indian consumers who are responsible for food or drink shopping take their own bags when they go grocery shopping while two in five urban Chinese consumers say that a brand is ethical if it offers environmentally-friendly packaging.

In 2019, support of and demand for more corporate sustainability programmes is likely to grow as consumers come to understand the various roles required to get closer to achieving a truly circular food and drink economy. These sustainability efforts will not only include improving access to recycling, but also incentivising consumers to recycle packaging and offering upcycled gods.

Coalitions, governments, manufacturers and packaging industry councils will continue to make commitments to improve the circularity of packaging materials. In addition to innovation in reusable and renewable materials, organisations need to continue to improve the recycling, reuse or composting of food and drink packaging in the coming decades.

Though the ages

Healthy ageing is emerging as an opportunity for food and drink categories in the years ahead. Preparing oneself for a longer, healthier lifespan is particularly relevant as consumers view health and wellness as a holistic, proactive and ongoing pursuit.


Ageing is particularly relevant given that the proportion of elderlies in Asia Pacific continues to grow, especially in countries like Japan, South Korea, China and Thailand. Longer lifespans present opportunities for food and drink manufacturers to take inspiration from the beauty industry and create products that help people look and feel young.

The beauty and personal care sector has successfully established a model for healthy ageing by designing proactive products that are marketed with positive language to people of all ages. Food and drink brands can follow similar models and target healthy ageing products towards consumers of any age who want to prepare their bodies for longer lifespans. In fact, crossover has begun between beauty and food and drink with similar functional ingredients being used in products across both categories.

Food and drink products can help people of all ages improve their bone, joint and brain health, as well as proactively address other age-related health concerns. For instance, 38% of urban Thai consumers associate high protein food or drink with being able to replace muscle loss due to ageing, and over a third of Chinese juice consumers are interested in packaged juices that have anti-ageing benefits.

Meanwhile, more food and drink formulations can be developed for people of all ages to efficiently consume vitamins, minerals and other ingredients that are potentially beneficial for bone, joint, immune system and brain health. Case in point; over half of Chinese parents of children aged 4-12 say that they would buy food and drinks that are targeted towards children if they were good for intellectual development.

Elevated convenience

A new generation of convenience food and drink is emerging, as manufacturers respond to rising healthy eating priorities, quests for foodie-inspired flavours, interests in personalisation, and competition from speed delivery services.
The premium preferences of consumers, today, are advancing demand for more natural, nutritious, or customisable products that help consumers keep pace with their busy schedules without sacrificing their health goals or curiosity for new ingredients, flavours, or formats. Mintel research reveals that almost two thirds of urban Thai consumers prioritise high quality when buying everyday products while half look for convenience.

Premium, fresh, and healthy convenience food and drink are essential now that many consider themselves to be foodies, which in turn, raises their expectations of food quality, flavours and formats. The younger generations in Asia include people who are passionate about food but lack the skills, equipment, or time to prepare the dishes that are less straightforward. Indeed, around half of urban Indonesians aged 16-24 say that eating food makes them happy, and that they enjoy cooking. This creates an opportunity for more premium convenience packaged products designed for this food-obsessed generation.

More diverse options of upgraded convenience food and drink are important in an era when consumers have a plethora of on-demand options in other parts of their lives. Just as streaming media has improved entertainment options, a similar abundance of convenient, fresh, and health food and drink choice will be expected by consumers who are not only pressed for time, but unwilling to compromise on quality. Mealkits, for instance, are often associated with dinner and can solve time-constrained dilemmas for consumers at any time of day.

Meanwhile, leading the way for enhanced expectations of convenience food and drink are new automated convenience stores such as JD.ID X-mart in Indonesia or habitat by honestbee in Singapore. These automated stores offer a retail experience that’s nearly as fast and seamless as fast food, drive through, or online order deliveries.

Much like these automated stores, advancements in technology will elevate the expectations of convenient food and drink options for consumers moving forward. More smart mobile, home appliance and retail solutions will help to further streamline food and drink planning, shopping and preparation to help consumers save time.

Mintel’s Global Food & Drink Trends 2019 introduces three forward-looking trends Mintel predicts will lead the momentum of food and drink innovation worldwide in the months and years ahead. This year’s predictions are based upon insights provided by more than 90 Mintel analysts and thought leaders, representing expertise in food and drink industries across Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. Please visit here to learn more about the other trends and to download a free copy of the report, :

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