In a synergy project on market insights, The Food 360TM study, carried out by Kantar every two years for SIAL, the Global Innovation Barometer carried out by ProtéinesXTC and the study of trends in mass consumption and out-of-home catering carried out by Circana provide a number of insights into consumer behaviour on the world stage, as well as specifically in Asia.

In 2024, non-alcoholic beverages remained at the forefront of the global food innovation market, proving their ability to evolve with the various challenges facing the industry. Despite a slight overall decline in new product launches worldwide (-1.5 points), the category was still the most innovative, ahead of savoury frozen foods and appetizer grocery products.

This continued momentum is driven by key rivers such as health, ethics, convenience and pleasure, which are driving brands to explore functional drinks, natural ingredients and eco-friendly packaging.

In Asia as a whole in 2024, Asia's top three most innovative categories were soft drinks at 16.7%, appetizer grocery products at 10% and dairy products at 5.7%

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INDIA, MORE HEALTH AND ALWAYS PLEASURE

 

According to the studies, for India pleasure remains the first vector of innovation, responding to the 'variety of senses' trend. The health axis dropped by 16 points in India, due to fewer products in the “vegetal” and “natural” trends while the physical axis represented 12.9% of innovations in 2023 and 2024, with 8.6% specifically targeting the "energy and well-being" trend. The ethics axis represented a smaller share of innovations in India than in Asia as a whole.

SIAL India Mumbai 2025 (28-30 August) is just around the corner. A premier B2B event tailored for industry professionals, the show offers a robust platform for valuable networking enabling participants to connect with key stakeholders, decision-makers, and potential partners in the food and beverage industry. The event is designed to promote successful transactions and industry growth.

A major highlight of this global showcase of creativity and unique flavours will be the SIAL Innovation competition. In the months leading up a show, exhibitors have presented their innovations. These have been reviewed by an independent committee of multidisciplinary experts, led by SIAL's expert partner ProtéinesXTC. This committee analyzes and evaluates the innovative nature of the product (recipe, manufacturing process, packaging, marketing positioning, etc.) and the associated consumer benefits.

Top image credit: Andy Hay for Unsplash

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