KHNI to highlight evolving key nutrition and health trends

20 Mar 2023 --- Looking at trends such as plant-forward innovations and megatrends like sustainable nutrition, Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute (KNHI) seeks to demystify 2023 using data and insight from its network of regulatory professionals, dietitians, food scientists, microbiologists and nutrition scientists.

The company will discuss ten key trends during its live webinar on March 22 (16:00 CET).

Ahead of the webinar, we look at some of the trends to be explored, including those in the functional food space and the “megatrend” of sustainability.

Looking at the problem
One of the first issues KNHI plans to address is sustainability. According to the company, by 2050, the world population will reach 9.6 billion people. However, there are an estimated 690 million people who experience malnourishment and hunger every day.

KNHI highlights that sustainable nutrition solutions will be a megatrend for 2023.At the same time, 2 billion people worldwide are either overweight or obese, with 51% of the world population set to be overweight and a quarter of the population set to be obese by 2035.

Moreover, ingredients and nutrients most associated with diseases, such as fats, salts and sugars are being drastically overconsumed, causing a growth in preventable noncommunicable diseases. Other drivers include aging populations, reduced access to healthy foods and changing diets – all of which place pressure on current healthcare systems.

Feasting on functionality
KHNI holds that the one megatrend of sustainable nutrition contains four of its ten key trends. These trends address the need for plant-forward and plant-based solutions, protein innovations, the high stakes of sugar and salt and the need for affordable nutrition. 

Possible solutions that will be examined are the innovations in precision fermentation, molecular plant farming as well as those in the cultivated meat spaces. 

The company states that functional foods and ingredients will also play a key role for 2023. It notes that many consumers are taking responsibility for their own health and educating themselves on the science around nutrients, ingredients and their functions. 

Some of the “immediate” needs that consumers are looking to meet include sleep, mood, energy, immunity, beauty and weight management. 

Furthermore, Kerry states that customers are looking for science-backed ingredients aimed at their specific demographics and goals and notes a boom in ingredients and products that help consumers manage their health proactively that can be utilized when they need them, even at certain times of the day.

By William Bradford Nichols