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Making sustainable choices

Closeup of vegetarian plant based burgers with aragula and broccoli patty, sliced radish, tomato and cucumber. Fresh vegan meal for veggie restaurant menu. Sesame bun on top of meatless snack GettyImages-1365808785.jpg

2024 the year of the ‘conscious consumer’

We have leveraged our market intelligence and application knowledge to pinpoint the trends that will drive consumer preferences in 2024. These trends will be translated into the foods and beverages of tomorrow as they shape the concepts we share with our customers.
Close-up hand carry choose zero pork soy bean faux peas cutlet gluten free read beyond non-meat lab label. Buy raw fake beef tray in asia store veggie burger patty for health care eat diet meal cook. GettyImages-1432124519.jpg

Trend #1: holistic sustainability

To date much of the food & beverage industry’s focus on sustainability has been around packaging and the development of plant-based offerings. As we move through 2024, we can expect to see the industry transitioning to a more holistic approach to sustainability and taking plant-based innovation to the next level.
“Many companies have responded to the sustainability challenge by changing packaging because it is the most visible and fastest solution, but conscious consumers are looking for all-encompassing solutions that go beyond packaging. Plant-based and hybrid foods offer a lot of scope for helping consumers make more sustainable choices,” says Justyna Rynkiewicz, Market Insight Manager, Nutrition, at Brenntag EMEA, with reference to the EMEA market.
The plant-based space has exploded in recent years, but some early attempts at innovation fell short of the mark on taste and texture. According to Justyna, this issue has now been addressed with the help of companies like Brenntag, who have supported the food industry with solutions for improving the taste, texture and appearance of plant-based foods.
Woman at grocery store reading food labels while holding her shopping basket.

Nutrition next in focus

Next the category must turn its attention to improving the nutritional profile of plant-based foods - in particular the protein component. “Now the focus is on delivery of nutrients; consumers expect the nutritional profile of a plant-based food to match that of an animal-based food, so, for example, a faux fish product will need to be high in protein and omega-3. We are working in this space right now,” says Dr Nadia D’Incecco, EMEA Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag.
Consumers are very receptive to trying plant-based foods, so if the industry can crack the dual challenge of taste and nutrition, the hope is that it will drive the repeat purchase that is needed for plant-based products to cross over into everyday territory. “The plant-based movement has been building for a very long time but in Asian countries, is still a niche. The challenge is one of evolving the category so that plant-based moves into the mainstream,”notes Sherlyn Sim, APAC Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag.
In North America, discussions around plant-based product development always come up against cost obstacles because meat is heavily subsidized by federal funding, says Joanna Self, Americas Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag. She believes the answer lies in creating more novel offers that will appeal to adventurous consumers: “Plant-based has to offer something more - it is not enough for it to be an ‘alternative’ to meat products,” she says.

Best of both worlds

Another approach that is starting to resonate with consumers in North America and Europe is the concept of hybrid foods that are part-meat and part-plant, making them healthier and more sustainable versus 100% meat products.“When it comes to alternatives to regular processed meat products, people are really warming to the idea of a 50/50 plant/meat product that enables them to feel better about their health and the environment,”says Joanna.
Plant-based and hybrid foods are just one of many sustainability avenues that food & beverage manufacturers could explore. Further strategies include reducing carbon emissions and waste through the use of upcycled ingredients and natural shelf life extenders. “Upcycling is a trending topic,” says Nadia. “We work with some ingredient vendors who have great stories to tell around upcycled ingredients and we can design solutions for our customers around valorizing waste.” In APAC, for example, we are working with suppliers who are extracting functional ingredients such as collagen from seafood waste via enzymatic processing.
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Winning consumer trust

Arguably the biggest challenge in developing sustainable products is communicating what is often a complex back story in way that is simple and honest. Conscious consumers want information and will not tolerate ‘greenwashing’. “There is a lack of trust around what is being put on packages in terms of planet health claims,” says Joanna. “Manufacturers have to be careful not to add to confusion around what sustainability means. We can help with that messaging, whether that is quantifying the value of a longer shelf life, explaining upcycled ingredients or demonstrating that ingredients have been sourced ethically and sustainably.”
Being able to draw on real data to evidence sustainability credentials is key to engaging conscious consumers. Manufacturers who partner with Brenntag for ingredient sourcing can harness the company’s EcoVadis Platinum status, which is the highest possible rating awarded by the independent sustainability expert. This was awarded to Brenntag for its efforts to adapt its procurement processes to ensure compliance with ESG regulations and cascade best practices throughout its sourcing and supply chain.