24 Mar Australia and New Zealand’s Emerging Food Trends
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Last month our IMAGINE team travelled to Melbourne to conduct sensory research. We loved being able to see the city and grow our understanding of the Australian market. While seeing the sights, we noticed that food trends that were emerging in NZ were reflected in the Australian market. There were three specific trends that stood out the most and have been growing exponentially over the last year.
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Ready-To-Eat Meals/Ingredients
These are the answer to the busy consumer who does not have the time to cook but still craves a healthy home-cooked meal. The 2024 New Zealand Food Awards named ‘Convenience meets nutrition’ as one of the standout food trends of 2024. This encompasses products like ready-to-eat meals that make things easier for those with a busy life. In Australia, it was found that 2 in 4 consumers in the last year have turned to ready-to-eat meals for convenience. Consumers were focused on the healthiness of these offerings, with the majority of consumers favouring those that mention being natural or containing real ingredients.
In 2021, Hello Fresh surveyed 1000 kiwis and found that many tend to cook unhealthy meals for their household as they don’t have enough time to cook healthier alternatives. Some dietitians believe that the surge in ordering takeaways post covid lockdown likely reflected that many were not favouring healthy meals for dinner. The increase in healthy Ready-To-Eat meals allows consumers to eat healthier while not sacrificing their free time to make the meal themselves. In turn making it more convenient to improve their lifestyle.
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Non-Alcoholic Alcoholic Beverages
Another significant trend that has emerged recently is zero-percent alcohol “alcoholic” beverages. In 2024, Australia has seen a 23% increase in consumer purchasing non-alcoholic alternatives for the health benefits of avoiding alcohol. Independent consumer research in NZ found that 55% of Gen Z said they usually drank zero- or low-alcohol drinks, an increase from 40% in 2020. Just looking at the supermarkets alone we can see zero-alcohol alternatives to beer, cider, wine, and even RTDs. It is a trend that is being readily adopted by popular brands. When walking through the drinks aisle of Coles in Melbourne we noticed zero/low-alcohol versions of brands such as Asahi, Peroni, and a range of non-alcoholic wines by Edenvale. With the preference in low/non-alcohol beverages in Gen Z, we are likely to see this trend continue to grow and ranges of these beverages expand.
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Planet-Based alternatives
There has been an increase in Australian consumers focusing on plant-based foods. 22% have increased their consumption of plant-based products like meat substitutes. McKinsey Dairy survey conducted in 2022 found that ‘49% (of NZers) consume less or no dairy after trying alternatives’. Statista reported growing revenue in dairy alternatives in both Australia and New Zealand with the expectation for it to continue increasing over the next 5 years. Just browsing the Woolworths and Coles you see a range of plant-based alternatives for meat and dairy products like milk, yoghurts, and ice creams. The greater interest in these alternatives are found to be related to the public becoming more health and environmentally conscious. Consumer NZ found that switching to some plant based products can not only decrease your carbon footprint but also save you more money in the long run.
Overall, with all three food trends that have been sweeping Australia and NZ there is a focus on finding healthier options. We see a growing focus on how what we eat impacts not only ourselves but the people and the environment around. These trends focus on maintaining healthy habits for consumers and it is likely that we will see it continue to trend upwards.
