Traditional bread, sugar alternatives and plant-based foods will be among the top food trends in 2018, according to a new forecast.
The New York-based Specialty Food Association’s Trendspotter Panel picked ten trends for its annual list. The panel consists of Ken Blanchette of FreshDirect; Jonathan Deutsch of Drexel University; Kara Nielsen of CCD Innovation; Perla Nieves and Alysis Vasquez of Midnight Market; Alison Tozzi Liu of the James Beard Foundation; and Elly Truesdell of Whole Foods Market.
Traditional bread making processes expected to increase in 2018, according to the panel, include use of local grains, milling the day before baking and proofing for long periods.
As consumers continue to look for alternative sweeteners next year, suppliers will respond with greater use of syrups made from dates, sorghum, yacon, sun root, monk fruit and other non-sugar sweeteners.
Cheese and convenience foods will be among the food categories that should see greater use of plant-based ingredients in 2018, according to the panel. Algae will pop up more as a meat alternative.
The panel also predicts a strong year for upcycled products, Filipino and Middle Eastern cuisine, “goth” food, using all parts of fruits and vegetables, marijuana-enhanced foods and more transparent labeling.