Ready to start making your new product? If you’ve passed your initial formulation hurdles, you’re ready to think about where to sell the item, an initial volume and how the food will be safely processed and packaged. Possibilities include a home kitchen, a commercial kitchen or co-manufacturing plant, just to name a few.

The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the US.

Gen Z consumers are trend creators who define what markets should be provide. They welcome positive engagement with companies and seek new experiences.

With more than 100,000 internet searches per month for “vegan recipes” and “vegetarian recipes”, it’s clear there is high demand for plant-based meals. The survey found that 52% of adults are vegan-curious and illustrated consumers’ desire for time-saving solutions to preparing plant-forward dishes. In fact, 56% of adults said they want shortcuts to plant-based meals. 

Whether you pour it, spread it, slice it or spoon it—plant-based dairy options are making inroads in consumer kitchens. Retail 2021 data from the Good Food Institute and SPINS showed plant-based milk category sales at $2.6 billion alone with one- and three-year growth figures of 4% and 33% respectively. Moreover, plant-based milks enjoyed a 16% share of market two years ago and 42% share of household penetration.

Breakfast items like cereals, omelets, and hash browns have become popular as snacks. Meeting this trend from the other direction, such comfort and enjoyment, coupled with convenience and variety, are increasingly repositioning snacks as replacements for meals. 

According to research from NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business and Circana, sustainability-marketed products outperformed conventionally marketed products across 36 categories and grew +0.3 points to 17.3% of purchases. In addition, sustainability marketed products’ five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) sits at 9.48%, outpacing its conventional counterpart at 4.98% for the same period. 

This year marks the eighth year of the Greenhouse Accelerator program, and the first-ever Hispanic edition, which focuses on driving growth of emerging Hispanic-owned food and beverage businesses through collaboration and innovation.

You might be starting from scratch in a kitchen, or perhaps you already have a recipe you like. Either way, now is the time to think forward. You’re going to be choosing the ingredients and packaging you need to meet consumer expectations, support the statements and claims you want to make, and match way you expect to manufacture it.    

According to Innova’s 2022 Flavor Survey, 39% of Americans said they are most likely to experiment with flavors through sauces, seasonings, and toppings. These categories rank ahead of others such as bakery, soup, desserts and ice cream, cheese, savory snacks, and more.