TREND BOOK SIAL INSIGHTS 2022

In this era marked by transitions, reinventions, and social responsibility on a global scale, now more than ever SIAL Paris seeks to serve as a space for the encounters and debates that shape and inspire the food ecosystem around the major transformations that are taking place in the agrifood industry.

It is with this desire in mind that we are bringing you SIAL Insights, a research laboratory and watchdog of consumer behavior and industry trends. Based on three international studies conducted by Kantar (consumer expectations), ProteinesXTC (agrifood innovation), and The NPD Group (out-of-home catering), it provides the keys to meeting the challenges facing the food industry in the future.

The agrifood transition is now in motion for quality food, openly accessible to all

Despite, or perhaps because of, the pandemic and an uncertain future, our meals remain a vector for action in response to global issues.

• 63% of consumers believe that food is a space for citizen action, a way to choose what kind of world we wish to inhabit
• 71% of consumers have changed their behavior over the past two years
• Almost one-third have already adopted radical changes in their behavior to become more responsible consumers 

4 key trends are consolidating expectations, innovation, and out-of-home catering for the long-term 

• Health more important than ever at mealtime 
• CSR is served
• More enjoyment: quality and nutrition play their part
• Digital technology at your service

Value for money: this year’s big issue against a backdrop of rising inflation

Consumers are still as sensitive to pricing as ever, perhaps even more so, and the current inflationary context can only serve to consolidate this trend.

Economic pressures are drastically reframing what constitutes value for money, which is evolving into a more complex equation, less about quality and more about benefits. The growth achieved by the organic market over this same period, for example, is an excellent example of this phenomenon.
While consumers acknowledge that industry players are already taking action, the challenge now is to find a way to meet all of their expectations with a clear offering that is accessible to as many consumers as possible.

Is the heralded return of low prices today’s central issue?