Health and Wellness

Cooking ingredients and meals in Germany saw several significant developments in 2022, including a growing focus on sustainability, convenience, and health. Sustainability has become an essential factor in the German market, with many consumers…

The ready meals category is not as strong in Greece as in other Western countries due to the fact that Greek households still remain fairly traditional, with families eating primarily home cooked meals instead of buying packaged ready meals. This…

Local consumers have been paying greater attention to their diets as well as their gut health since the pandemic. As such, when consumers in Hong Kong choose cooking ingredients and meals, the natural claim is one of their main concerns. It is…

In recent years there was a rise of adulteration practices, in terms of replacing mustard oil with poor-quality oils in multi-source edible oils, with the intent to reduce costs. It was relatively easy to mix lower-quality oils, as they would not…

Volume sales of products with health and wellness claims increased at impressive rates across cooking ingredients and meals in Indonesia in 2022. Overall demand continued to be buoyed by rising health awareness among consumers, a well-established…

The pandemic strengthened an already growing health and wellness trend within cooking ingredients and meals in Ireland. The HFSS (High Fat, Salt and Sugar) regulations, which were unveiled in December 2021 by the Advertising Standards Authority for…

Local consumers are increasingly interested in on-the-go and easy-to-make foods, while simultaneously seeking the healthiest food options.

Organic products came to the fore in several categories within cooking ingredients and meals in 2022. As demand has risen retailers’ shelves have become increasingly crowded with organic products with many stores creating specific areas of their…

Japanese consumers have relatively high interest in functional products, and generally trust the claims on the packaging and in marketing activities. With the aim of assisting consumers to make more informed choices, a system of Foods with Function…

Growth rates were slower across numerous categories of health and wellness cooking ingredients and meals in 2022 as the return to spending time and socialising outside of the home during the post-pandemic era suppressed retail sales of packaged food…

Dairy farming and agriculture have long been a staple of the New Zealand economy, with ample access to high quality meat and dairy products forming the backbone of the traditional New Zealand diet. While health and wellness preferences have been the…

2022 saw suppressed demand across Norway’s cooking ingredients and meals industry due to the resumption of the cross-border shopping that was extremely popular among local consumers prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This also adversely…

In 2022, more Polish consumers looked for vegan products within ready meals, and due to rising consumer demand, players expanded their portfolios. For instance, Iglotex expanded its vegan portfolio Proste Historie in the form of frozen vegan ready…

Consumers today have a greater understanding of the significance of diet and nutrition to their overall health and wellbeing. Increasing knowledge of the dangers to health of obesity and related problems, such as heart disease, has led consumers to…

Increased adoption of home cooking and heightened health-consciousness among local consumers since the pandemic have led to growing interest in greater product variety and nutritional options available in retail channels for cooking ingredients and…

Globally, young adults are the key consumers of plant-based foods, and South Africa is no different. South Africa ranks in the top five countries that ordered the most vegan dishes according to UberEats, with vegan burgers reported as the most…

Although products low in sugar are becoming more noticeable in cooking ingredients and meals, product innovation has so far been less proactive than in other packaged food categories, and consumers’ attention has not yet been captured. However, South…

In an inflationary environment, unevenly rising prices inevitably affected the purchasing power of many Spanish consumers in 2022, hampering the growth of certain health and wellness cooking ingredients and meals. Despite the temporary downhill…

Vegetarian, vegan and plant-based alternatives saw a boom in popularity in several packaged food categories towards the end of the review period with ready meals being no exception. There is a strong demand for healthier food alternatives in Sweden,…

2022 saw demand continue to increase across numerous categories of health and wellness cooking ingredients and meals, with these positive growth trends very much in line with the prevailing attitudes among Swiss consumers towards the dangers of…

Despite Taiwan aiming to live with COVID-19 and return to normal lifestyles, confirmed COVID-19 case numbers spiked in 2022 with more than 10,000 cases per day. In line with heightened health consciousness, which has been bolstered by the experiences…

Health-conscious consumers in Thailand are increasingly opting for plant-based cooking ingredients and meals, further driving the shift towards plant-based diets. Plant-based ready meals is an emerging niche in Thailand but perceived as a lighter and…

The COVID pandemic underlined the importance of healthier living which positively impacted demand for more natural products. This rising health awareness in the Czech Republic helped boost demand for health and wellness cooking ingredients and meals…

In general, there has been long-term growth in vegetarian cooking ingredients and meals. In 2022, there was a temporary dip in retail sales of these products, although this was mainly an adjustment after a sharp increase in retail sales of vegetarian…

Since the pandemic, a rise has been seen in the number of consumers seeking active and healthy lifestyles, amidst the hybrid work model. Consumers have become more aware of and conscious of their food intake, and many are willing to spend on organic…

New lifestyles, including flexible working models, have encouraged local consumers to cook more often at home. This is in addition to rising inflation in the UK, which has been pushing up the cost of meals through consumer foodservice. This trend…

Interest in labels and certifications that highlight positive and/or “healthy” attributes is increasing, as consumers are looking for functionality and are taking a more balanced approach, instead of simply consuming foods with reduced ingredients…

Turkey has a long history of consumers enjoying dips, although these are often either made from scratch at home, or consumed in neighbourhood restaurants. However, recently there has been an increase in the availability of packaged dips, which are…

The preference for plant-based food and beverages continues to increase among the population of Argentina. In addition to the obvious desire to reduce the amount of animal-derived products in one’s diet with the aim of improving long-term health…

Consumers have become increasingly concerned about their general health and wellbeing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to reduce the chances of infection and promote quick recovery, more and more consumers are looking for ways to…

2022 saw further expansion of the subgroup of Austrian consumers who are paying significant attention to their physical and mental health and the role that their diet plays in maintaining good physical and mental health. This has supported rising…

More Belgians are becoming flexitarian, which is having two major impacts on the dairy products and alternatives category. On one hand, consumers are seeking dairy products that contain more proteins. Indeed, flexitarians need to find another source…

In 2022, dairy products and alternatives continued to face challenges in Brazil given economic constraints of the local population. Despite initial benefits of pandemic-related social isolation on dairy consumption at home, Brazilians have been…

2022 witnessed some significant movement within dairy products and alternatives in Canada. Despite only recording modest growth, brands of both dairy and plant-based alternatives are competing on all fronts for their respective consumer base. With…

NotCo, a Chilean start-up which uses artificial intelligence to mimic animal-derived products with plant ingredients, continued the expansion of its portfolio with the launch of NotCheese, a vegan cheese, at the end of 2022. The company also received…

Protein has been regarded as important nutrition for boosting immunity since the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020. This has led to the boom of high protein claims in dairy products and alternatives, and has been driving new product developments with a…

Lactose free products continued to be of interest to consumers in Denmark, with sales of these products driven by large brands, such as Arla, Naturmælk and Thise. Lactose free is a strong trend because of food allergies and lactose intolerance, while…

Sugar has increasingly become the focus of consumer health concerns around the world, with excessive consumption of sugar in modern diets associated with the development of a number of health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and…

According to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumers Lifestyles survey, in 2022 more than 2% of people in France were vegan, while almost 3% were vegetarian. While these figures are still quite low compared to markets such as the UK and Germany, the…

Protein-enriched products have become increasingly popular in Germany due to the growing interest in healthy eating and fitness. These products provide a convenient and appetising way for people to consume greater protein content, which is considered…

Protein is perhaps the most popular ingredient consumers currently look for in almost any packaged food in the Greek market. With the increasing interest in regular exercise and sporting activity after the outbreak of COVID-19, Greek consumers have…

Hong Kong started 2022 with the fifth wave of COVID-19, with over 1.2 million citizens testing positive during the first quarter of the year. The outbreak dramatically intensified consumers’ concerns regarding their health and wellness, particularly…

Nestlé was the dominant player in baby food in 2022, with the company synonymous with trust and assurance of quality. Baby food, including milk formula, is considered essential for the holistic development of babies and young children, both…

Plant-based dairy products and alternatives have become increasingly popular in Indonesia in recent years as rising health-consciousness and concerns about environmental sustainability and animal welfare issues have led more people to embrace vegan,…

Irish dairy products are perceived as offering exceptional quality across the world, with a high rate of exports among local products which strengthen the Irish dairy brand perception – Ireland has been classified as the EU’s leading exporter of…

Local consumers are increasingly interested in healthy and convenient food options, with demand also remaining steady for indulgent dairy products. However, in response to growing vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian trends, plant-based products…

Healthy and sustainable food is a topic of primary importance for many Italians, who not only want to improve their own health but also contribute towards improving the health of the planet. The growing interest in vegan butter and spreads is…

Facing a continuous decline in the birth rate, and consequently the population, growth in health and wellness dairy products and alternatives has been hampered. However, as consumers’ health consciousness and interest in nutrition was growing even…

2022 saw numerous leading dairy companies launch new products focusing on specific product claims related to health and wellness, most of which address specific nutrition concerns. Protein content is particularly prominent among the health and…

Dairy farming and agriculture have long been central to the New Zealand economy, with high quality locally produced dairy products comprising a core component of the traditional New Zealand diet. While health and wellness claims in products such as…