If you haven’t read our 2020 predictions paper yet, click here to download it now.
Food transparency is closely tied to the consumer desire to eat sustainably, they want to know everything they can about the products they’re eating. And, just as mobile technologies have created an expectation for on-demand ordering and payments, they are now feeding a drive towards the provision of specific food information. From where it was grown and who by, to how it arrived at their plate, transparency will be what’s needed to win the trust – and loyalty – of an increasing number of consumers.
It’s a trend that has been driven by numerous global crises, arguably starting with the horse meat scandal of 2013. The event was a pivotal moment in the industry drive towards food transparency.
More recently it’s been because of other concerns, climate change and numerous, preventable, allergy incidents, that technologies facilitating transparency have surged in demand. A number of preventable medical cases have brought the question of allergen labelling to the news agenda, for example. One company helping restaurants and food caterers tackle this aspect of transparency is our partner, Kafoodle. Kafoodle makes software that allows food operators to deliver calorie and allergen information.
Away from the contents of processed food, technology platform, Provenance, is offering transparency by bringing the supply chain to the consumer. It uses blockchain technology (a verified chain of transactions) to track, trace and tell the user about the food they’re buying: is it produced ethically? Sustainably? What are its origins? Similarly, working to prevent another horse meat scandal, is consumer technology SciO. The technology gives instant information about a product’s chemical makeup.
At its core, transparency is about the consumer wanting to understand more about the products they buy and consume. More than half of global consumers have said a brand or product’s story influences their purchasing decision; the trend is about so much more than food labeling. Who produces the food matters; they need to know this if they are going to align themselves with a brand through their purchase. Those companies that can successfully increase transparency will be rewarded with greater trust from customers in 2020. Those that can’t, might struggle to win new customers, or keep existing ones.
There’s more on food transparency, as well as number of other trends available to read in our 2020 predictions report now. And, once you’ve read it, we’d be keen to hear if you agree with our thoughts!
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