Outlook 2023: Key consumer trends emerging in Asia

By RONAN MOLONEY, VP & GM, Food & Meat, Kerry APMEA

THE APAC region has changed dramatically in the last two years – more so than at any other time in recent history. Our customers are experiencing significant challenges – with bumpy supply chains, rising energy and food costs, along with an ongoing shift in consumer behaviours and consumption habits.

Despite this, we work closely with our customers to overcome their specific challenges and we’re optimistic about growth in the food and beverage sector. Since the pandemic, there is no doubt that people in Asia have readjusted their priorities and now hold health, safety and sustainability in even higher regard. Consumer confidence and attitudes vary across the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA) region, which means that we are increasingly conscious of the need for localisation and customisation by country. We see a number of key consumer trends emerging strongly and consistently that help us to define our focus forward. 

These trends are:

The current ‘inflation experience’ is obviously strong and this is impacting food choices. People want more value and greater fulfilment through experiences rather than the mere consumption of a food product. We see this manifesting in the premiumisation of snacks, exploration of the new, greater scrutinisation of value-add to personal health, and the search for authenticity in food and ingredients offerings.

In health and wellness, we are seeing a continued and intense focus on both physical and mental health, particularly in general wellbeing and a thirst for credible information and knowledge around health. We see this continuing to manifest in their choices of different foods, food groups and ingredients.

As for sustainability, it has evolved beyond traceability and hyper-localisation. In Southeast Asia, we see a greater focus on self and health – personal health and wellbeing for the greater good. In Australia and New Zealand, the focus is on health of the planet, wellbeing and resource availability for all. There is a greater expectation for goods that are clean label, ecologically less harmful, and for solutions that reduce food waste.

We are also seeing an ever-evolving individual consumer who places greater emphasis on authentic experiences that allow them to explore and expand their personal experiences, and make choices that benefit and resonate with them.  

Our strategies ahead are very much led by these evolving consumer needs. We help customers to produce food and beverages with taste, nutrition, and positive environmental impact. We solve the complex challenge of delivering natural, great-tasting food with cleaner labels.

Taste is core to us.  As a global leader in Dairy Taste, Savoury Taste, Smoke and Grill, Flavour Modulation and Natural Extracts, we continue to invest in a broad range of process technologies and expertise, including flavourists, sensory scientists, analytical chemists, application scientists and manufacturing specialists. Deep understanding of taste within the Asia region is key and we invest in local insight into the emotions that influence taste preferences and trends.

Reducing food waste is another key priority for us. We have a broad portfolio of market leading preservation solutions to maximise food shelf life and appeal while minimising food loss. We will continue to work with our customers and partners to combat food loss and waste across the entire supply chain, protecting their product value, helping them to feed more people. Each day, we extend the shelf life of over 96 million loaves of bread and over 300 million servings of meat – we aim to increase this.

We create food, beverage and pharmaceutical solutions that nourish life. Our holistic approach to health and wellness solutions, and leading portfolio of science-backed proactive health ingredients bring value to our customers. We continue to invest in solutions that support health across the spectrum, from proactive wellness to disease prevention and treatment, as well as robust screening platforms to select the most promising technologies for further development.

Through our innovation capability, we are shaping the future of plant-based food and beverage solutions and investing in this exciting area to deliver taste, nutrition, and functionality for the future of food.

Also in 2023, we expect the Food Service channel to see continued growth across dine-in, takeaway and delivery with consumers seeking healthier options, convenience and local taste. We will continue to work closely with our Food Service customers to bring relevant, on-trend menu innovation to market.