Emerging Trends and Responsibilities of Food Product Developers during Pandemic

The COVID pandemic has delivered the biggest and broadest value chain shock in recent memory. It is clear that the lockdown has had a profound impact on how people live.

- Jayanta Roy

During lockdown, the home has become a focal point. It’s where we work, eat, play, and connect with our families and friends. We saw the rise of the at-home occasion, as people were restricted in their movement. They actually found, probably to their surprise that they like spending time at home, cooking for themselves. Obviously, there will be some changes shortly. People will go out again. They will go to malls. But I do think that the affinity for the at-home occasion has risen and that companies will need to really be very thoughtful about how they tackle the different at-home occasions in order to continue to be successful going forward. Quick-fix meals, do-it-yourself meal kits, packaged foods and ready to eat products have seen a huge and sustained uptick in demand during the lockdown. Even as overall consumption has declined, the portion allocated for at-home categories has climbed. What we buy has changed across categories.

In a post-pandemic world, this challenge of anticipating consumers’ needs, and measuring and managing innovation to address those needs, is likely to get tougher as a result of massive, lasting behavioral disruption across consumers, categories, and channels. Consumers are placing greater priority on necessities, seeking larger sizes, shelf-stable and easy-to-prepare products, as well as products that deliver a higher value. They’re shifting their shopping behavior to online and direct-to-consumer channels. Changes in disposable income and consumer attitudes increasingly favor brands that stand for trust, safety, health, and value.