Market exclusion

The saying “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got,” has been shared via the internet for many years. Sounds logical, doesn't it? And yet it would seem that it's not so logical at all for a large majority of the industry's manufacturers and retailers, who actions are still very often based on outdated thinking:

doing things how they've always done them. There are frequent examples of companies who realise too late (or not at all) that they've missed a chance, sometimes with major consequences (such as retailers V&D and Blokker in The Netherlands). Seizing new opportunities is a must rather than a maybe nowadays, and this is clearly visible in the food industry. For example, many manufacturers continue to rely on outmoded principles founded on chemistry and the application of intense heat in order to extend shelf life.

Hence, we are still stuffing our products full of artificial additives such as preservatives, and we are still boiling the heck out of them to keep them on shelves for longer – despite the fact that new and more natural alternatives are already available. The world is changing all the time, and so too is the market and hence the demand. Anyone who ignores that changing demand and fails to align their offering with it will lose business.

Although I don't have a crystal ball I am bold enough to predict that the shift towards more natural food has long progressed beyond being a mere hype or a trend and is set to continue in the years ahead. Manufacturers who do not fully focus on more natural ingredients and processes from now on risk excluding themselves from the market in the longer term.

Dennis Favier is professional Food Designer and Creative Director at Innovation company TOP BV, the company translates technological innovations to interesting use.