2021 Trends, Challenges & Opportunities in the Food Industry

The food industry has experienced rapid changes in the recent past due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the outbreak, everything else lost meaning except for two things

Staying healthy
Finding what to eat and what to drink to survive and stay healthy

These were the things that mattered to the world and will remain a top priority as long the pandemic is still around.

Businesses have had to be more creative to find better ways to adapt and keep up with these changes. We called it The New Normal.

Of course, this is not without challenges, but there are opportunities too.

In this article, we’ll highlight the 2021 food trends, challenges, and opportunities you should know.

Constant Shutdowns

Constant shutdowns have been topping the list of the challenges facing the food industry in 2021. With some international borders remaining closed for the longest time, access to raw materials has become very limited, forcing many restaurants and businesses to shut down. As a result, this has affected the food supply chain causing a shortage in the food industry. Food safety has also been a big concern when it comes to the supply of healthy foods.

All these challenges were unexpected and have caused so much stress in the food systems. But businesses have shown a remarkable response to these challenges to ensure the continuous supply of healthy foods. They have come up with ways to make food more available to consumers despite the rising demand and the delays in food manufacturing, processing, and distribution.

Some of the solutions you’ll see in the food industry include

Online food ordering and home deliveries
Takeaway orders
Improved packaging of food products and the displaying of allergen information for customers, etc
Increasing Demand for Healthy foods and Immunity Boosters

The year 2020 was all about eating well and staying healthy. Most people are now more cautious of what they eat, shifting their focus to healthy foods that strengthen their immunity. The trend has continued even in 2021, and according to experts, this is not about change. As a result, most companies have followed the same immunity trend. They have made health a top priority by including immunity-supporting ingredients in their recipes.

According to research, 60% of consumers are continuously searching for products that will strengthen their immunity. That explains the increasing demand and hence the sales for immunity-building products we see right now.

Technological Challenges

Companies in the food industry were already using multiple sales channels even before the pandemic. But their demand increased drastically in 2020 due to the global lockdowns. Unfortunately, some businesses were caught unaware and had a hard time adapting to this trend. Food and beverage innovation went down as the struggle continued.

The good thing is that the situation has been getting better by the day in the year 2021. The industry has seen a widespread shift, from restaurant dining to dining indoors. As a result, most businesses now use multiple online channels to distribute and sell their food products.

On the other hand, the shipping industry has been under a lot of pressure, leading to the increased shipping cost. That has forced businesses to reduce their profits since most customers are reluctant to pay for the delivery of low-priced items.

Maintaining Safety Standards

With the world still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, maintaining the safety standards remains a critical part of upholding the high level of customer trust to manufacturers. Unfortunately, the food manufacturing workforce cannot work from home. Therefore, keeping employees safe and rebuilding confidence in the labor force available will continue as a challenge in the food industry in 2021.