ADM Identifies 2022 Global Consumer Trends and Shares How They’ll Come to Life Next Year

2021 has been a year of changes, challenges and new life norms, all of which have ignited broad consumer interest in health and wellbeing that’s driving incredible product innovation across business sectors. As a global leader in human and animal nutrition, ADM stays on top of emerging and evolving consumer trends to power product development and inspire new solutions in partnership with some of the world’s most well-known brands. Our extensive team of experts has once again identified the key annual consumer trends fueling global growth, naming Microbiome as the Root of Wellness, Plant-based Lifestyles, Nourishment for the Whole Self, Humanization of Pets, and Precise and Responsible Animal Feeding as some of the standout trends of 2022. Here are just a few ways they will come to life for consumers in the year ahead.

We’ll See an Array of Products with Postbiotic Power

The microbiome comprises trillions of tiny microbes the body needs to function and up to 1,000 of these bacterial species are living inside the gut. Microbiome health is increasingly being linked to immune function, metabolic health and even mood, and consumers have taken note. Data from ADM’s proprietary consumer insights platform, Outside Voice^SM, indicates that 58% of global consumers are aware of the potential benefits bacteria in the digestive system can have on their overall health. Not surprisingly, many are moving from defense to offense and actively seeking out foods and beverages that fortify gut health.

And while prebiotics and probiotics have been popular for their microbiome benefits for some years, the advent of postbiotics, which aren’t “live” and can be treated with heat, are changing the game. Their stability gives them an edge, enabling them to be used in a wide array of food and beverage applications and making it possible for brands to go beyond yogurt and pickles to formulate new and exciting postbiotic solutions for health-conscious consumers. In 2022, postbiotics will show up in a plethora of convenient formats — perfect timing, as interest in these inanimate microorganisms is booming. They have become the fastest growing area in Google searches related to gut health, with a nearly 1,300% increase in the last two years.[1]

Far-out Meat Alternatives and Unexpected Protein Sources Will Skyrocket

Consumers aren’t just focusing on their own health — they’re paying more attention to the health of the planet as well, and plant-based lifestyles are trending as result. Consumers are interested in plant-based foods that support flexible, healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyles, and they’re also becoming more amenable to the growing number of unconventional options like protein made from air or fungi. Sixty-nine percent of respondents to a recent Eat Just survey of 2,522 U.S. consumers said they would consider trading out conventional meat for cultured meat.[2]

General interest in meat alternatives is soaring, and food and beverage brands are answering the call with a wide array of plant-based formulations that deliver on taste and texture without sacrificing nutrition. A new International Food Information Council (IFIC) Consumption Trends survey found that 65% of Americans reported eating “products that attempt to mimic the flavor and texture of animal protein but are made with only plant products” in the past year — with 20% consuming them at least weekly and another 22% consuming them daily.[3] These numbers will only get higher as alternative proteins are predicted to account for 11% of the total protein market by 2035.[4] In 2022, consumers can expect to see a growing range of foods made using unique and unexpected protein sources, from pea and soy to revolutionary fermented and cell-based options.