Trends towards health and well-being, personalized nutrition for different generational segments, different alternatives to meat and dairy, sustainability, the resurgence of local brands, and the predominance of functional foods, were consolidated as a result of the new consumption habits after the Pandemic. This is clear from the report “Trends and innovations in the food industry 2020”, carried out by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER).

The interest in staying healthy during the health emergency strengthened these guidelines that already had a pre-pandemic momentum; On the other hand, those trends related to sensory experiences, concerns about the use of plastic in packaging, and the preference for imported options decreased since the context has stimulated the consumption of locally sourced alternatives.

At the same time, well-being, sustainability, functionality, and zero waste, without sacrificing taste or convenience in the format, are the central axes in the evolution of trends in the food industry.

Which is the most important global event for the industry and that PROCOMER monitors and analyzes its work every year.

“The sector has strengths that we must enhance, including its diversity of products and high-quality standards; added to this, the country brand has positioned Costa Rica as a market that promotes business with purpose and that respects the values that characterize sustainability, innovation, and excellence of what has been done in Costa Rica”, said Pedro Beirute, General Manager of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica PROCOMER.

Alternative nutrition, for example, from plant sources (plant-based), the strengthening of immune health and functional well-being, are potential opportunities that, with action plans adjustable to a short and medium-term context, variable about the evolution of the Pandemic, national companies in this industry could take advantage of to reach consumers. Sales of $ 3.8 trillion and average annual growth of 4%, is the value registered by the food industry and despite the crisis, it is estimated that it closed 2020 with an increase of 3.8%.