Food trends worth knowing for July – from fake-aways to air-fried everything  

Having previously looked at how the food industry can harness or move with the trends of social media, it's time now to take a monthly look at what trends are making waves and why it might be good to know about them.     

The meat-free and plant-based trend continues to grow   

The most significant trend we've seen – with a slow build over the last few years – has been in the 'flexitarian', 'plant-based' or meat-free interests of consumers who are not strictly vegetarian or vegan.    

"We've seen customers' interest in plant-based products grow significantly, with demand increasing by more than 50 per cent in recent years," says Mauro Pisani, Woolworths Category Manager for plant-based alternatives, indicating that the trend has undoubtedly gone mainstream and cannot be ignored.    

Previously, meat-free options were aimed at people who were already vegetarian or similar. But the current trend for non-animal products is more about an interest in variety rather than cutting meat products out.    

"With the rise of 'flexitarian' customers looking to add variety to their diets, many customers are buying both meat and a broader range of plant-based alternatives," Pisani tells InSeason. "[But] while plant-based alternatives are growing in popularity, red meat continues to be a household staple for the majority of our customers," he says.   

The reasons for consumer interest in plant-based alternatives range from perceived health benefits to environmental and welfare concerns and, more recently, budget constraints. But along with this comes a general shift in attitude, innovation and availability, and corresponding consumer curiosity.   

The focus on plant-based products is not just in meat alternatives but also across dairy, snacking and dip options, and is a reflection of evident consumer demand.      

Healthier fake-away is better than traditional takeaway   

Over on TikTok and Instagram, healthier options gain huge traction as consumers look for flavour minus the guilt. It's the hook that wins every time. Vegan hashtags have long been a draw card for desserts (with an implied health promise), but now fake-aways have joined the line-up, not with meat-free alternatives, but with the promise of all the flavour of your takeaway favourites, with reduced calories.    

The message; you can have your Big Mac and eat it too. The promise here is that if you look for options outside the usual suspects, you can find healthier versions without feeling like you're on a budget or a diet. Instagram has over 700 000 hashtags on just one variation of #fakeaway, while TikTok videos with the tag have over 611 million views. A case in point is @AussieFitness' KFC zinger fake-away, clocking up over 24 million views alone.    

It clearly indicates what consumers are interested in, not just on social media.    

Air-fried everything is on the rise   

The air fryer began as a way to cook food with less oil (another health promise). Still, air-fried food has hit its mark with a social media audience that embraces the gadget's 'hackability', time-saving convenience and perfect results. The hashtag #airfryer has over 8.9 billion views on TikTok.     

"People don't start off thinking they're going to use it as much as they do," says content creator Stephanie de Sousa. "They get it for the novelty and as an affordable, entry-level appliance."    

With over 469,000 followers on TikTok, de Sousa's audience goes mad for anything air-fried.    

"An air fryer chars, crisps, and reheats far better than just about anything else," she says, adding that it's so much faster ", and you simply cannot do a better roast chicken". The recipe developer says that while once it was about the health angle, "people don't really think about it now; it's just a really good cooking technique" that catches the consumer's imagination.    

The increased use and prevalence of the gadget can be seen in recent updates to heating instructions on packaged foods, and where once' oven baked' was a selling point of menu items, air-fried is making a play to become the next food buzzword, with brands like Kettle Chips releasing air fried crisps with 'patent pending technology' in February this year.      

Instant noodle hacks are bigger than ever   

Instant noodles are forever a favourite of 'food hackers'. While they've long been a budget-friendly staple when times are tough, we're seeing a trend to turn budget food into more 'gourmet' options. Instant ramen noodles are the poster child for this trend, and from spicy peanut butter versions to ramen noodles omelettes or loaded up with French onion soup and fancy cheese, there's no denying that the instant noodle is more popular than ever. In fact, the trend is so strong that hashtags like #InstantNoodles have over 807 million views on TikTok, and news headlines this month include Korean Ramen Exports hit record high exceeding $400 million amid soaring demand (Yahoo News) and 'Matt Preston shares his favourite 15 instant ramen noodle recipes' (The Advertiser).    

There's clearly a special place in consumers' hearts for instant ramen noodles, and it's not something to be shy of.     

Other trends to keep an eye on:   

1. Ice and frozen desserts (coming in from the US as their weather warms up)   
2. Blueberry yoghurt chocolate bites (healthy treats)   
3. Perfect sponge cakes in various flavours and colours (ube, matcha and more)   
4. Tiramisu in myriad creative flavours (visually stunning)   
5. Feta parcels and crusts (the evolution of the whole-block baked feta trend)