Chickpeas poised to be top ingredient for 2021
11 Jan 2021Plant-based foods are continuing to top the list of trends in the food and beverage space with chickpeas, global flavors, meat alternatives, non-allergen foods and organic products set to be top priorities for consumers in 2021, according to EHL Ingredients, a UK-based firm.
For several years, research has shown that plant-based foods are on the rise, and this trend prediction is in line with the growing industry focused on these vegan alternatives. Last year, Innova Market Insights ranked plant-based foods as the No. 2 trend for 2020; it was also the No. 2 trend the year before.

However, chickpeas have only recently come into the limelight as they have become a staple ingredient not only in meat alternatives but also in products such as pasta, rice and ice cream. In fact, the ingredient has become so well regarded that brands have been able to build empires by featuring this ingredient. Banza, a chickpea-based pasta brand, became the fastest-growing pasta brand in the U.S. for 2019.
Global flavors has also been a recurring theme in product launches in recent years. McCormick released its Flavor Forecast in October that placed international flavors at the top of its up-and-coming trends list for 2021. Although world populations have been limited in physical moment, their appetite for global cuisines has only increased as people cook more frequently at home. Brits have particularly taken to ethnic flavors, according to the report, as they adds variety and healthy alternatives to at-home menus. However, no longer are regional cuisines like Indian or Asian sufficient. Now, consumers are looking for authentic flavors with EHL predicting that flavors such as Zhug (Yemeni), Mimita (Ethiopian) and Bezar (Arab Emirates) will rise in prominence in the coming months.
Allergen-free foods are becoming more important as food allergies become more prevalent. In the United States, One in four Americans, or 85 million people avoid purchasing products with the top nine allergens, spending $19 billion to do so, according to research from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). This large amount of spending is only growing; the FARE report found that allergy-friendly food sales are growing at 27% annually. One of the major ingredients that consumers avoid is gluten, which has given rise to a plethora of alternative flours such as buckwheat, coconut, almond, rice, and chickpea flour. Other products that are growing in popularity are dairy-free, nut-free and sulfite-free alternatives to kitchen staples.
Organic goods also made EHL’s list for 2021. The UK ingredients firm reported that demand for organic has increased since the pandemic. Other reports have found similar trends with Organic Produce Network and Category Partners finding in April that organic produce sales surged 22% in March. In the first two months of the year, growth was a TK 1.8%.
Recent years have seen the growth of organic foods moderate as penetration of organic products increases. Nielsen figures from 2016 showed that 82% of U.S. households purchased some organic food. However, demand for healthier products has reversed that trend and put organic foods back on the list of hot commodities despite their tendency to cost mor than conventional options.
Companies can take into account the research done by these firms when developing new products or tweaking their portfolios. However, as consumer trends evolve from year to year, companies should pay attention to how they integrate these trends to ensure that their products have a long shelf life that can endure for years to come.
Related news

Eat Just looks to crack into the market with a $3B IPO
23 Jul 2021
Cultured protein maker Eat Just is targeting a $3 billion initial public offering in Q4 2021 or early in 2022, Forbes reported after receiving information from a leading investor in the plant-based egg producing company.
Read more
General Mills launches snack limiting blood sugar spikes
21 Jul 2021
Coming out of General Mills’ Innovation Lab is a new snack brand called Good Measure that is designed specifically to not spike the blood sugar of the person snacking. While this product can serve a wide variety of consumers, including those following ...
Read more
Future of Nutrition Award debuts at the Fi Europe Innovation Awards
16 Jul 2021
The Fi Europe Innovation Awards, held at Fi Europe 2021 co-located with Hi Europe, celebrate people, companies and organisations breaking new ground in the Food & Beverage industry.
Read more
C3 on its recent MENA expansion: ‘The region is a hub of tech and culinary innovation’
16 Jul 2021
Omnichannel food tech platform Creating Culinary Communities (C3) is bringing its cloud kitchen and food delivery tech to the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, announcing a $100 million joint venture in Saudi Arabia just months after expanding to...
Read more
Kerry to purchase preservative company Niacet for $1B
16 Jul 2021
Irish ingredients giant Kerry Group has entered into an agreement to buy the clean-label preservatives manufacturer Niacet from the private equity group SK Capital for $1 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.
Read more
Halo Top co-founder launches low-calorie, low-sugar chocolate bar
15 Jul 2021
Gatsby Chocolate is one of the newest entrants into the better-for-you indulgence space as of this summer. From the founder of Halo Top ice cream, Doug Bouton, this new chocolate bar uses Epogee's EPG fat alternative ingredient, which is a formulation ...
Read more
Livekindly creates New Vegan Food Brands for Chinese market
14 Jul 2021
Plant-based company collective Livekindly launched its first brands created in-house. Sold under the names Giggling Pig 咯咭藸 [Ge Ji Zhu] and Happy Chicken 哈皮鸡 [Ha Pi Ji], these brands sell products aimed at Gen Z Chinese customers that are interested in...
Read more
Aleph Farms raises $105M, plans for cell-based meat launch in 2022
13 Jul 2021
Cultured meat manufacturer Aleph Farms is steaming ahead toward its goal of commercialization. The Israeli startup announced it received $105 million in funding from a Series B investment round led by L Catterton's Growth Fund and DisruptAD, which is o...
Read more
PepsiCo doubles down on nonalcoholic cocktail mixers with Unmuddled
8 Jul 2021
Legacy soda manufacturer PepsiCo is moving deeper into the non-alcoholic cocktail space with the announcement that it will debut a line of premium mixers called Unmuddled. The product line will be available beginning in September at Fresh Thyme and on ...
Read more
ReGrained flour is inaugural recipient of Upcycled Food certification
7 Jul 2021
Upcycled food company ReGrained is the first company in the world to receive the new Upcycled Food Certification for its SuperGrain+ flour. This new certification is awarded by the Upcycled Food Association, which finalized its certification standards ...
Read moreAre you a supplier?
Here's what we can do for you
- Generate quality leads for your business
- Stay visible for 365 days of the year
- Receive product inquiries and respond to meeting requests directly
- Improve company online presence through Search Engine Optimisation