Changing Food Trends During & Post-COVID-19
The current pandemic of COVID-19 is all about change, in fact very very rapid change. Change like never before. A slowdown from literally 78 rpm to 16 rpm, maybe even lesser. Food consumption, and eating habits, especially are likely to be significantly impacted as a result of all the new concerns about hygiene, personal safety, and social distancing. But before we get into micro issues that have been monopolizing much of the media space, let us pull back and look at the larger picture.
The Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) took a macro view of the food & agriculture business post the lockdowns in most countries. Its perspectives are quite interesting. The FAO says that the 2008 financial crisis showed us what can happen when reduced income and uncertainty make people spend less and results in shrinking demand. Sales declined. So did the production of food products.
While at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a significant increase in demand for processed and packaged foods, perhaps out of the fear of possible scarcity and a shift towards taste change, ready-to-eat, and ready-to-cook.
Int’l Agencies Awareness Highlights on COVID-19
It is highly unlikely that people can contract COVID-19 from food or food packaging. There is no evidence to date of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses being transmitted via food or food packaging. Coronaviruses cannot multiply in food; they need an animal or human host to multiply. __ (WHO)
Thus at present, there is no evidence of processed food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Purchasing, storing, and cooking fresh vegetables and fruits can be challenging in lockdown during COVID-19, especially when parents are advised by the authority to limit trips outside of the home. Consequently, many parents are understandably looking to ready meals and processed foods as a quick and low-cost way to feed the family, there are convenient, affordable, and healthy alternatives. __ (UNICEF)
COVID-19 Impact: Demand for Processed & Packaged Foods Increased
As they prepared for weeks of lockdown during coronavirus pandemic, consumers stocked up on not just essentials but also packaged/processed foods.
Experts said demand for processed and packaged foods increased suddenly to an excessive or abnormal value as people consider it to be comfort food and hygienic. Some experts believe salted snacks gained more binge value as limited options became available.
According to Nielsen India research, from February to mid-March 2020, orders of salty snacks went up by 84 percent, soft drinks and biscuits went up by 68 percent and 31 percent, respectively, packaged flour by 16 percent on an e-commerce platform.
Consumers were mainly stocking up ready-to-eat i.e. processed food items such as chips, nachos, namkeen, biscuits, among others. Easy-to-cook products such as noodles, pastas were also picked up in bulk by consumers. “Noodles, pasta, snacks, and schezwan chutney have become equally mainstream. We have already seen a 50 percent increase in demand for such products in some cities. We see good demand from eastern and northern states.” __ The New Indian Express, 17 April 2020
Preference Shift for Processed & Packaged Foods during COVID-19
While using fresh produce may not always be possible in the pandemic, people and parents are opting for processed and packaged foods and snacks containing low sugar, salt, and fats in their shopping basket. Ready-to-eat meals, packaged snacks, and desserts are often the preference of children, students, and working-class mainly youths in offices. These categories of processed and packaged food consumers are shifting towards these foods and snacks because of changing their taste towards food and saving time for other purposes.
Food Processing: A Priority Sector of GOI under Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Food processing and packaging is considered as one of the fastest-growing industries in India. And so the development of food processing and packaging machines manufacturing industries to support the above. The growth of the industry is supported by the availability of a large raw material production base. India is the largest producer of milk, bananas, mangoes, guavas, papaya, ginger, okra, the second-largest producer of wheat, rice, fruits, vegetables, tea, sugarcane and cashew nut and the third-largest producer of cereals, coconut, lettuce, chicory, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, and pepper globally.
India’s geographical location gives it a unique advantage when it comes to exports of process and packaged food and snacks along with processing and packaging machines, having convenient connectivity to Europe, Middle East & Africa from the western coast, and Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Australia & New Zealand from the eastern coast.
Food and snacks processing and packaging is a priority sector for the Indian Government. Further, the availability of affordable credit and other fiscal incentives from the government has also led to India being considered as one of the most favorable markets for processed food and snacks like:
- Corn Puffs Snack Line,
- Kurkure Snack Line,
- Potato Chips Lines,
- Pellets Chips Snack Frying Line,
- Matar Frying Line,
- Popcorn Processing Line,
- Nik naks,
- Cheetos etc.
In light of the above factors, and with a total consumption of the food and beverage segment in India expected to increase from US$ 369 billion to US$1.142 trillion by 2025, the output of the food processing sector (at market prices) is expected to increase to US$ 958 billion for the same period. These estimates clearly evidence the vast market opportunity offered by the Indian food processing, food retail, transport, logistics, and related infrastructure sectors to players in the food processing value chain.
We trust that this information would be a useful guide for international as well as domestic food processing, food retail, and related supply chain companies that are looking to invest or expand their presence in Indian food processing and packaging consumer products and manufacturing food processing machines and equipment.
End Result: Increased Demand for Food Processing and Packaging Machines & Equipment in India & Overseas
As a result of collective factors mentioned above, there are more demands of food processing machines, snacks processing machines, and equipment, food & snacks packaging machines, snacks making machines, food line machinery, solutions for food industry, snacks processing equipment, corn puff processing line machines, potato chips frying line machinery equipment, etc. in India and all over the world.
Solutions to New Food Processing & Packaging Business
Grace Food Processing & Packaging Machinery is a world-leading machine and equipment manufacturer & supplier in India and exporter from India of snacks food processing equipment. Providing turnkey projects with integrated solutions for food processing and packaging machinery to our customers. We manufacture and provide food extrusion, extruded baked snacks line, extruded fried snacks line, seasoning system, product handling system, weighing and packaging machines, etc. with the following services:
- Training to your employees,
- After-sale service support,
- From procurement up to the delivery of machine and equipment to your doorstep, and
- Commissioning with the competitive cost in the world market.
Note: Make us a valuable contributor to your new venture and progress by giving an opportunity to prove our assurances and commitment.
