Trends
2021 Trends
Five future food technologies to watch
There hasn't been a more anticipated new year than 2021.
COVID-19 swept through 2020 breaking food systems and setting the stage for innovators. Here are five trends to keep an eye on as the world transitions into a new year.
Highlights of 2020 in food
2020 heralded significant changes in the food tech world. As predicted, there was significant growth in the food delivery sector. The pandemic boosted this to epic proportions, complete with an end of year IPO for DoorDash. When COVID-19 shut down factory farms and exposed other flaws in the US food supply chain, B2C food operations became the new go-to. We saw farmers posting to distribution sites like farmsthataredelivering.com, local farmers markets creating online portals (like Localline in Miami), and farms delivering directly to their customers. People went back to basics and cooked a lot more comfort foods. While the pandemic has been terrible for most of the population who didn't invest in Zoom stock and incredibly awful for restaurants, the silver lining is that more people are more aware of where their food comes from now (and there are a lot more sourdough bakers.)
Let's leave 2020 behind us now and focus on what's next in food and food tech. Here are five trends I think are going to accelerate over the next 12 months.
Let's leave 2020 behind us now and focus on what's next in food and food tech. Here are five trends I think are going to accelerate over the next 12 months.
1. Animal-free dairy
2019 was the year that Oatly exploded into US grocery stores and coffee shops. Since then, almost every major dairy producer in the US has created their version of oat milk (and related products). During the pandemic, people stocked up on pantry staples like rice and beans and alternative milk. Cargill forecasts that the alternative milk industry will have grown 9.2% in 2020--which is enormous!
While I still love the creamy sweetness of all things oat milk, there's about to be a hot new player on the horizon--animal-free dairy products. Instead of being milk substitutes, companies like Tel Aviv's Remilk and Berkeley's Perfect Day are creating 'real' milk through microbial fermentation of milk proteins. They claim no cows are hurt in the process and that their products are free of cholesterol, lactose, hormones, and antibiotics. Perfect Day is ahead of the game and already partnering with trendy ice cream brands like the Bay Area's Smitten and vegan brand Brave Robot. Remilk just made headlines by raising $11.3 million in funding.
These are both strong contenders to divert consumer spending from the alternative milk and factory-farmed dairy industries. Unlike the devastating headlines about almond milk producers and known issues with factory farming, microbial-based dairy is environmentally-friendly and cruelty-free. Hence this emerging industry satisfies the requirements for plant-based, lactose-free, and environmentally-conscious diets
2019 was the year that Oatly exploded into US grocery stores and coffee shops. Since then, almost every major dairy producer in the US has created their version of oat milk (and related products). During the pandemic, people stocked up on pantry staples like rice and beans and alternative milk. Cargill forecasts that the alternative milk industry will have grown 9.2% in 2020--which is enormous!
While I still love the creamy sweetness of all things oat milk, there's about to be a hot new player on the horizon--animal-free dairy products. Instead of being milk substitutes, companies like Tel Aviv's Remilk and Berkeley's Perfect Day are creating 'real' milk through microbial fermentation of milk proteins. They claim no cows are hurt in the process and that their products are free of cholesterol, lactose, hormones, and antibiotics. Perfect Day is ahead of the game and already partnering with trendy ice cream brands like the Bay Area's Smitten and vegan brand Brave Robot. Remilk just made headlines by raising $11.3 million in funding.
These are both strong contenders to divert consumer spending from the alternative milk and factory-farmed dairy industries. Unlike the devastating headlines about almond milk producers and known issues with factory farming, microbial-based dairy is environmentally-friendly and cruelty-free. Hence this emerging industry satisfies the requirements for plant-based, lactose-free, and environmentally-conscious diets
2. Reduce food waste between farm to table
Food waste is a continual topic in my world because the USDA reports that between 30-40% of food is wasted in the US. These stats have inspired companies like Imperfect Foods, which found a market niche for misshapen fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be rejected by the grocery stores. Additionally, a slew of companies hopped on the upcycling train turning bi-products of things like beer and soybeans into yummy baking mixes and healthy snacks that came to market this year. The term "upcycling" was officially defined this year by none other than the "Upcycled Food Association."
The journey from farm to consumer can be long and arduous, but several companies are creating ways to protect produce from ripening and unwanted microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi before it hits the retailers. Keep It Fresh manufactures packaging material for fruits and vegetables that removes two of the main things that cause ripening and rot in produce--ethylene gas and excess moisture. Similarly, Hazel Technologies creates cute little packets that can be put into fruit and vegetable cases that release anti-fungals and neutralize ethylene gas. Innoscentia builds food labels with sensors in them that monitor when food goes bad.
Then there's the new 'darling' of food waste prevention, Apeel. They developed a naturally-derived coating that goes straight onto your fruits and veggies, locking in moisture and keeping oxygen out, thus extending the shelf life and 'freshness' of produce. While this tech is impressive, their website notes that the coating they put on produce is edible, and "it's unlikely that you'd be able to remove all of it without damaging the fruit or vegetable." This is fine for fruits and veggies that you peel. Still, I am a little skeptical about getting behind a technology that adds an additional layer of something on top of my food. I agree more with Hazel's team's selling point that, "The customer shouldn't have to interact with the technology."
Similar in name but different in approach, Afresh is tackling food waste at the grocery store by offering retailers an AI-based solution to order, track, and forecast perishables. With these new technologies hitting various stages of the supply chain, food waste is turning a corner.
Food waste is a continual topic in my world because the USDA reports that between 30-40% of food is wasted in the US. These stats have inspired companies like Imperfect Foods, which found a market niche for misshapen fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be rejected by the grocery stores. Additionally, a slew of companies hopped on the upcycling train turning bi-products of things like beer and soybeans into yummy baking mixes and healthy snacks that came to market this year. The term "upcycling" was officially defined this year by none other than the "Upcycled Food Association."
The journey from farm to consumer can be long and arduous, but several companies are creating ways to protect produce from ripening and unwanted microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi before it hits the retailers. Keep It Fresh manufactures packaging material for fruits and vegetables that removes two of the main things that cause ripening and rot in produce--ethylene gas and excess moisture. Similarly, Hazel Technologies creates cute little packets that can be put into fruit and vegetable cases that release anti-fungals and neutralize ethylene gas. Innoscentia builds food labels with sensors in them that monitor when food goes bad.
Then there's the new 'darling' of food waste prevention, Apeel. They developed a naturally-derived coating that goes straight onto your fruits and veggies, locking in moisture and keeping oxygen out, thus extending the shelf life and 'freshness' of produce. While this tech is impressive, their website notes that the coating they put on produce is edible, and "it's unlikely that you'd be able to remove all of it without damaging the fruit or vegetable." This is fine for fruits and veggies that you peel. Still, I am a little skeptical about getting behind a technology that adds an additional layer of something on top of my food. I agree more with Hazel's team's selling point that, "The customer shouldn't have to interact with the technology."
Similar in name but different in approach, Afresh is tackling food waste at the grocery store by offering retailers an AI-based solution to order, track, and forecast perishables. With these new technologies hitting various stages of the supply chain, food waste is turning a corner.
3. Insects as a feed for other creatures
Insects have traditionally been an important protein source for cultures worldwide and continue to be in places like Asia, Central America, and South America. But other than Mexico, incorporating insects into North American diets doesn't seem to be working. This is not to say companies aren't trying to change our minds. For the past few years, Don Bugito has been making cricket flour and snacks. And the UK's Eat Grub touts bugs as the "original superfood."
Cute branding aside, I don't think that eating bugs is going to be trending in 2021 in the US. Instead, insects' real emerging opportunity is as a feed--for agriculture, aquaculture, and even pets. In case you missed it, I interviewed the founder of Oberland Agriscience on the Evolve.ag podcast earlier this year, and wow, are they doing great things to save the world. They operate a closed-loop system that feeds food waste from local grocery stores to black soldier fly larvae. When the black soldier flies die, they get turned into a high-value feed for animals. They're breaking ground on a new, larger facility in 2021 that will be able to process 10,000 tons of organic waste and by-products per year.
The French company, Ynsect, also makes pet food, fertilizer, and agricultural feed from insects. They recently made headlines with their $373 million Series C funding. Like South Africa's Agriprotein and Seattle's Beta Hatch, similar companies are successfully expanding across the globe. The rise of bugs in the West is transitioning from a neat idea that people should eat to an all-natural feed for the food we eat and our pets.
Insects have traditionally been an important protein source for cultures worldwide and continue to be in places like Asia, Central America, and South America. But other than Mexico, incorporating insects into North American diets doesn't seem to be working. This is not to say companies aren't trying to change our minds. For the past few years, Don Bugito has been making cricket flour and snacks. And the UK's Eat Grub touts bugs as the "original superfood."
Cute branding aside, I don't think that eating bugs is going to be trending in 2021 in the US. Instead, insects' real emerging opportunity is as a feed--for agriculture, aquaculture, and even pets. In case you missed it, I interviewed the founder of Oberland Agriscience on the Evolve.ag podcast earlier this year, and wow, are they doing great things to save the world. They operate a closed-loop system that feeds food waste from local grocery stores to black soldier fly larvae. When the black soldier flies die, they get turned into a high-value feed for animals. They're breaking ground on a new, larger facility in 2021 that will be able to process 10,000 tons of organic waste and by-products per year.
The French company, Ynsect, also makes pet food, fertilizer, and agricultural feed from insects. They recently made headlines with their $373 million Series C funding. Like South Africa's Agriprotein and Seattle's Beta Hatch, similar companies are successfully expanding across the globe. The rise of bugs in the West is transitioning from a neat idea that people should eat to an all-natural feed for the food we eat and our pets.
4. The expansion of cellular agriculture
From its infancy, cellular agriculture seemed like a futuristic concept. At the time of this publishing, the Good Food Institute lists 84 companies worldwide in this space. At the start of 2017, there were only 17. Cellular agriculture is one of the fastest-growing industries in food tech.
Cellular agriculture, clean meat, lab-grown protein, whatever you want to call it (the industry has used all of these names) may not be available worldwide in stores in 2021. But it will happen shortly because of the availability of resources and loosening of regulations. Companies creating the supplies and mediums needed for this space-age tech are coming online and fine-tuning their offerings to be more ethical (i.e., not using fetal bovine serum, aka a fluid derived from baby cow fetuses) and cost-effective.
Regulation-wise, Singapore recently became the first country in the world to greenlight the sale of cellular agriculture with approval for Eat Just's cell-based chicken. It will be on the menu at the trendy social club, 1880, over the weekend. I can't wait to read the reviews! I'm keeping an eye on two other companies in Singapore. The first is female-led Shiok Meats, who are working on cell-based crustaceans like shrimp and lobster (yum!). The second is cheese enthusiast-led TurtleTree labs as they develop cell-based mammalian milk.
Israel is likely not far behind, with their prime minister making headlines for trying out Aleph Farms' cell-based chicken and SuperMeat's test kitchen hosting diners. I don't think anything exemplifies future food technologies' potential more than cellular agriculture, and its evolution is happening now.
Cellular agriculture, clean meat, lab-grown protein, whatever you want to call it (the industry has used all of these names) may not be available worldwide in stores in 2021. But it will happen shortly because of the availability of resources and loosening of regulations. Companies creating the supplies and mediums needed for this space-age tech are coming online and fine-tuning their offerings to be more ethical (i.e., not using fetal bovine serum, aka a fluid derived from baby cow fetuses) and cost-effective.
Regulation-wise, Singapore recently became the first country in the world to greenlight the sale of cellular agriculture with approval for Eat Just's cell-based chicken. It will be on the menu at the trendy social club, 1880, over the weekend. I can't wait to read the reviews! I'm keeping an eye on two other companies in Singapore. The first is female-led Shiok Meats, who are working on cell-based crustaceans like shrimp and lobster (yum!). The second is cheese enthusiast-led TurtleTree labs as they develop cell-based mammalian milk.
Israel is likely not far behind, with their prime minister making headlines for trying out Aleph Farms' cell-based chicken and SuperMeat's test kitchen hosting diners. I don't think anything exemplifies future food technologies' potential more than cellular agriculture, and its evolution is happening now.
5. Vertical farms scale up
Demand for fresh, local food is becoming more of a priority, inspired in part by COVID-19. The pandemic stretched long-established food systems across the world and highlighted food security issues. Vertical farms help solve this by growing produce close to or inside your corner store.
Vertical farming is another technology that used to be the thing of science fiction and dreams. Now we are seeing them rise worldwide (no pun intended) from the deserts of Kuwait to the border of Glacier National Park. Many are just starting, and the more established ones are expanding. Bowery Farms just announced a fourth location in Pennsylvania. Miami's Box Greens multiplied their shipping container farm this year and are utilizing their indoor space in more efficient ways.
This movement will continue to grow in 2021 because of investment and infrastructure efficiencies. Venture capital offers strong support even though returns are not immediate. There has been an explosion of vertical farm investment in places that traditionally import the majority of their produce, like the UAE and Singapore. Materials are getting cheaper and smarter with refinements like "smart irrigation," nanobubble systems, robotics, and AI. There are even seed companies, like Unfold, creating strains of seeds specifically for controlled environment agriculture. (Full disclosure, Unfold is part of a joint venture between Temasek Holdings and Bayer, aka Monsanto, so I'm not sure if this is terrific news or terrifying news.) Energy remains top of mind for new farms as they explore using alternative power, like solar, wind or hydroelectric.
Also, industry support structures are in place, like the newly-founded CEA Food Safety Coalition. News site "Hortidaily" recently created a separate site and newsletter eponymously named "Vertical Farm Daily." The global vertical farm trend means fresher, nutrient-rich produce for local consumers, and we will be eating this produce in 2021.
Here's to a fantastic 2021!
Demand for fresh, local food is becoming more of a priority, inspired in part by COVID-19. The pandemic stretched long-established food systems across the world and highlighted food security issues. Vertical farms help solve this by growing produce close to or inside your corner store.
Vertical farming is another technology that used to be the thing of science fiction and dreams. Now we are seeing them rise worldwide (no pun intended) from the deserts of Kuwait to the border of Glacier National Park. Many are just starting, and the more established ones are expanding. Bowery Farms just announced a fourth location in Pennsylvania. Miami's Box Greens multiplied their shipping container farm this year and are utilizing their indoor space in more efficient ways.
This movement will continue to grow in 2021 because of investment and infrastructure efficiencies. Venture capital offers strong support even though returns are not immediate. There has been an explosion of vertical farm investment in places that traditionally import the majority of their produce, like the UAE and Singapore. Materials are getting cheaper and smarter with refinements like "smart irrigation," nanobubble systems, robotics, and AI. There are even seed companies, like Unfold, creating strains of seeds specifically for controlled environment agriculture. (Full disclosure, Unfold is part of a joint venture between Temasek Holdings and Bayer, aka Monsanto, so I'm not sure if this is terrific news or terrifying news.) Energy remains top of mind for new farms as they explore using alternative power, like solar, wind or hydroelectric.
Also, industry support structures are in place, like the newly-founded CEA Food Safety Coalition. News site "Hortidaily" recently created a separate site and newsletter eponymously named "Vertical Farm Daily." The global vertical farm trend means fresher, nutrient-rich produce for local consumers, and we will be eating this produce in 2021.
Here's to a fantastic 2021!
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