7 Food and Beverage Trends to Look Out For in 2023

Food and beverage trends change quickly and sometimes quite drastically. If last year the food and beverage industry struggled with immune-boosting ingredients, this year it will be dealing with mood-boosting ingredients. It may sound strange, but you will understand when you finish reading this article.

Not only mood-boosting ingredients, in this article you will find 6 other food and beverage trends to start 2023. Scroll through and determine which trends you will adopt for your business this year.

Dining for Experience

The first food and beverage trends for 2023 that we will talk about is the dining-for-experience trend. Experiential dining is a form of modern dining that offers customers a multisensory and unique experience that goes beyond the "traditional" dining experience. Actually, this trend started to appear in the previous year, but it is predicted to be bigger this year.

Ambiance, style, or restaurant design will be the focus in 2023. Theatrical elements, such as interactive experiences that involve diners in serving food will be the highlight of this trend. According to Yelp, an American company that provides reviews for a variety of businesses,  searches were up 263% for underwater restaurants and 109% for dinner theaters.

Going For Zero Waste 

It's no secret, restaurants generate a lot of food waste. However, being an eco-conscious restaurant can change that. Indonesia is one of the largest food waste-producing countries in the world. Based on research data from the Ministry of National Development Planning (Indonesian: Kementerian Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional, Bappenas), from 2000 to 2019, Indonesia generates around 23-48 million tons of food waste per year.

This condition has become a common problem in the tourism industry sector. As an effort to overcome this, the Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy (Indonesian: Kementerian Pariwisata & Ekonomi Kreatif, Kemenparekraf) collaborated with Surplus Indonesia and launched the Sustainable Food Tourism program last August.

With this program, it is predicted that zero food waste will become one of the food and beverage trends in 2023. This initiative will start from the hotel chain and is expected to expand its application to the rest of the food and beverage industry. 

Learn about how PT Sriboga Raturaya manufactures the finest food ingredients and builds world-renowned restaurants: 

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Alcohol-Free Beer and Cocktails

Conscious consumption trends will continue to grow in 2023, with consumers seeking better alternatives to alcohol in the form of no- and low-drink beverages. As we all know, drinking habits have started to change, partly caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Millennials and Generation Z have started to become aware of the health risks of consuming too much alcohol, pushing no- and low-drink to become a food and beverage trend this year.

Health is one of the main factors driving the moderation trend. Nowadays, alcoholic drinkers place greater importance on mental health, clarity, and function after a night out. Whether they choose a lighter or a completely non-alcoholic option, the number of products catering to the sober drinker is growing. It is also supported by the increasing quality of no- and low-drink alternatives. A wide range of drink alternatives and flavors are now being offered to consumers.

So, what does this mean for the food and beverage industry?

As it becomes one of the food and beverage trends in 2023, you might want to adapt this to your business. If you own a beer or a cocktail brand, it is your sign to keep experimenting with introducing new no- and low-drink. Meanwhile, if you are a restaurant owner, you start adapting to this trend and offer no- and low-drink options on your menu book.

Potato Milk 

The demand for plant-based food and beverage continues to rise. Alternatives to animal products or by-products are all seeing significant innovation, and one of them is potato milk. Since last year, potato milk has begun to appear on plant-based milk shelves, alongside its predecessors in the plant-milk segment, which are soy, oat, and almond milk.

As strange as it may sound, potato milk is a dairy-free milk alternative that will soon gain traction in 2023. Potato milk has many health benefits. They are low in fat and sugar, cholesterol free, easier to produce, and don't taste like potatoes in the end result.

With these various benefits, it's no wonder that potato milk will be one of the food and beverage trends this year. If you own a restaurant or other food and beverage businesses, you may want to add potato milk as an option for your beloved customers.

Plant-Based Pasta

Still in the plant-based theme, we will know one of plant-based foods that will make the trend in 2023 — plant-based pasta. 

Essentially, plant-based pasta is a kind of pasta made from produce, such as whole wheat, lentils, brown rice, black beans, and chickpeas. It's high in protein, low in fat, and egg-free, making it perfect for health-conscious and vegan consumers. And, as we know, these two consumers are increasing in numbers, so it's only right for plant-based pasta to become one of the food and beverage trends in 2023.

Consuming this pasta is a way to incorporate a portion of produce and its benefits into their diet. This insight should inspire you, a food business owner, to offer a plant-based packaged pasta or meal kits. Or, if you own an Italian restaurant, start including this type of pasta into your menu.

Understand the Italian-American fusion through Pizza Hut’s journey: 

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Clean Label 

At this time, you should know that your consumers are starting to question "What's in my food? Where does my food come from?". Consumers' desire for transparency in their food coupled with an interest in naturalness and sustainability is also increasing. This is where clean labels come into play. 

Clean label provides information to your end consumer about ingredients and if it's ethically sourced, origin, and ecological factors. This food and beverage trend emerges as consumer demand for information about the compatibility and health-promoting properties of foods are increasing. They want to know where the product comes from, how it is produced, and what ingredients are used. If you look at the information provided, this label is actually similar to a halal certificate. Both of them share the principles of healthy and unharmful food. 

Consumers often give natural foods and drinks an advantage over processed foods containing artificial ingredients. The latest survey from Innova provided insight that nearly 60% of consumers in Asia paid attention to clean labels. They say a clean label has a fair to great influence on their buying decision. Therefore, you should consider this food and beverage trend and how you can get a clean label for your products, so that your products can stand out among other items in grocery stores.

Mood-Boosting Food Ingredients

The last food and beverage trend that we will talk about is the rise of mood-boosting ingredients. Health now includes not only physical aspects but also mental and emotional aspects. Now, consumers demand for foods and drinks that affect their feelings. Maybe a drink to help them sleep or some ice cream to make them feel better. These foods and drinks are called 'Mood foods'. But, what exactly is 'Mood Foods'?

Mood foods are food products that are formulated or have ingredients that help the negative mood conditions of consumers. Some mood-boosting ingredients are kava root and functional mushrooms. They have been introduced in a large number of beverages, as well as sweet and savory snacks.

Mood food is not only consumed on special occasions but is starting to be present in the daily lives of consumers. Products such as chocolate with kava which can elevate the mood can be consumed in everyday life. But, keep in mind that as food and beverage manufacturers, you still have to be transparent about your ingredients.

These are 7 food and beverage trends to look out for in 2023. From experiential dining to mood-boosting ingredients, surely there's one that's perfect for your business. So choose one and let's start 2023 with a bang!

Interested in how PT Sriboga Raturaya and our subsidiaries prepare to tackle the trends? Explore our latest insights here to know more.

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