The COVID-19 pandemic and the speed at which it developed has had a profound effect on day-to-day life. While it is too early to understand the full impact of the new normal, it’s increasingly clear that many of the changes to consumer behaviors that have resulted from life under lockdown could be here for some time. This change is particularly true when it comes to food and beverages. 

The combination of not physically going to the supermarkets as often, a desire to stay healthy but still indulge, and a heightened awareness of the future of the planet and food safety, has impacted how and what we eat. It has also emphasized the importance of a reliable food supply and healthy, shelf-stable and sustainable ingredients. 

“It’s not surprising that the pandemic has pushed personal health to the top of the agenda for consumers as they look to boost immunity and maintain good health to prevent catching and spreading the virus. Nutrition and diet play a big role in supporting good health and immune systems, so consumers are now drawn to the basics of good nutrition based on the nutritional properties of products and ingredients,” Dariela Roffe-Rackind, Director Europe & Global Public Relations at the Almond Board of California, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Andrea Launay, Analyst Team Manager at Innova Market Insights, says that in order to stay healthy and build immunity, consumers seek products that bolster personal health with healthful foods and ingredients. 

“Products with functional benefits became more popular than classic comfort foods. Anxiety around the pandemic could lead even more people to seek nutritional solutions that they learn about through internet searches and social media while confined to home. Fortification, a public health nutrition strategy, has been under fire for being less natural than whole foods. Still, as consumers seek ways to restore their health after weeks at home and to improve their resistance to disease, they could return to the basics of good nutrition,” she explains. 

Almonds star
According to the ABC, ingredients like almonds can help food manufacturers innovate in step with consumers who are thinking more profoundly about what they are eating and buying. 

“Items like almonds that have a long shelf life are being sought out more and more by consumers during the pandemic. For many people, almonds are a store cupboard staple and so it stands to reason that they’re being used in recipes and also paired with other ingredients like dark chocolate or fresh or dried fruit as simple, healthy snacks,” Roffe-Rackind comments. 

Whether it’s simply serving standalone ingredients together or more involved snack recipes such as bars and energy balls, almonds are easy to pair with a variety of other foods, she adds. 

“Beyond traditional inclusion of almond as a piece, almond is expanding to new segments with different forms including almond butter, almond paste, almond meal/flour and almond-based dairy alternatives. These four almond forms are showing growth globally over the last five years,” Launay explains. 

Globally in 2019, among all nut ingredients, almonds were the top nut used in Bakery, Bars, Dairy and Cereal. “In these categories, it is the clear front runner, with far more launches than other nut-based ingredients. In Snack and Confectionery categories, it is closely competing for the top spot. In all of these five categories, the application of almonds is growing,” she details. 

As one of the most researched foods, there are over 170 published papers to date and studies in progress to support the health benefits of almonds. This research has aided our understanding of the beneficial impact they may have on heart disease, diabetes, weight management, skin health and more. 

“Research like this is important for today’s increasingly mindful consumers who seek foods that can keep them sustained throughout busy days and are both healthy and tasty,” continues Roffe-Rackind. “Supporting science can also help manufacturers when procuring ingredients to fulfill these demands, and even help them when positioning their products to consumers.”

While the pandemic has impacted businesses around the globe, California’s almond shipments have been steady. 

“Though there have been reports of some challenges related to supply chain logistics, almonds are a shelf-stable food and have been able to withstand some of the delays which the food industry has experienced,” adds Roffe-Rackind. 

Almonds are an ingredient that can fulfill both of these demands, she asserts. “They will continue to be important for manufacturers who are already responding with innovation to some of these new consumer habits – whether that be in the form of indulgence and comfort, healthy snacks or hybrid products that blend flavor, functionality and food types,” Roffe-Rackind notes. 

Added to this, a trend report released by Innova Market Insights continues to show that consumers seek foods with a “health halo” and the benefit of a long shelf life as eating habits evolve in the pandemic. 

The market researcher highlights four key trends which have been influenced by the virus.