Pasta Market Trends Into 2023
Jan 3Philadelphia Macaroni Company has noted food market trends anticipated for 2023. Many of the trends, such as sustainable product innovation and unique flavorings, are evolved behaviors that gained traction this year. Others, like convenience and value-added services, are products of the current economic environment as consumers reprioritize their spending habits.
Sustainable Product Innovation
- Consumers are focusing on responsible sourcing, such as vertical farming, animal welfare, upcycled foods, and environment-friendly packaging.
- Retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are investing in transparency programs to help shoppers easily identify products that meet their sourcing standards.
- Environmentally-conscious foods continue ranking, and plant-based pasta comes in as the #3 trend in the annual Whole Foods trends report. With increased demand for plant-based alternatives across the store, Whole Foods sees opportunity for continued growth in the pasta category with a new generation of products popping up on shelves.
- Pasta is a great plant-based meal base, with most brands using only wheat, water, and enrichments to provide a high-value for consumers nationwide. PMC pasta is made with flour from our milling division, Minot Milling, which sources grain from local producers and elevators. Most pasta cartons are fully recyclable, and PMC works with customers to source sustainable pasta additives such as cage-free eggs.
Unique Flavorings
- Food is an exciting and inexpensive way to experience new cultures, and global flavors continue gaining traction in many grocery stores. In response, retailers and CPG companies see product and flavor innovation as a way to differentiate their brand from the rest.
- Pasta is an excellent vessel to experiment with new flavors. With so many shapes to choose from and each providing a unique eating experience, the potential flavor and shape pasta-bilities are endless!
Value & Convenience
- Over the past year, consumers have shifted many of their spending habits, such as buying in bulk or choosing private label products over name brand. Value is expected to be the biggest trend in 2023.
- The comfort food category saw spikes in interest throughout the pandemic, and now consumers are looking for added health benefits in their favorite comfort dishes.
- Convenience has also become a large selling point, both in the sense of “quick quality” dishes (simple yet convenient foods to meet daily nutrition goals) as well as value-added delivery programs to support busy households.
- Pasta remains one of the most affordable and versatile meal bases in the grocery store. Additionally, most pasta is manufactured with key nutritional enrichments – semolina offers a good source of protein, and many brands opt to enrich their pasta with important vitamins and minerals such as iron and folic acid.
Sources: Whole Foods; Walmart; Food Institute; Specialty Foods Association; Innova Market Insights.