Four big food trends to watch in The Netherlands (1945900)
What is the Netherlands’ food trend? What are the Netherlands food trends?
- Dutch consumers prefer premium food with strong flavours and global influences
- As shoppers demand gut health and protein, fibre-rich foods, the popularity of functional food is growing.
- Demand for single-serve chilled and fresh options is on the rise.
- As health-conscious households reduce meat consumption, the trend towards flexitarian diets is growing.
- While processed meat consumption continues to decline, retailers are increasing their plant-forward offerings.
Which trends drive Dutch consumers? It is a country that values high-quality and premium products, but also wants to balance this with good value. The country is interested in health trends, such as functional food.
It also has the largest uptake of flexitarianism among European countries.
1. Dutch customers want high-quality food at a good price
Margaux Laine Senior consultant of consumer research company Euromonitor says that Dutch consumers are fond of premium products. The Dutch are especially interested in premium products that offer good value.
The “only trade-up is for new flavors and authenticity, but they rely more on private labels of high quality to control budgets.”
Such premium products often have a global influence, using Korean-inspired sauces, Mediterranean oils and even internationally-influenced bakery.
Private label products often drive the growth in the premium segment.
The popularity of Premium is not a result of a sudden influx; in some ways, it’s based on the market.
Manufacturers adjust to volatile commodities, particularly cocoa, by using smaller tablets…and affordable indulgence formats.
Laine says that the result of this is a market in which consumers are rebalancing quality and price, and where they can enjoy premium tastes and reliable value.
2. Consumers embrace functional foods
The Dutch are health-conscious, which is why functional food has become so popular. Laine from Euromonitor explains that they want products with a focus on gut health and are enriched in protein and fiber.
Fortification will expand to mainstream categories, including sauces with extra protein and ready-meals boosted with fiber, a move away from clean labels to active nutrition.
Probiotics and proteins-enriched milk are popular with consumers.
Convenience is the key word.
3. Consumers want convenience, but they also want quality
Like consumers in other countries, Dutch people want convenience. But there’s a catch: they want high-quality foods.
Laine, from Euromonitor, says that people want fast formats “that feel modern and fresh but are also well-portioned”.
Cold foods are popular because they’re convenient, but have that homemade feeling.
Also, flatbreads have become popular as they are used to carry quick meals.
The demand for snacks and ice-cream in single servings is growing due to the demands of small, busy households. Freshly-baked products and single packs are being added to convenience items by retailers.
4. Flexitarians are the highest in Europe
Laine says that the Netherlands has a ‘gradual but consistent reduction in meat consumption’. The Netherlands is one of Europe’s most flexitarian countries.
Flexitarians’ share was 12.9% in 2020 and will grow to 15.3% by 2025. The growth was driven both by retailer commitments towards ‘plant forward’ ranges, and an increasing interest in sustainability.
In the Netherlands, the growth of processed meats and seafood has been -2% over the past year.
Laine says that instead of eliminating all meat, families should adopt smaller portions and more meat-free day, as well as hybrid meat.
As elsewhere, the perception that leaner seafood and meat products are healthy and meat-free options are processed is still limiting growth.
Flexitarianism adoption is not the same across Europe.
In the Netherlands it thrives.