Food in 2030: Extreme Edibles

Pioneering Protein Prototypes

Researchers and scientists are stretching the realms of possibility in pursuit of new proteins. Here, focus spins to plentiful and sustainable ingredients that can function as viable meat, fish and dairy alternatives. From fruit fly larvae and woolly mammoth meatballs to ‘ghost protein’, the options are seemingly limitless. See also Look Ahead 2024: Food & Beverage.

Reengineering Waste

Efforts must be made to reduce current levels of food waste, which amount to 1.3 billion tonnes annually, and would feed around three billion people if saved (Earth.Org, 2023). But to make this a reality, consumers must embrace unfamiliar and ‘uncomfortable’ ingredients, potentially including gene-edited edibles.

Serving Tomorrow’s Superfoods

Society’s obsession with superfoods will continue as consumers strive to live long, vibrant, healthy lives. However, with myriad ‘miracle’ ingredients promoted for their wellness-supporting properties, the landscape is cluttered and confusing. Going forward, Stylus wagers that mushrooms will retain their superstar status, while less tempting ingredients like colostrum and duckweed could garner future fans. 

Cultivating New Classics

From lab-grown coffee to powdered ‘beer’ and cell-cultured oil, food developers are recalibrating traditional food and drink formats to conjure new iterations that deliver on nourishment, convenience and mouthfeel. Meanwhile, by 2030, our supermarket shelves could boast more novel varieties of fresh produce that offer enhanced taste, texture, and nutritional benefits.

Exploring the Elemental Edge

Food and drink pioneers are using extreme climatic conditions – such as intense humidity or glacial temperatures – to deepen and diversify the flavour profiles of their products. As climate change threatens food production, these unusual methods could offer viable ways of ensuring global food security. Meanwhile, natural phenomena like stones and leaves could become atypical additions to menus.