Long-term food trends tell a different story

It is a tradition to write about the expected trends of a year in the first week. I should state right away that I am not at all interested in viral trends, which I cannot make sense of and whose poor taste I cannot even imagine. Rather, I go through national media and economic statistics and pay attention to what heavyweights in different areas of the industry have to say.

There are also global research companies that conduct professional studies on this subject. Of course, the majority of these are also excellent sources.

We need to look at trends from different perspectives. For instance, we need to distinguish between local and global because foreign sources and research companies mostly base their opinions on the U.S. and the U.K. Because of Türkiye's vastly varied eating habits, it is thus not very practical for Turkish people. Additionally, I believe a distinction should be made there, between long-term and short-term trends. As you know, no lasting trend emerges in an instant. It says "I am coming" with slow but firm steps.

Several factors propel change. This is due to the emotional nature of eating. Aside from the ethical and ecological values of consumers, changes in their daily needs also manifest themselves in food. Eating habits are evolving along with lifestyle changes, and the food sector is impacted by these continuous reactions. This is where trends become mainstream over time. I share the viewpoint of Australian nutritional scientist Hanni Rützler: "A food trend must therefore always offer potential solutions. If it does not do so, it will only be a short-term phenomenon." In the end, social approval is a critical factor.

This time, I want to categorize the trends into two groups; The long-term ones that will be...