Diet Soon we eat algae and insects

Future diet of Germans ethical thanks to algae and insects?

04/16/2015

The eating habits of Germans are undergoing constant change. For example, the proportion of vegetarians has increased significantly in recent decades. In the future, algae and insects could increasingly be on the menu for ethical reasons. What our diet will look like in 2030 was explored by researchers at the Nestlé Futures Forum in collaboration with the market research institute TNS Infratest.

The representative survey „How is Germany 2030??“ comes to the conclusion that the Germans in the future will increasingly rely on their nutrition for ethical reasons to insects and algae as protein suppliers, reports the news agency „dpa“. In addition, the importance of regional products is increasing and so-called "development" is developing „Neighborhood stores“, which focus on offers from local sources, says Nestlé. In the next 15 years, the experts expect a significant change in the previous eating habits.

Resource-saving diet
The market research institute TNS Infratest surveyed a total of 1,029 consumers on behalf of the Nestlé Future Forum on various future nutrition scenarios. According to the results of the survey, it can be assumed that algae and insects will also be accepted as normal protein suppliers in this country by 2030, thus allowing a symbiosis between enjoyment and resource conservation, reports the news agency „dpa“. By 2030, food is increasingly becoming a question of worldview and social prestige. Overall, the „resource-efficient nutrition in a value-oriented society“ named by the interviewees as the most likely of the five predefined future scenarios, the Communication of the „dpa“. Accordingly, ethical aspects would increasingly affect attitudes towards food, which would be compatible with regional and organic production, but could also include conversion to algae, insects or meat and fish products grown in a test tube.

Merging of pharmacy and nutrition
The Nestlé Futures Forum experts also conclude that personalized nutrition will become increasingly important in the future. For example, consumer expectations of individualized nutrition options would increase. Maybe in the future, the diet „right from the baby's age exactly tailored to the individual requirements of each individual“, so the message from Nestlé. Also, the border between nutrition and pharmacy could increasingly merge. „The era of molecular fingerprinting is approaching, and people can be sequenced and treated according to their health care profiles. Doctors will become more networked with nutritionists and sports coaches to take on individual health“, explains Martin Kussmann, Professor of Molecular Biology at the Nestlé Research Center in Lausanne. Health and enjoyment would be combined in new forms of nutrition - the „Medical Food“ as a trend between supermarket and pharmacy shelves.

Basic food supply online?
According to the results of the current study, the role of e-commerce will grow inexorably with the purchase of food. Fresh food could be ordered online and delivered home the same day. Although food retailing provides important information about the products and context, much of the universal service is expected to be online in the future. (Fp)