TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) released its highly anticipated new trend report, which can be viewed here. CHFA hosted CHFA NOW Toronto this past weekend bringing together over 8,000 natural health and wellness leaders to discover the latest innovations spanning natural health, organic food, better-for-you snacks, clean beauty, healthy home and lifestyle.
The weekend's annual conference and trade show was ripe with Canadian consumer insights and go-to trends that shape what consumers will see on the shelf this fall and winter season.
"The momentum in the Canadian market for better-for-you brands continues to grow. I'm proud to share that we brought over 1,000 brands to Toronto this year where many rising stars and emerging brands really get their big break," shared CHFA President and CEO, Aaron Skelton.
After two days of walking the trade show of Canada's biggest trade show for all things natural, organic and wellness, there were four emerging trends that stood out and will hit retailers across Canada in 2024.
- Cafe Culture Comes Home: Among the estimated two billion cups of coffee consumed globally every day, Canadians are choosing to have more of these cups at home. As a growing trend emerging post-pandemic, the art of latte-making and enjoying specialty café drinks at home is on the rise. Brands are providing Canadians with more plant-based and one-step options to enjoy a personalized barista experience, from frothed oat lattes to gourmet matcha lattes - all made in seconds.
Products Spotted: Sproos Super Matcha Latte, Two Bears' Frothed Oat Latte, Say When Beverages' Chai Concentrate, Freezeochino, and Minor Figures Oat Chai Latte.
- Rooted in Nature: Clean Hair Care is Here: Forget fillers and harsh ingredients - a trend here to stay is natural hair care that goes beyond just shampoo and conditioner. With overall hair health becoming a major beauty focus this year, Canadians are leaning toward gentler formulations, herbal supplements to promote growth and functional products that are better for scalps and the environment.
Products Spotted: Pacifica Beauty's Collagen Mask, Routine's Dirty Hipster Shampoo, Jusu's Natural Hair Putty, Herbaland's Biotin Beauty Gummies and Hello Joyous' Dry Shampoo.
- Oat Goes Beyond Milk: Oats have certainly made their mark over the last ten years as a dairy-free milk substitute. Now with consumers adopting oat milk, the mighty oat is expanding as a new culinary trend and a key ingredient in different food products creating a new wave of plant-based dairy options - from oat butter to oat ice cream.
Products Spotted: Mylko's Maple Oat Butt'r, Miyoko's Oat Milk Butter, Beyond Moo's Oatgurt and Oat & Mill Ice Cream.
- Ocean Ingredients Make Waves: Inspired by the depths of the sea, ocean-derived and inspired ingredients have arrived on shelves as Canadians experiment with new flavours. From supplements to hair care to snacks, more brands are harnessing the power of nutrient-dense ingredients like seaweed and sea moss. In the last five years, there has been a major increase, reportedly 65%, in products with seaweed as a key ingredient as consumers become more aware of the health benefits and lower environmental footprint.
Products Spotted: Seed to Surf Plant-based Canned Fish, Ocean's Halo Seaweed Products and Sea Tales' Tinned Sardines.
About CHFA
The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) is Canada's largest trade association dedicated to natural, organic and wellness products. As a national not-for-profit association, our members include manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and importers committed to getting more healthy living products into the hands of more Canadians. Visit chfa.ca for more info.