Shifts Foreseen on Food Shelves, Restaurant Menus

2027 will be the year of terroir (seeking a “taste of place” and product origin), Japanese comfort food, food as skincare and a rise in bitter flavors. These and other trends are set to influence the food landscape showing up in restaurants, grocery aisles and home kitchens, Whole Foods predicts.

The predictions are put together by the Amazon unit’s in-house trends council, whose members range from foragers and buyers to culinary experts. They develop their trends forecast each year through a combination of industry experience, observations of consumer preferences and long-standing relationships with emerging and established brands.

“This year’s predictions reflect a real shift in how people are eating — a curiosity about origin, a willingness to try bitter and unexpected flavors, and a meaningful return to simpler, whole-food ingredients,” said Cathy Strange, Ambassador of Food Culture for Whole Foods Market and member of the Trends Council. “Our Trends Council spends the year in the field, from farmer’s markets to trade shows to neighborhood restaurants, and the 2027 list captures just how quickly these ideas are moving from emerging concepts into everyday kitchens.”

Whole Foods Market’s top food trend predictions for 2027 include:

• Terroir’s New Territory: Terroir refers to the soil, climate and geography that shape a product’s taste and character, an idea that is gaining ground far beyond the wine aisle.
• Beautrition: “Beauty from within” is gaining momentum, as consumers are turning to ingredients rich in collagen, antioxidants, healthy fats and hydration to support skin health.
• Japanese comfort food:  Such items include pillowy milk bread and savory-sweet curry.
• Ingredient Minimalism: Shoppers are embracing pared down ingredient lists as a marker of quality.

Click here to read about the other four trends identified by the Whole Foods Trends Council for 2027.