Fresh produce is more affordable now than it has been in years – so what can growers, retailers and Kiwi consumers expect in the year ahead? United Fresh (which represents Aotearoa’s fresh fruit and vegetable industry) reveals what trends we are likely to see take off in 2025.
1. Social media’s cucumber craze
TikTok is obsessed with a refreshing summer snack that uses up a whole cucumber thanks to influencers like Logan Moffitt. The TikToker loves cucumbers and posts different recipes for the green vegetable almost every day, amassing a cool 6.9 million followers and 299 million likes on the platform along the way. Cucumbers with smoked salmon, cucumbers with soy and honey, cucumbers with egg salad. This ongoing visual inspiration has elevated cucumbers way beyond a humble salad ingredient. We expect this trend will rise over our New Zealand summer when cucumbers are in season, and we’ll watch for Gen Z to cast their social media wand over other tasty produce innovations in 2025.
2. Food is medicine
While Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation are very familiar with the concept of ‘let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’, younger consumers are now embracing fruit and vegetables to super charge their health and wellness. Curious Plot, a US-based marketing, communications and consulting agency, has published its second annual ‘Consumer Curiosity Report’ to identify upcoming food trends and fresh produce is set to play a major role. Both Millennials and Generation Z recorded particularly high rates of curiosity about foods with cognitive benefits, those that improve gut health and immunity-boosting foods. This health-curious mindset will see more people gravitating towards the fruit and vegetable aisle of their local supermarkets. Expect to hear more about the virtues of eating apples, citrus, tomato, avocado, berries etc. among all age groups from now on.
3. Compostability
Remember when plastic bags were everywhere? Neither can we! We’re so used to re-usable shopping and paper bags now that we don’t give it a second thought. The next step towards sustainability is upon us and that’s compostable packaging. Plastic is long gone from our fresh produce aisles and edible packaging is now also gaining traction as it’s proven to help maintain food quality and extend shelf-life. Compostable wraps, recyclable punnets and produce sold with minimal packaging supports our growing eco-conscious consumer habits so expect to see more innovations in this space.
4. Home-grown and home-made
Everyone’s wallets have been hit hard by inflation and the cost of living, coaxing more of us to ditch the restaurant meals and takeaways in favour of cooking satisfying meals at home. This move towards the simple life also extends to our food choices – the shorter the ingredient label is, the better. Society’s continued drive towards greater sustainability will see more of us eating organic, locally produced and ‘clean label’ products. Consumers are also becoming more aware of regenerative farming practices which enhance soil health and biodiversity. It’s fair to say our preference for natural ingredients and home cooking is here to stay.
5. Gym gears not beers
Prioritising self-care is now a widely accepted approach to life, leading to healthier food choices and a shift away from processed foods, sugar and alcohol. This movement aligns with a broader trend toward holistic wellness, where individuals seek balanced lifestyles that promote mindfulness, self-care and self-improvement. A key aspect of this trend is adopting diets rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, which are integral to improving both physical health and mental wellbeing. Anti-inflammatory diets to prevent cognitive and physical decline, which rely heavily on fresh produce, are also here to stay as our population ages.
Sources:
United Fresh Trend Report
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TikTok @logagm
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https://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/whole-foods-market-forecasts 2025
Sustainable packaging, plant-based ingredients make Whole Foods trends list
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The future of food safety: possible trends for the years 2022‐2032
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