With this reputation for reliability, premium quality and safety, from the farm to the finished product, the Australian macadamia industry is ideally placed to continue to supply the world’s leading brands, manufacturers and consumers with exceptional macadamias long into the future.
The 2021 Australian macadamia crop is
predicted to reach 50,770 tonnes in-shell @ 3.5% moisture (54,440
tonnes in-shell @ 10% moisture), according to a census-based forecast produced using
scientific modelling developed by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and
Fisheries.*
The
popularity of nuts has soared in recent years as understanding of their health
benefits expands, and consumers embrace the taste and texture they bring to
snacks, home cooking and manufactured food products.
It’s been said countless times, but it’s true: 2020 was a year like no
other. We watched in horror as bushfires consumed Australia in January and
riots rocked many parts of the globe. We’d barely caught our breath before
launching straight into a global pandemic that confined many parts of the world
to their own homes for weeks and months on end.
It’s that time of year again, when we review how macadamias featured on the global product development stage over the past 12 months, uncovering all the ways brands are embracing macadamias as an ingredient that adds taste, texture, indulgence and health credentials to food and beverage products.
Australian macadamia growers have produced a higher than expected
2020 crop of 46,900 tonnes
in-shell at 3.5% moisture (50,300 tonnes in-shell @ 10% moisture), announced
the industry’s peak body, the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS) today.
The
Australian Macadamias Yearbook is the go-to snapshot of our industry’s
performance over the past 12 months. The 2020 edition has just been released
and is available to download now.
As we head into 2021, the trend towards plant-based and plant-forward eating shows no signs of abating. In fact, a recent review of trends found that 56% of consumers across the globe are trying to eat more plant-based foods. This rise in vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian approaches to eating is motivated by concerns about health and wellbeing as well as a growing consciousness of the impact of what we eat on the health of the planet.
While macadamia milk has gained popularity
in many Western markets, in Japan its presence has been limited to a few
imported products with narrow distribution. Kikkoman’s new product is unique as
it is Japan’s first domestically-made mainstream macadamia milk.
What does the
future of food look like? It’s a big but crucial question for anyone in the
food manufacturing and innovation space, however it’s easier asked than
answered. While none of us has a crystal ball, one of the best ways of
predicting where food is headed is by exploring the world of up and coming
consumers who will shape the future food landscape as their purchasing power
grows. Right now, this is Generation Z.