Vibe Whiplash: McKinney Launches 15th Annual Food Trend Report

McKinney’s Annual Food Trends Report, Vol. 15 examines how cultural trends are shaping food preferences, exploring the reasons why certain foods are 'in' and others are 'out.' Through a 15-year partnership with the Institute of Culinary Education, which has expanded to include NYU and Columbia University, McKinney has been publishing an annual report on food and beverage trends since 2009 that has informed the curriculum of those institutions as well as the agency’s work for clients.

The 2024 macro-trend, 'Vibe Whiplash,' reflects the opposing forces people are feeling on a daily basis and the cognitive dissonance they’re developing to cope with it – a whiplash more intense than ever before. From culture to politics to who just dropped an album dissing whom, the vibe is constantly shifting. One minute you’re reading about geopolitics and the next you’re looking at. It can feel like whiplash sometimes. Maybe in years to come we’ll get on the same page, but for now, 'Vibe Whiplash' is producing counter-trends, taking sides and paradoxes. 

“‘Vibe Whiplash’ sums up the conflicting emotions consumers are experiencing every day and the way that’s affecting the decisions they’re making,” said Jasmine Dadlani, chief strategy officer, McKinney. “A global recession is building and people are dealing with record inflation, yet 40% of Americans are planning to splurge in the next three months and 87% of consumers are planning to take a vacation in the next 12 months. That cognitive dissonance and the food trends it’s producing have been fascinating to analyse.”

The 2024 report explores how this 'Vibe Whiplash' macro-trend is affecting food and beverage micro-trends in: 

• Culture: 'NSFW Food' – Cravings are taking on a whole new meaning as these X-rated concepts have us all swirling.
• Technology: 'Move Over, Old MacDonald' – In this new AI-focused world, we are just beginning to unlock the capabilities of agri-tech.
• Social Responsibility: 'Eat Your Greens ($$$)' – The quest to keep prices steady is impacting not just the products people buy, but all parts of the food supply chain.  
• Wellness: 'Healthy as a Mother' – Women’s hormone-centric health approaches have been proliferating in a variety of diets and supplements.