Comprised of 21 countries, Latin America is a land of enormously diverse peoples, climates and geographies. Yet across the region we find two commonalities — what people eat and their high trust in the food and beverage industry. Explore the Food and Beverage trends in Latin America.

1. Latin American
Food & Beverages
Trends
Prepared by the Daniel J. Edelman Latin American Food and Beverages Sector
July 2017

2. What’s on Latin America
menu?
Food for the body and the soul. Health, well-being,
and quality of life. Ecological awareness and social
concern. Sustainability. Creativity, driven by new
flavors and amazing ingredients. Technology, from
farm to table.
Take all these elements and throw them in the
cauldron. Mix well and voilá: we have the base that
gives rise to many trends of Food and Beverages in
Latin America, shared in this paper by Edelman teams
in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.
Bon appétit!
Edelman Latin America team

3. Food & Beverage captivates hearts and minds. According to the
2017 Edelman Trust Barometer, this sector is among the most
trusted in the world:
§ While trust in institutions around the world sees a broad
decline, food and beverage continues to earn trust among both
the mass population and the Informed Public.
§ The Food & Beverage sector is more trusted than Business
across all markets. In Argentina, the difference is of 23 points
(68-45); in Brazil, 12 points (73-61); in Colombia, 15 points
(79-64) and in Mexico, 14 points (81-67).
§ The Food & Beverage sector is trusted across most markets
(Argentina – 68, Brazil – 73, Colombia – 79, Mexico – 81).
In comparison to 2016, trust in the sector rose one point in
Argentina, three points in Colombia and two points in Mexico
– and remained stable in Brazil.
§ While Food & Beverage enjoys a higher trust level than
business writ large, it is crucial to proactively seek to earn
more trust/protect trust – use it responsibly or risk losing it.
Click here to read the complete 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer
F&B
2017 Edelman Trust Barometer Food & Beverages

4. Food & Beverage Findings
Functional
Beverages
1
2
3
Smaller Versions,
Healthier Flavors
Less Sugar and
Junk Food
War Against Waste
and Hunger
Wipe the
Label Clean
Aspirational
Agriculture
Tea Gourmet
Culture
Natural
Substitutes
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Organic versus
GMOs
Social Issues
Drives Purchasing

5. 1
Natural
Substitutes
The consumer’s point of view about health and
recipe planning has led to a new practice
ofusing healthier ingredients in the place of
traditional ones. In Brazil, consumers go crazy
for hearts of palm “spaghetti.” In Mexico, corn
tortillas have been cast aside by vegetable-
based ingredients, such as lettuce or “tortillas”
made from nopal (cactus leaves); the base of
ice-creams, traditionally made by cream
derived from animal fat, are now being
produced with avocado.

6. 2
Smaller Versions,
Healthier Flavors
As obesity is an issue all over the region, the
number of calories consumed by the
population in Latin America must be reduced.
Moderation is key and companies are taking
action. As consequence, the downsizing of
containers (meaning smaller cans and bottles)
and other packaging) has become the best
option. Some critics say this is not enough, and
demand further recipe modifications to ensure
they have not only fewer calories, but also
healthier alternatives from which to choose.

7. 3
Less Sugar and
Junky Food
Since the sugar-sweetened beverage industry
penetrated the Mexican market, the country’s
core culture has changed dramatically. Today,
around 70% of Mexico’s adult population is
overweight or obese. Three years ago, Mexico
became one of the first countries in the world
to impose a tax on sugary drinks and junk food.
The 8% tax resulted in an average reduction of
5.1% in purchases of these items. Other Latin
American countries are also facing changes:
Argentina has created the Healthy Eating and
Obesity Prevention Program to promote
healthy eating habits among the general
population, for example. In Brazil, some
companies announced a new policy of not
selling sodas in schools for children under the
age of 12. In Colombia, sodas are restricted in
schools.

8. Organic Versus
GMOs
4
On one hand, while the number of consumers
and producers of organic products increases, on
the other hand, are people divided about the
benefits (e.g. durability or nutritional value)
and negative aspects (allergenic potential, gene
transfer and outcrossing) that involve GMOs.
Unlike in the United States, in Latin America ,
not many people seem to be really worried
about the negative impact; some companies are
not transparent about their use of GMOs.
Preferences aside, both continue to gain more
and more ground. In Argentina, healthy and
organic markets sponsored by the Buenos Aires
City Government are held on a regular basis.
São Paulo has just inaugurated its first 100%
organic market. Meanwhile, almost 100% of
the soy beans produced in Brazil and 80% of
yellow corn used in the Mexico, as a
commodity in other industries, are genetically
modified.

9. 5
Functional
Beverages
5
Managing stress, combating fatigue, losing
weight, and maintaining an eye on health.
These concerns are moving people to look for
foods and beverages with strong nutritional
profiles. Millennials in particular believe that
functional foods can replace some medications.
A surge in beverages replacing sodas, including
natural, organic, detox, and fresh-pressed
juices, flavored waters – a technique that
consists of adding fruits, vegetables, herbs and
seeds to the water, bringing flavor and aroma,
has been seen in Latin America in recent years.
In Brazil, kombucha and kefir are the newest
trend, and functional beverages can be found
even at Oktoberfest, the traditional beer
celebration.

10. 6
Gourmet Tea
Culture
The region has a strong coffee culture – most
latinos began to drink it during childhood.
Given the need for new options as well as a
focus on new health benefits, tea has started to
take hold among local consumers. New blends
means more creative mergers of tea with other
herbs, spices, and fruits. A considerable
increase has been observed in the consumption
of Matcha tea, which is now popularly
perceived as a natural remedy for nearly
anything (not to mention, it looks great on
Instagram). It is even consumed in other
preparations, such as tea-infused jams and
desserts, haute cuisine, and cocktails.

11. Wipe the Label
Clean
7
The growing need for authenticity and
transparency in the Food & Beverage sector
has sparked a slew of clean labeling efforts to
assure consumers that their food comes from
recognizable, trustworthy ingredients. The
pressure to minimize the use of artificial
ingredients, combined with increased
legislative regulation around labeling is placing
strong expectations on brands worldwide.

12. Social Issues
Drives Purchasing
More and more consumers, especially
millennials, consider social issues at the time of
purchase. According to the global study of
Edelman Earned Brand 2017, 51% believe
brands can do more to solve social ills than the
government. And among millennials, that
number is even bigger: 60% of them buy based
on shared beliefs. Sustainability, human rights,
and fair-trade rank high among these
audiences. Fair-trade certification focuses on
empowerment, moving away from forced labor
or poor working conditions. This allows
farming communities to make decisions about
the future of their crops through a democratic
process.
8

13. The startup Be Green created the first urban
farm in the Boulevard Shopping Mall in Belo
Horizonte (Brazil). This concept is a first in
Latin America and the main idea is to provide
cheaper fresh food produced inside the city.
Huerto Roma, in Mexico, allows visitors to
plant and grow their own fruit and vegetables.
With a keen eye for agriculture’s impact on the
environment, the diminishing amount of arable
land, and the population shifts to urban areas,
new methods of farming are positioned to
support sustainability in inventive ways.
Aspirational
Agriculture
9

14. NGOs, companies, restaurants, chefs,
governments, and ordinary people fight against
food waste and hunger simultaneously. An
organization in Argentina is a great example:
Move for Hunger has created a program that
provides access to “social refrigerators” where
people can leave their leftovers for hungry
individuals. Through different projects in the
region, the food that would be discarded is
shared with those in need. Growing consumer
awareness and continued concern about how
food impacts the environment has moved the
food waste discussion firmly into the
mainstream, and now food and beverage
companies are feeling the pressure to engage on
the issue.
War Against
Waste and Hunger
10

15. Copyright ©2016 Daniel J. Edelman, Inc. All rights reserved.
All information contained herein is confidential and proprietary to Daniel J. Edelman, Inc. (“Edelman”).
References:
2017 Edelman Trust Barometer – Food & Beverages
Cultural Connections – Latin America
What‘s on the menu in 2017 Global Food and Beverage Trends
Information provided by trend hunters from Edelman Latin America