BLK water boasts that its product is free from carbs and gluten. Marketers are increasingly targeting health-conscious shoppers with ‘fake transparency’ labels, which claim the absence of ingredients a product wouldn’t contain. And this kind of messaging is making savvy consumers more cynical.

Will people compromise taste for wellbeing? Why are beverage brands experimenting with cannabis? Can ‘cultured meat’ overcome its image problems? In this part of the 2019 Expert Outlook, we speak to three experts about how health and environmental concerns are affecting eating and drinking habits.

With 66% of US Gen Yers saying that food and cooking are a big part of who they are, and 47% of American restaurant-goers considering themselves to be ‘foodies’, it’s clear that people have turned food from an enjoyable essential into a serious hobby. This passion, combined with the need to look like a connoisseur, means that many people go for foods that seem sophisticated, even if they don’t actually like the taste. Catering to those who like dark chocolate more in theory than in practice, Green & Black’s launched its 70% ‘velvet edition’ chocolate, which is much easier to consume than its regular, bitter bars.

Waitrose is introducing healthy eating specialists to its aisles, to help shoppers make the right decisions when it comes to buying food for a healthy diet. The initiative is aimed to help nudge Britons to make the right choice, as many are still confused as to what constitutes a healthy diet.