7 Turkish food & drink industry trends to watch
1. Halal food
Turkey is a majority Muslim country, but hasn’t necessarily taken a particularly devout approach to halal food in the past. Globally, however, halal foodstuffs are an industry worth in excess of $912 billion – and Turks account for $28 billion of the total.More Turks are taking their religious practices seriously, which is paying dividends for international suppliers of such goods. At WorldFood Istanbul, Turkey’s leading food and drink exhibition, we’ve seen more exhibitors and visitors from the UAE – a halal hotbed – indicating increased demand for these products in Turkey and the surrounding area.
2. Health foods
Turks are more health conscious than ever. They want to know where their food is coming from, its ingredients, and any added health benefits. Organic and health foods are very much en vogue right now. Sales of these items are growing at double digit rates in Turkey right now, including a 50% rise in 2015 – making this a sector to watch.Indeed, functional foods, i.e. foods with added health properties, are one of your top exports prospects on the Turkish market currently.
3. Water re-defined
As part of the general health drive, Turks are drinking high quantities of functional water drinks. Those benefits can be anything from added vitamins and minerals to weight-losing properties. Many crops, like aloe vera, maple, and cactus, are being added to water too – many species found in Turkey – for their perceived health properties.Find out more about Turk’s favourite beverages with this handy infographic.
4. E-commerce
Ordering food online used to be the preserve of takeaways and fast food joints. Now, multinationals are harnessing the power of the internet to deliver food all over the world – Turkey included. In Turkey, e-commerce (the whole sector) is expected to generate revenues of $9.67 billion by 2021 – so expect to see more Turks doing their grocery shopping online soon.5. Coffee
Throughout Turkey, coffee is being quaffed in greater and greater quantities – 15.7% more year-on-year in fact. Imports of coffee have grown 125% overall since 2010 as Turks continue to embrace and expand coffee culture. This sector will remain a key driver of import opportunities as long as Turks like a little caffeine punch with their hot drinks.6. Fighting back against waste
The way your food and drink items are packaged in Turkey just took on even greater importance. A national fight against waste is happening across all walks of life and industries, with food keenly involved.So, if you are thinking of exporting to Turkey, make sure your items are either responsibly packaged or recyclable – lest you incur the Turks’ environmental wrath!
7. Artisanal
Specialist produce is holding more weight with Turkish consumers than ever before. In baked goods, for instance, fresh, artisan-made bread accounts for 97% of all bread sales in Turkey. This is spreading to other product sectors and many Turkish supermarkets are improving their own label offer with hand-crafted products, flavoured with more exotic fare.We’re only really scratching the surface when it comes to Turkish food trends here. There are still many more waiting to be discovered by sector professionals at WorldFood Istanbul: the largest international food & drink exhibition in Turkey.
Discover more Turkish food & drink trends and buyers at WorldFood Istanbul
WorldFood Istanbul is the largest and the most successful food and food processing exhibition in the country, attracting over 400 exhibitors and 15,000 visitors each year.
The event is the perfect platform to get your products in front of a dedicated audience of food and drink professionals, including distributors, retail representatives and HORECA sector members.