From major M&A activity in the sauces market, and yet more fallout over sugars, sweeteners, and fat - it was a big and busy year for the global food and nutrition industry in 2013. And with the year drawing to a close, we managed to catch up with some of Mintel's top analysts and experts to ask them what their highlights were.
With 2014 looming large on the horizon, we also asked the Mintel team what they think the biggest news and trends will be for next year.
According to Richard Cope, Senior Trend Consultant at Mintel, next year will see us fall in love with flavours of South America, plus see a range of 'energy drink alternatives' as manufacturers look to switch out caffeine before new tougher labelling laws come in to place.
In addition Cope and his colleagues see a growing trend towards wearable technology and increased interest in personal information and insights.
"We think there is a lot of potential for consumers to do a lot more data analysis over what they are consuming," Cope said.
Meanwhile Jonny Forsyth, Global Drinks Analyst at Mintel told us that the trend for 'skinny' versions of alcoholic drinks and cocktails is set to grow in 2014.