The paleo diet at its essence encourages people to eat like our Palaeolithic ancestors. This allows for meat, fish, fresh produce, eggs, nuts and seeds; but no cereals, pulses, dairy, potatoes, refined sugar, salt, refined vegetables oils or any processed foods.
While the idea that humans should revert to pre agricultural revolution diets first emerged in the 1970s, Euromonitor accounts for its current popularity in the fact that its central ideas tie in with other popular health and wellness trends, namely gluten/wheat free, dairy free, high protein, low carb and natural eating.
While it might seem counter-intuitive that a diet that calls for a return to prehistoric eating patterns could hold opportunities for packaged food, Mintel has noted that the trend is spreading to ready-to-eat retail products. In fact, looking at its data, Euromonitor has found no correlation between the popularity of the diet and an increase in fresh food sales, but has seen its biggest impact in these emerging convenience products. Interest in this type of diet has led to innovation in meat snacks, with New Primal in the US and CleanPaleo in New Zealand clearly positioning their grass fed meat snacks in the paleo category. Grain free product launches have also been seen in the area, with Paleonola Grain Free Granola launched in the US, and Caveman Cookies being introduced by Organico Realfoods in the UK.
However, it should be noted that the paleo diet is not without its critics, with some arguing that there is no strong scientific backing for the health claims it makes. Ironically, the short life expectancy of our Palaeolithic ancestors makes it hard to know if they really were less susceptible to the non-communicable diseases associated with modern living. But while the most extreme examples of the paleo diet may not be in line with general healthy eating advice, it does fit in with consumers’ desire for more natural and less processed foods, as can be seen in our Keeping it Real consumer lifestyle trend. This increases the opportunities for food producers as products may appeal to many consumers beyond strict adherents of the paleo principle.
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