EMPHASIS on healthy eating is driving consumers' food requirements and preferences, with stress not just on nutrition but also on safety and even origin or source of the food. Packaging has also become a crucial factor for a growing number of end-users. The food and beverage sector, probably amongst the first to feel the brunt of the pandemic and one of the industries badly hit, needs to fast-track efforts to ensure food is safe and healthy to match these shifts in consumer mindset influenced to a great extent by COVID-19 concerns and resulting changes in lifestyle, budgeting and shopping. Adhi Lukman, chairman of Indonesian Food and Beverage Industry Association (GAPMMI), said the F&B industry must be ready to adapt to changes. "In these times when the industry is evolving alongside shifts across the entire market chain, brand is no longer a priority. Food safety and availability are top considerations. These may present challenges for manufacturers but they also open up opportunities for differentiating products and services to gain consumer trust."
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