’Good grains’ and ’naturality’ are among the 10 key trends in food, nutrition and health for 2012, according to a new report by New Nutrition Business (NNB).

The firm, which offers strategic advice to the food and drink industry, said the number one trend is ’naturality’ a trend that is powering successful innovations. "In most Western markets the descriptor ’natural’ is becoming a basic consumer requirement for the ingredients on the label of any brand, even those without an overt health position," said NNB. The third trend on the list was ’digestive health’, which the firm said has developed into an enduring success story, while weight management came in at number five. NNB said it is the underlying aim of most consumers’ decisions about healthy eating, even if it is not overtly expressed.

And finally, coming in at number 10, was ’good grains’. "Set for growth, grains benefit from a consumer perception of being ’all-natural’ and least-processed," said NNB.

The other trends in the top 10 were energy (key trend number two); ’feel the benefit’ (number four) a powerful marketing tool if a product can deliver a benefit that the consumer can quickly see or feel; movement (joints) which was placed at sixth in the table; senior nutrition (number seven); fruit and vegetables (number eight); and dairy (number nine).