Multicultural products at the heart of the food strategy
At SIAL Canada 2025, the first stage of the SIAL Network Grand Slam, Coline Poirot, Content Manager at SIAL Network, gave a memorable speech on the central role of food cultures in product innovation. Faced with a diverse world, she called on the industry to make diversity a strategic lever.
In most industrial sectors, globalisation has led to a homogenisation of practices. But food is an exception to this rule. As Coline Poirot pointed out: ‘Unlike other industries, there is no such thing as globalised food culture.’ While a telephone or software program is identical from one continent to another, tastes, textures and food codes remain deeply rooted in local cultures.
This uniqueness is illustrated by the regional adaptations of global brands such as McDonald’s: ‘100% vegetarian in India, Teriyaki pork in Japan, and poutine right here in Canada.’ These adjustments are not anecdotal, but fundamental. ‘Food is a cultural construct. It reflects our collective identity.’ This observation opens up a discussion on the need to innovate not despite, but because of this diversity.
Exploring food models to better meet expectations
Through a comprehensive mapping of food practices, Coline Poirot has identified the major models that structure consumption around the world. In Asia, meals are based on balance, seasonality and ancestral principles such as Yin and Yang. The Mediterranean diet, meanwhile, emphasises vegetables, olive oil and sharing meals. In sub-Saharan Africa, eating habits are deeply linked to local ecosystems, food crops and generational transmission.
This overview reveals that relevant innovation requires a detailed understanding of these cultural dynamics. ‘Understanding these models is essential for relevant innovation.’ The same expectation—health, convenience or pleasure—can be met in very different ways depending on the region. Far from stifling creativity, this diversity is a powerful driver of product development.
Canada, a showcase for culinary diversity
With nearly a quarter of its population born abroad, Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world. Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal have become veritable culinary hubs. ‘Canada is a living laboratory of diversity.’ This cultural richness poses an exciting challenge for manufacturers: how to design products that speak to a multitude of cultural references?
It is in this context that SIAL and ProtéinesXTC have developed the Tree of Trends matrix, a strategic tool that distinguishes universal expectations from cultural variations. The trunk represents fundamental needs (pleasure, health, convenience, ethics), while the branches and leaves reflect the specific ways in which each culture responds to them.
Take yoghurt, for example: in France, it evokes regional pride, as in a recipe featuring Cotentin cheese; in the United States, innovation comes in the form of bold flavours such as butternut squash; in Asia, it is associated with elegance, with variations including flower jelly; and in Canada, fruit reigns supreme.
Exporting: an exercise in adaptation rather than promotion
Finally, Coline Poirot emphasised a strategic point: adapting a product for export does not mean betraying its essence. On the contrary, it is a way of giving it a new dimension. ‘Just because a product is developed somewhere doesn’t mean it can be sold as-is everywhere.’
For example, a French cheese can be transformed into a sweet snack to appeal to Chinese consumers who love confectionery-style products. Similarly, charcuterie is taking on a nomadic form with fun, portable sausage bites. These examples show that cultural innovation is just as essential as technological innovation.
‘Adapting a product doesn’t mean betraying it — it means giving it new life.’ This conclusion resonates perfectly with SIAL’s mission: to promote innovative, inclusive and realistic food.
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