Food is personal. What we eat — and at times, perceive to be healthy — often stems from our personal experiences or beliefs, not facts. In today’s environment, consumer insights reflect such reality. The recent Curious Plot Consumer Curious Report highlights that food...
How confident are you about the safety of our U.S. food supply? If your answer is “less than before,” you’re not alone. According to the 2025 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food and Health Survey,1 consumer confidence has dipped to an all-time low —...
In today’s environment, the term “healthy” is used in a variety of ways. We talk about how unhealthy we are as a society or that certain foods are healthy. We even use the term to describe a person’s appearance — “she looks healthy” — or for portion size — “that’s a...
Buying fresh tomatoes in the middle of winter was never an option or even a consideration when growing up on a farm. You just knew fresh tomatoes were the best off the vine in the summertime and relied on home canned tomatoes (or store bought) for winter days. But...
Food, friends, fellowship and faith are the elements that bring us together this time of the year and always. Likewise, at the same time, one or more of these can divide us. Food and water are the essence of our existence. While 2024 food and ag trends may not be top...
I learned a basic rule while growing up: Don’t get excited about the contents of a package until you opened it! In other words, what was in the box didn’t always match the outside label. My mother was resourceful, so using a box for the second or third time seemed...
"In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” This centuries-old statement by Benjamin Franklin resonates equally as well in today’s food and ag trend space. While food trends are not as finite, there are “certain” themes that continue to...
With the plethora of plant-based “milks” sharing space with dairy milk in the grocery store, the question of what is “milk” has been a source of contention over the years and a continuing saga. However, this is a question that can only be resolved by the Food and Drug...
Trends like weather are forecasts. Some will shine through while others may get covered with a dark cloud. Regardless of what consumer surveys or noted chefs may predict,1 unexpected storms, like pandemic-related supply chain snafus, can alter the path. Looking back...
We talk about “Eating Healthy,” “Healthy Food” or certain ingredients being “Healthy,” but has all this talk changed our eating habits? Probably not! The reality is that 80% of consumers in the U.S. aren’t eating enough vegetables, fruit and dairy (despite the...