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...
Tag: Consumer Insights
Tracking the Trends — What Will Shine for 2023?
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...
Is “Healthy” Really Healthy? FDA Wants to Make It So
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...
Ditch the Fear, Not the Facts! Fruits and Vegetables Are Safe
Spring is here! The images of farmers’ markets and planting our own backyard or container gardens dance in our minds with delight … especially for those of us dealing with a long winter. Fruits and vegetables suddenly have a broader appeal when we see those first...
Tracking Trends for 2022 — It’s Vintage with a Technology Twist
“What is old is new again” may be the perfect description of the coming food and agriculture trends in 2022. When you look at new products on the “must have” lists, it is clear that consumers desire to connect their health back to nature. Turmeric, sunflower seeds,...
With the Rise of Plant-Based Milks, Is It Time to Say “Move Over Cows”?
Think about the last time you walked into a grocery store to buy a carton of milk. How many options awaited you in the dairy aisle? Growing up on a dairy farm, I had two options for milk, whole milk with cream on top or without (Holstein style 3.5% butterfat). It was...
Grocery Stores: The “Center of Our Universe” in a Sea of Uncertainty
Grocery stores will always play an important role in our quest for food but during this past year, they became the “center of our universe” whether we shopped online or in person. Grocery stores were our “go to” food source and according to my husband, his social...
What Will Be Our “Silver Linings” Post COVID?
As we start to see a “light at the end of the tunnel,” I thought it was only appropriate to explore the lessons we’ve learned. But after reading about the changes and realities resulting from the 1918 Spanish Flu, it seemed more appropriate to reflect on where we are...
Beneath the “Health Halo” — Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
Note: This blog was written jointly by Marianne Smith Edge and Jennifer Garrett based on their recent article, "The Nutritional Limitations of Mimicking Meat” published in the July/August 2020 issue of Cereal Foods World. Quick, what is the first word that comes to...
What Will This Decade Be Known For? Feeding the World Without Fear?
Consumer trends, insights and questions of “where do we go from here?” populate numerous media sources when a new year rolls around and this year especially, with the arrival of a new decade, the lists abound! News about sustainability, climate change and plant-based...