According to a Recent Study/Survey … End-of-July Edition

 Trends dominate this End-of-July edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine’s “According to a recent study/survey …” research round-up.

Grubhub’s Hottest Food and Delivery Trends

Grubhub analyzed the hottest food and delivery trends for the first half of 2017. The findings show how people are turning to bite-sized foods, are seemingly eager to try charcuterie, but still turn to favorites such as chicken fried steak and barbecue.

In line with national culinary reports published in late 2016, these three dishes are indeed on the rise:

Bowls — 32 percent increase in orders in 2017

Vegan dishes — 19 percent increase in orders in 2017

Charcuterie — Nine percent increase in orders in 2017

“We are delighted that our diners are expanding their tastes beyond traditional takeout staples to try out this year’s trendiest dishes from the comfort of their home or office,” said Barbara Martin Coppola, CMO, Grubhub. “Grubhub aims to be the one place for everyone’s tastes — so it’s amazing to see that diners are embracing such a variety of foods, whether they’re ordering a nutritious bowl, vegan cuisine or barbecue.”

Six months into the year, here are 2017’s trendiest delivery dishes:

Poke bowls — 365 percent increase in orders

Bite-sized foods

Pretzel bites — 238 percent increase in orders

Mac and cheese bites — 78 percent increase in orders

Mini corn dogs — 76 percent increase in orders

Chicken fried steak — 103 percent increase in orders

Avocado toast — 93 percent increase in orders

Grilled and traditional barbecued dishes

Barbecue beans — 106 percent increase in orders

Jumbo barbecue chicken wings — 78 percent increase in orders

Sirloin steak — 77 percent increase in orders

Bowls, vegan dishes and charcuterie are trendy favorites. Here is a closer look at each category:

Top five trendiest bowls:

• Steak guacamole bowl
• Marinated beef bibimbap bowl
• Chili coconut curry bowl
• Tikka masala curry bowl
• Vermicelli and pork bowl

Top five vegan dishes:

• Vegan quesadilla
• Tofu wings
• Teriyaki quinoa bowl
• Samosa chaat
• Vegan calzone

Top five charcuterie ingredients:

• Pickled raisins
• Salumi
• Sourdough bread
• Prosciutto
• Blue cheese

Trendiest Winter Foods (January and February):

Penne rosa — 385 percent more ordered during winter 2017 vs. rest of the year

Ribeye pho — 127 percent more ordered during winter 2017 vs. rest of the year

Fried chicken sandwich — 124 percent ordered during winter 2017 vs. rest of the year

Trendiest Spring Foods (March and April):

Beer battered onion rings — 53 percent more ordered during spring 2017 vs. rest of the year

Greek bowl — 46 percent more ordered during winter 2017 vs. rest of the year

Miso soup — 46 percent more ordered during winter 2017 vs. rest of the year

Trendiest Early Summer Foods (May and June):

Roasted Brussels sprouts — 301 percent more ordered during summer 2017 vs. rest of the year

Pretzel bites — 98 percent more ordered during summer 2017 vs. rest of the year

Poke bowl — 96 percent more ordered during summer 2017 vs. rest of the year

TripAdvisor Restaurant Marketing Study

To learn more about the evolving marketing trends that are impacting restaurants today,TripAdvisor surveyed its partners for their thoughts. The result is the largest TripAdvisor Restaurant Marketing Study to date — spanning five markets including the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, France and Italy.

Time Invested in Restaurant Marketing

Time Spent: In the United States, nearly half of respondents spend less than 10 percent of their time on marketing activities. This is consistent with the majority of global respondents who also report spending 10 percent or less of their time on marketing activities (56 percent).

Employees and Consultants: Only 17 percent of United States survey respondents have hired a dedicated marketing employee and just 1 percent report using an outside marketing consultant. Globally, 9 percent of respondents have hired a dedicated marketing resource and 3 percent have hired a marketing consultant.

Monetary Investments in Restaurant Marketing

Marketing Channels: The top three channels where US restaurateurs invest their marketing dollars are Social Media (82 percent), Print Advertising (68 percent) and Online Listing Services (56 percent).

Reputation or Social Monitoring Services: In the US, and across the globe, 13 percent of respondents report paying for a professional reputation or social media monitoring service.

Percentage of Owners Investing in Top Three Marketing Channels

Overall effectiveness: The vast majority of US respondents (85 percent) believe they should be doing more to promote their businesses. This compares to 71 percent of global respondents.

Effectiveness of channels: Worldwide, restaurateurs report that their most effective marketing channels for driving more business are Social Media (1), Online Listing Services (2) and Search Engine Marketing (3). Online voucher/coupon services were reported to be least effective by worldwide respondents. It’s interesting to note that Print Advertising is not among the top three most effective channels, despite its place among the top three most popular channels in which restaurants invest their marketing spend.

Restaurateurs Who Feel They Could Do More Promotion

Reputation Monitoring: In the United States, 94 percent of restaurateurs report that they are monitoring the reputations of their businesses. This is very consistent globally, with 93 percent of respondents indicating they’re monitoring their reputations regularly.

Frequency: The majority of worldwide restaurateurs report that they monitor their online reputation several times each week.

POS Market Trends

The global restaurant POS terminal market is expected to reach USD 24.7 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing demand for POS system among the restaurant operators for billing and management solution such as inventory management, cost management, labor management is a major factor that is expected to drive the market growth.

Cloud-based POS systems are projected to gain traction over the forecast period owing to the benefits such as the ability to access real-time, enterprise-wide restaurant data from web-enabled devices. Moreover, to this, the cloud-based POS system quickly meet the PCI compliance as all data is stored on the cloud which makes it a suitable option for the restaurant owner.

The front-end application segment holds the largest share of restaurant POS terminal market in 2016 and is expected to reach over USD 15 billion by 2025. The quick service restaurant (QSR) is one of the largest segment of the food service industry. The QSRs are facing high competitions within the food service industry from fast casual, casual and full-service restaurant. Additionally, there is high pressure on the QSR owner to provide faster service at the comparatively low price. The restaurant POS system helps these operators in order management, improving inventory buying decision, staff management, increase customer satisfaction with faster payment processing and others.

The market for quick-service restaurant segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.1 percent from 2017 to 2025. The market is also anticipated to witness a substantial growth within the fine dine and casual dine segment over the next eight years.

Further key findings from the report suggest: 

• The global restaurant POS terminal market accounted for USD 10.16 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1 percent from 2016 to 2025
• Fixed POS terminal emerged as the largest segment in 2016 and is estimated to generate revenue over USD 7.79 billion by 2025.
• The hardware market for restaurant POS terminal is anticipated to witness moderate growth over the next eight years. The segment has been further segregated into touch screen/desktops, swipe card machines, and desktops.
• The restaurant POS terminal market for FSR is estimated to reach over USD 8 billion by 2025
• The Asia Pacific market is projected to witness substantial growth over the next decade owing to growing adoption of POS terminal among the restaurant operator. The regional market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7 percent from 2017 to 2025

Allrecipes.com Turns 20

 Allrecipes.com, the world’s largest digital food brand with more than 85 million users globally and 1.5 billion visits annually, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. In tandem with its historic anniversary, the company is rolling out a research study investigating how digital technology has affected and changed the ways home cooks approach their home cooking journey. Knowing the power of U.S. home cooks (according to comScore they visited online food sites nine billion times in 2016, and viewed 34 billion pages of food content), Allrecipes conducted a 20th anniversary survey of nearly 1,600 digital home cooks to find out how the availability of digital cooking resources has influenced their home cooking behavior. Here are a few key findings:

Internet food and recipe sites have grown to become the top recipe source for 58 percent of home cooks. When asked to choose only one cooking resource to use for the rest of their lives, one in three respondents said they would choose food and cooking websites.

As a result of broad access to digital recipe resources, home cooks say they are cooking more often (76 percent), are more adventurous (73 percent), and are more confident (63 percent). 

Seventy-five percent of digital home cooks trade recipes – with millennial home cooks standing out as the most frequent recipe sharers; top formats include texting (55 percent) and social channels (40 percent).

Digital cooking resources have streamlined the meal planning process. Today, 63 percent of home cooks report planning most meals of the same day as the meal, up 10 percent from 1999. Recipe searches on Allrecipes.com now peak from 4 to 5 p.m. on weeknights, a full hour later than 20 years ago. During the peak afternoon traffic period, more than 9,900 recipes are viewed each minute on Allrecipes.com.

Accessing digital cooking resources through mobile devices has significantly shifted home cooks’ daily cooking journeys. Using their smartphones, 33 percent of digital home cooks and 42 percent of millennial home cooks have viewed recipes in the past year while shopping for groceries. Use of digital coupons and redeeming grocery offers is also significant: 34 percent of Allrecipes’ survey respondents have redeemed digital coupons and grocery offers. 50 percent of home cooks shop for groceries within 24 hours of their Allrecipes.com visit 

When asked about videos and food photo sharing, 40 percent of home cooks overall (55 percent of millennial home cooks) have watched cooking videos, and 37 percent (50 percent of millennials) have taken photos of recipes they prepared.

Voice-guided experiences are quickly emerging as the next major shift in cooking behaviors: one in 10 home cooks have already searched for recipes using their voice. Allrecipes recently introduced its Alexa Skill for more than 60,000 recipes and 6,000 cooking technique videos for devices such as Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show, which provide home cooks with hands-free, step-by-step guidance during the entire cooking process. These voice-activated features will make it easier for home cooks to discover and execute recipes, while keeping their hands free for meal preparation. 

In addition to a variety of research available from the 20th Survey, Allrecipes also pulled the most searched for, saved, and rated recipes by the Allrecipes community during the past 20 years, which are below:  

Additional lists of Allrecipes’ most popular recipes by theme, including Most Brunchworthy, Most Romantic, Best Crowd Pleasers, Most Comforting, Picky Eater, Most Indulgent, OMG-Too Good To Be True, Worth The Effort, Love at First Sight, Most Photogenic, Unsung Heroes, and Best Hand-Me-Downs, can be found at Allrecipes 20th Anniversary feature.

Minimum Wage Effect in Canadian Restaurants

Ontario’s restaurant owners have crunched the numbers on the government’s planned minimum wage increases, and the results aren’t pretty. According to a recent Restaurants Canada survey, 95 percent of restaurateurs believe that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour – a 32 percent hike in just 18 months – would hurt the very people we are trying to help.

To keep their businesses afloat, operators plan to take the following actions:

• 98 percent will raise menu prices;
• 97 percent will reduce labour hours;
• 81 percent will lay off staff;
• 74 percent will explore labour-saving technology such as self-service touch screens; and
• 26 percent are likely to close one or more of their locations.

“The survey results are not surprising, given the average pre-tax profit margin for a restaurant operator is just 3.4 percent,” said Restaurants Canada’s Vice President Central Canada James Rilett. “The government’s drastic minimum wage hikes will reduce profitability by 5 to 7 points – forcing restaurateurs to lay off staff, reduce employment or close their doors entirely. Many of our members just don’t know how to cope with an increase of this magnitude.”

“Raise the minimum wage, but at least do an economic study to justify the amount and speed of the increase,” said Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada’s President and CEO. “Too much, too fast is not a recipe for success.”

Food Automation Market Trends

The report “Food Automation Market by Type (Motor Controls, Discrete controllers & visualization, rotary & linear products), Function (Palletizing, Sorting & Grading, Picking & Placing, Processing), Application (Dairy, Bakery), and Region – Global Forecast to 2022”, published by MarketsandMarkets™, the Global Food Automation Market is projected to reach USD 12.26 Billion by 2022 in terms of value, at a CAGR of 6.90 percent from 2017 to 2022. The global Food Automation Market is expanding with considerable growth potential over the next five years. The growth of this market can be attributed to the inclination of consumers towards processed and ready to eat foods, technological advancements in automation, and stringent international food safety regulations.

Motors & generators type estimated to be the largest segment in 2017. The motors & generators segment is estimated to account for the largest market share in the Food Automation Market in 2017. Motors & generators are experiencing steady demand in industrialized countries and occupy a significant share in the Food Automation Market especially in the European region. The motors & generators segment is mainly driven by their multi-functional nature. The increasing significance of motors in motion control applications involving high-pressure wash-down and high torque applications with precise motion control has greatly enhanced their functionality. Smooth and efficient functioning of systems is promoted by using generators in the food industry. It is also coupled with the increasing awareness about the efficient energy management benefits of generators. The presence of broad spectrum of high-performance motors such as servo motors, stepper motors, gear motors, AC motors, and direct drive motors to suit the various sectors of the food industry are offered by leading food automation manufacturers.

Beverages is estimated to be the largest segment in 2017. The beverages segment is estimated to account for the largest share in the Food Automation Market, in terms of value, in 2017. The rising criticality of processes in the production of beverages, continuous developments, and new product launches in the beverages market are boosting the growth of the Food Automation Market in the beverages industry. Complete vertical integration of beverage production processes is achieved by adopting process automation solutions. Optimization of value chain from the procurement of raw materials through production to finished products is facilitated by synchronization from incorporating automated processes.

Europe is estimated to be the most lucrative market for food automation. In 2017, the European market is estimated to hold a significant share in the global Food Automation Market. The major drivers for this significant share is the increasing processed food market in Western Europe and developing regions, such as Eastern Europe, are expected to witness significant growth in the processed food & beverage market, which positively impacts the equipment sector and boosts the market growth. The European market is driven by countries such as Germany, Italy, and France.

Nut Consumption is Associated with Reduced Weight Gain

A recent study published in the European Journal of Nutrition investigated the association between nut intake and changes in body weight after five years of follow-up. Researchers also estimated the risks associated with overweight or obesity after higher nut consumption.

Nuts are energy-dense foods; they can provide 160-200kcal per serving (30g-a handful), so the concern that high nut consumption may lead to weight gain persists. For that reason, the present study aimed at analyzing if a frequent nut intake incorporated into a normocaloric, standard diet leads to weight gain.

373,293 participants were recruited between 1992 and 2000 from 10 European countries in the frame of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Body weight was measured at the beginning of the study and after a median follow-up of 5 years, and food consumption was assessed by country-specific validated food-frequency questionnaires. Results observed that those participants who consumed more nuts (more than one serving per week) gained less weight when compared to non-consumers. On the other hand, the frequency of nut consumption was associated with a five percent lower risk of becoming overweight or obese. Participants with a normal weight who consumed more nuts (6g/day) had a five percent lower risk of becoming overweight or obese compared with non-nut consumers. At the same time, overweight individuals at baseline also had a five percent lower risk of becoming obese.

The study concluded that a higher nut consumption was associated with less weight gain after 5 years and also a lower risk of overweight or obesity. Thus, these findings support dietary recommendations to increase nut intake and include them in our diet.

“This is the largest study ever conducted, showing that nuts are a non-fattening healthy food” said Dr. Joan Sabate, Professor of Nutrition at Loma Linda University and Senior Investigator of this research.

This study was supported by the INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council.

2017 State of the Barbecue Industry

The barbecue industry will continue to see business heat up year-round, according to the 2017 consumer survey commissioned by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA). Nearly one-third of consumers (29 percent) plan to use their grill or smoker more often this year.

Summer holiday weekends continue to spark the highest usage with consumers: 73 percent of consumers grill on July 4, 60 percent on Memorial Day, 58 percent on Labor Day, and 45 percent on Father’s Day. Spring holidays are also key grilling weekends for many consumers: Mother’s Day (34 percent) and Easter (19 percent).

The survey also finds that grilling is becoming a year-round passion. Chilly temperatures don’t stop many consumers from grilling for the Super Bowl (23 percent), Thanksgiving (14 percent), Christmas or Chanukah (10 percent), and New Year’s Eve/Day (9 percent). Beyond holidays, 49 percent barbecued for birthday parties, 24 percent on a camping trip, 21 percent at a vacation home party, and 11 percent during tailgating activities for sporting events.

“Barbecuing is no longer just a pastime, but an integral part of the North American lifestyle,” said Jack Goldman, president and CEO, HPBA. “We expect consumers’ passion for flavorful food and entertaining their family and friends to continue to increase for the rest of 2017 and into 2018. The future for the barbecue industry looks bright.”

Flavor (72 percent), lifestyle (52 percent), and entertainment (40 percent) were the top reasons the study found that consumers grill. Next in line were convenience (33 percent), hobby (19 percent), flexibility (18 percent), and health (18 percent).

Ownership & Future Purchases

Highlights from the study on ownership and purchase intent trends include: 

• Seven in 10 U.S. adults own a grill or smoker, and in Canada, ownership is 8 in 10.
• More than a third (35 percent) of U.S. adults plan to purchase a new grill or smoker in 2017.
• Gas is the most popular grill type (64 percent), followed by charcoal (44 percent), then electric (9 percent).
• Wood pellet grill ownership is currently 3 percent, but 11 percent of the prospective buyers plan to purchase one in the coming year.
• Adding fireplaces and heaters to outdoor kitchens (1 in 10 consumers) is a growing trend.
• 56 percent of grills were purchased as replacements, while 29 percent were first time purchases.
• The majority of consumers (83 percent) have three or more accessories, indicating that consumers have invested in ways to customize their grilling experiences.

Flavor and Ingredient Trends

From posh fine dining restaurants to trendy food trucks to aromatic residential kitchens, flavors and ingredients originating from lands far and wide are spicing up meals in every corner of our nation.

“South American peppers, Mediterranean grains, Korean condiments, these are merely the tip of the exciting influences expanding the culinary landscape in America,” said David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts, a market research firm.

Packaged Facts recently released the latest edition in its popular Culinary Trend Tracking Series (CuTTS), Food and Beverage Flavor and Ingredient Trends.

In the report, Packaged Facts analyzes the key trends exciting the food and beverage industry. More than 20 flavors and ingredients are discussed across a series of dynamic, informative pages brimming with insights you won’t find anywhere else.

These featured flavors and ingredients include:

Aji Chiles – Growing interest in Latin food fuels the rise of this flavorful ingredient

Blood Orange – Inherent sweet and savory applications, in both food and beverages, makes the blood orange’s future very promising indeed

Buttermilk – Resurgent interest in old-fashioned down-home foods has put this useful ingredient back on the flavor radar

Chai as Flavor Profile – This spiced-milk Indian tea is beginning to make inroads in desserts and other sweets

Charring – Intentional charring is a great technique for introducing deep flavor as well as distinctive texture

Freekeh – At the intersection of healthy eating and global food trends lies this nutrient-rich ancient grain

Gochujang – This traditional thick, crimson paste from Korea is capturing the imagination of menu-makers and consumers alike

Green Goddess Dressing – This retro classic, with its creamy texture and herb-and-anchovy flavor profile, hits all the right buttons

Guajillo – As American diners become more interested in authentic regional Mexican cuisine, lesser-known chiles like the guajillo are moving into the public eye

Harissa – This spicy, garlicky chili paste is an all-purpose condiment in North Africa—and it could be the next Sriracha

Kabocha Squash – This Japanese variety of winter squash is poised to become the next “It” vegetable

Mustard Seed – Though stone-ground mustards have featured the seed for years, the spicy little beads have been showing up on their own in a variety of new ways

Nutella – The branded Italian spread is garnering ever-increasing interest, but the chocolate-hazelnut flavor profile (also known as gianduja) gives the trend a lot more room to grow beyond

Pimentón and Espelette – Though similar to the more familiar paprika, both pimentón and piment d’Espelette have broken away from spice-shelf obscurity

Ponzu – Think of ponzu as the Japanese equivalent of vinaigrette, an all-purpose dipping sauce, marinade and condiment

Preserved Lemon – This Moroccan specialty is just about ready to make the jump from restaurants to retail foods

Romesco – This traditional Catalan Spanish blend of nuts and sweet red pepper is flavorful, attractive and versatile

Salsa Verde – This flavorful sauce is versatile, healthy, widely appealing—and quite possibly the next pesto

Seaweed/Sea Vegetables – Broader interest in both sustainability and interesting new culinary ingredients has driven seaweed and sea vegetables into the public eye

Sorghum Syrup – The artisanal food movement is bringing back this iconic sweetener, which is made from the trendy-again cereal grass of the same name

Sweet and Savory Jams – These products are trending flavor-boosters that mix sweet and savory in intriguing and versatile ways

Togarashi – An exotic image belies the simplicity of this next-in-line Japanese hot-pepper condiment

Varietal Apples: Gala and Fuji – Varieties of apples beyond the usual Delicious and Granny Smiths are attracting attention, in applications both sweet and savory

Yuzu – The most popular citrus in Japan gets really interesting when it crosses Western borders to flavor vegetables, fish, desserts and cocktails.

Condiment and Sauces Trends

From ketchup to salsa to sriracha, the U.S. market for condiments and sauces is full of the familiar, the foreign, and the fantastic. Consumer demand for these products and the flavors they impart helped the market for condiments and sauces reach $24 billion in 2016. The findings were published in Condiments and Sauces: U.S. Retail Market Trends & Opportunities, a brand new report by Packaged Facts.

Market growth in 2016 marked an annual rate of more than 2 percent over the preceding five years. Comparable—if not slightly lower—sales growth is anticipated year-over-year through 2021 despite challenges to the industry due to the widespread shift toward healthier living.

“The trend toward healthy eating has created challenges for marketers of sauces and condiments, as the perception that sauces and condiments are an unnecessary and unhealthy addition to many foods has made some consumers cut back on consumption,” said David Sprinkle, research director, Packaged Facts. “As a result, sauces and condiments are increasingly marketed as organic and healthy, with new options such as low-sodium or low-sugar varieties supporting restrictive diets.”

Marketing products as certified organic or carrying “free-from” labels has become part of several trends that will help keep sauces and condiments popular with a range of influential consumers, including Baby Boomers, Millennials, Hispanics, and African Americans.

Here are Packaged Facts’ six trends to that shaped and will continue to shape the condiments and sauces market:

1. Exotic Flavor Profiles Heating Up the Market: Ongoing multicultural changes in the U.S. led to tremendous growth in the market for hot sauce from 2011 through 2016. As adventurous Millennials sought out new flavors, spicy foods and sauces became incredibly popular. Perhaps the most astounding trend during that time was the sudden rise of sriracha sauce.
2. Diverse Flavors Put a Spin on Staple Sauces and Condiments: Following the tastes of Millennials looking to try new foods and flavors, mature condiments with established recipes began to offer more twists on the classics after small startups paved the way. For instance, many mayonnaise brands now offer wasabi, chipotle, pesto, garlic, horseradish, and ginger flavors, among others. Ketchup varieties include chipotle, ghost pepper, sriracha, and sun-dried tomato, while mustard might feature garlic, bleu cheese, oregano, or, of all things, “everything bagel” flavors.
3. The Gluten-Free Effect: To follow the gluten-free trend, sauces and condiments that traditionally contained gluten increasingly became available in gluten-free varieties, such as Kikkoman Gluten-Free Soy Sauce. Additionally, naturally gluten-free foods began to be explicitly labeled as such. Some products implemented higher standards to prevent cross-contamination with gluten in order to adopt such labeling.
4. Organic, Non-GMO, and Artisanal Products Gaining Steam: Consumer fears about possible health risks of consuming artificial additives and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have driven growth for sauces and condiments labeled as “natural,” “organic,” and “non-GMO.” Food companies looking to satisfy this skeptical demographic have submitted products to certification groups such as the Non-GMO Project in record numbers.
5. Environmental Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility: As consumers show more interest in environmental sustainability and ethical business practices, companies are increasingly selling a story with their products. Websites or product labels may display information about a company’s history and how products are made to interest the consumer. This marketing tactic is often successful with Millennials, who tend to see corporate transparency as a big factor when making purchasing decisions.
6. Diet Sauces and Condiments for Healthy Eating: Lastly, this trend is simply too big to ignore or downplay. As mentioned, consumers increasingly focused on health might cut out certain sauces and condiments from their diets based on the perception that these add-ons are loaded with unnecessary sugar, salt, and preservatives. Having light food options is especially important for older consumers like Baby Boomers, who are likely to have age-related health concerns.

Meal Kit Delivery Trends

From Amazon to Walmart to Wall Street and Unilever, everyone is watching the meal kit delivery services space, which has mushroomed to $5 billion in sales, as reported in Meal Kits Delivery Services in the U.S., 2nd Edition , a new research report by Packaged Facts.

“Meal kit delivery services are a specialized sector but widely disruptive force in the food industry. This space is the most striking example of the movement toward greater convenience in getting fresh foods to the consumer,” said David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts. “And new approaches to fresh food groceries are consumers are most interested in, and what will determine the winners and losers of the current food industry re-set.”

That why, despite the recent advent of delivery meal kits, the list of players involved is a food industry who’s who, including Campbell Soup, Kroger, Martha Stewart, Peapod, Publix, Tyson, and Unilever, plus of course Amazon as the very disruptively growing gorilla in the grocery space.

That’s why Packaged Facts continues to project robust growth for delivery meal kits, the disappointing Blue Apron IPO notwithstanding. In fact, an issue that dogged the Blue Apron IPO is part of the reason for the report’s positive growth projections for the market: Amazon seems destined to jump deeper into meal kits, especially factoring in the synergy between Whole Foods shoppers and meal kit subscribers.

No single type of provider dominates the overall market for fresh food meal kits. Grocery stores are the most common source, ahead of the closely watched delivery sector for delivery fresh meal kits, led by Blue Apron (at a 17 percent share), Freshology, Green Chef, HelloFresh, and Home Bistro—the top five players in the market, according to June 2017 consumer survey data presented in the research report.

Three-quarters of U.S. adults have heard of delivery services for fresh food meal kits to cook at home, and a quarter of adults have undertaken at least a free product trial. Advertising by meal kit delivery services providers is by far the top source of information.

Although there is lane-changing (in terms of suppliers) and attrition in use of meal kit delivery services, particularly after free or heavily discounted product trials, almost all (97 percent) current fresh meal kit delivery services subscribers are using the company they originally signed up with, and nearly that percentage (90 percent) would recommend fresh meal kit delivery services to their friends. Time saving is the most desirable aspect of the service. Quality, variety, and healthfulness in meal selections are also highly valued, as are learning how to cook new things and sharing meals and experiences.

Capitalizing on consumer desire to learn to cook is one of ten key opportunities Packaged Facts identifies as ways to compete or participate in the meal kit market and do so more effectively. This is important for winning the loyalty of Millennials in particular, as they will be key to the continued success and growth of meal kits sales.

“A critic might say that meal kits are the culinary equivalent to paint-by-number, but the opposite is true,” said Sprinkle. “Meal kits and their illustrated recipes drive home the point, especially to Millennials and the rising Gen Z, that cooking is mostly about applying age-old, do-try-this-at home preparation techniques to fresh, whole foods and ingredients. That holds for learning how to cook, as well as expanding, increasing the healthfulness of, and internationalizing your home meal repertoire.”

Frozen Yogurt Trends

The “Frozen Yogurt Market in the US 2017-2021” report has been added to Research and Markets’ offering.

The analysts forecast the frozen yogurt market in the US to grow at a CAGR of 11.57 percent during the period 2017-2021.

Frozen Yogurt Market in the US 2017-2021 has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the Key vendors operating in this market.

The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is product line extensions around frozen yogurt. To tap the growing demand in the market, frozen yogurt manufacturers are coming up with new product lines and extending the existing ones.

The extension of frozen yogurt product lines will help the manufacturers to attract new consumers as well as retain the existing consumers. It will help the manufacturers to reduce the cost of production and at the same time utilize the existing expertise.

One of the major drivers for this market is emergence of frozen yogurt as a natural and healthy dessert. Consumers consume frozen yogurt as a natural refreshment, and it is gaining popularity among women, young adults, and other groups, who are looking for healthy desserts.

European Freeze-Dried Food Market Trends

The “European Freeze-dried Food Market – Growth, Trends and Forecasts (2017 – 2022)” report has been added to Research and Markets’ offering.

The primary factor driving the freeze-dried food market is the superior quality product compared to other drying technologies. The final product has an excellent shelf-life (up to 25 years) without any added preservative. The high shelf-life makes it a profitable product during its supply chain. Moreover, the products have an original shape with light-weight that makes it convenient for transportation and is appealing also.

In Europe, its application in healthy snack items is growing at a faster rate, which is another major driver for the market. Freeze-dried food can be stored for longer duration at home or on a journey and requires no time for cooking, which has grown its importance among consumers. The restraining factor for the market is the availability of other drying techniques such as spray-drying, and fluid bed drying, as they are relatively low-cost than freeze-drying. Freeze-drying equipment are comparatively costlier than other dryers, which is a major drawback for small- and medium-scale industries.

Europe holds the second highest share in the freeze-dried product market. The European region comprises of the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and others. Among all the countries in the European region, the United Kingdom is expected to contribute the highest during the forecast period. France, Spain and Germany are other European countries that have high growth potential in the freeze-dried food market.

Superfood Trends in Germany

From superfoods to supergrains, consumers around the world are facing more choice than ever when it comes to ‘super’ products and it seems that Germany is one of the world leaders in this type of food and drink innovation.

New research from global market intelligence agency Mintel shows that Germany has recently overtaken Australia and the UK, and is now the second most innovative market for ‘superfood’ launches. According to research from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), 9 percent of global food and drink launches carrying a superfood* claim occurred in Germany in the year to June 2017, up from a 6 percent share in the year to June 2016.

Germany replaced the UK as the global number two in superfood launches, with the latter’s percentage dropping from 9 percent in the year up to June 2016 to 7 percent in the following 12 months. Meanwhile Australia ranked third in the world in the year up to June 2016, with 7 percent of superfood launches, but has fallen to sixth place globally, with 5 percent of global superfood launches coming from the country in the year to June 2017. 

Demineralized Whey Powder Trends

Irrespective of its use or application, milk remains to be the most essential source of adequate nutrition, enriching consumers’ lives with fats, protein, calcium and minerals. Contrary to its ever-growing demand, milk is not uniformly available in all parts of the world. The “dairy-deficit” parts of the world are compensating to this shortfall by shifting towards alternatives, wherein demineralized whey powder among the top non-dairy products imported in such regions. According to Future Market Insights’ recent report, the global market for demineralized whey powder ingredients is growing steadily, owing to high imports of demineralized whey powder ingredients in regions with short supply of milk & dairy products. 

The report projects that the global market for demineralized whey powder ingredients, which is pegged to reach US$ 491.1 Mn value by 2017-end, will soar at a steady CAGR of 5.1 percent and bring in more than US$ 800 Mn in revenues towards the end of 2027. During this decadal forecast period, the global demand for demineralized whey powder ingredients will grow on the account of

• increasing demand for healthy alternatives for infant foods with synthetic ingredients
• rising adoption of additives in food industry
• prevalence of complications related to lactation, and
• growing need for specialty ingredients in high-performance sports drinks

Rising use of high-added value dairy products in food & beverage end-users has also propelled the consumption of demineralized whey powder ingredients. Surging demand of high-protein bakery products is also instrumenting the market’s growth, while recent developments are anticipating a promising application of demineralized whey powder ingredients as drug carriers in production of pharmaceuticals. The report also anticipates that growth of global demineralized whey powder ingredient market will be restrained due to sheer lack of awareness. Dairy product manufacturers aren’t aware about reusability of by-products in cheese production. These products can be used in production of demineralized whey powder ingredients, which can extend the manufacturing purview of dairy companies. 

Food Waste Trends

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates 38 billion tons of food went to waste in 2014.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) puts the amount of food wasted in the U.S. alone between 30 to 40 percent of the country’s food supply.

While the USDA and others are trying to find ways to cut back on food waste, some researchers say an equally important question is how to measure it.

“We don’t know how big of a problem this is,” said Scott Colby of Pennsylvania State University. “We want to find a way to put an accurate number on it.”

Food waste will be the topic of two key sessions at the AAEA 2017 Annual Meeting in Chicago July 30-August 1, 2017. In the session led by Colby, researchers are actively trying to find a way to accurately measure waste – including literally diving into dumpsters.

A session led by Travis Smith of the University of Georgia looks back at the increase of food waste in the last 25 years, and looks forward to how technology may be able to help explain why this has become a problem that has become the sixth-largest cause of greenhouse gases in landfills.

“There is uncertainty when it comes to what drives food waste,” Smith said. “Whether people are stocking up on groceries or if consumers are unclear about what that date on food packaging really means, how you collect data on food waste is crucial.”