Specialty Food Magazine

WINTER 2018

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

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trend watch 2. Upcycled products. As consumers become more aware of how much food is wasted in the U.S.—upwards of 30 to 40 percent of the country's food supply—upcycled products made of ingredients and scraps that would have otherwise been discarded, will hold big- ger appeal. We're already seeing pressed juice made from imperfect fruit, chips made from fruit pulp, and snack bars made from spent grain from the beermaking process. Expect more to hit the market in the coming year, says Nieves. 3. Filipino cuisine. The foods of the Philippines have not yet captured a broad U.S. audience the way Thai and Vietnamese have previously. That's shifting, maybe prompted by a recent embrace of Korean food. American palates have become more sophisticated and attuned to the complex flavors and bitter or sour notes of Filipino dishes. Chefs and tastemakers are tak- ing to this cuisine that infuses Asian and Latin flavors, and #filipinofoodmovement, founded in 2012 to create awareness and appreciation of Filipino culinary arts, is a growing force, notes Vasquez. 4. Alt-sweet. With sugar topping the list of dietary watch-outs, consumers continue to look to alternative sweeteners for lower glyce- mic impact, fewer added-sugar calories, and intriguing sweet flavors as well as sustainable footprints. Syrups made from dates, sorghum, and even yacon and sun root will join monk fruit on the market as emerging options for sweet, says Nielsen. 5. Goth food. Possibly a reaction to 2017's deluge of rainbow and unicorn foods, black is the new black. Activated charcoal—produced by heating coconut shells to extremely high temperatures until they are carbonized—is gaining superfood status for its reported detoxi- fying attributes and is being used as a surprising twist in everything from pizza crust to lemonade to ice cream. We'll see it spread in the coming year. "The goth spin on common food will make an appear- ance in 2018 without a doubt," says Nieves. 6. Product labeling 2.0. More is more when it comes to prod- uct labeling. Consumers will be seeking greater on-label visibility into the farms, ingredient sources, and supply chain of their foods. GMO transparency is among the most prioritized details, but shop- pers want new depths of information across the spectrum, including Fair Trade certification, responsible production, and no animal test- ing, says Truesdell. Sourcing has become the buzzword for the next generation of food adventurers and retailers, agrees Blanchette. 7. Root to stem. Between nose-to-tail butchery and reducing food waste, a few forces are combining to inspire root-to-stem cook- ing—utilizing the entire fruit or vegetable, including things like stems or leaves that are less commonly eaten. Foodservice recipes like pickled watermelon rinds, beet-green pesto, or broccoli-stem slaw are intro- ducing consumers to new flavors and textures from old favorites, says Truesdell, and produce "butchers" are a growing fixture at retail. Expect to see new product development among packaged foods too. 8. Cannabis cuisine. As more states legalize recreational mari- juana, the varieties of pot-enhanced foods and beverages will increase. Look out for continued interest and acceptance in a host of snacks, treats, and beverages with a little something extra, says Nielsen. 9. A (deeper) feast from the Middle East. Foods like hum- mus, pita, and falafel were easy entry points, but now consumers are ready to explore the deep traditions, regional differences, and classic ingredients of Middle Eastern cultures, with Persian, Israeli, Moroccan, Syrian, and Lebanese influences rising to the top, says Truesdell. Spices like harissa, cardamom, and za'atar are showing up on mainstream menus, as well as dishes like shakshuka and grilled haloumi. Ethnic exploration is a rallying cry for more flavor, more spice, more food experience, says Blanchette. 10. The rise of traditional bread. "Although we've seen the explosion of gluten-free in the last few years, the traditional side of bakery has also been elevated by the same sourcing and fine-tuned production processes we see with proteins and vegetables," says Blanchette. Bakers are using local grains, milling the day before baking, and incorporating longer proofing times, re-inventing what good bread means. "Bread has become all or nothing," adds Deutsch. "either high-end and artisan or low-carb and high-protein." Find products related to these trends from SFA members in the Product Marketplace on specialtyfood.com BONUS … The Trendspotter Panel says we'll be seeing even more: • Cricket flour and non-grain sustainable proteins • Fermented foods • Cocktail mixers and bitters for home use • Savory flavors where one would expect sweet • Pasture-raised animals for welfare, better health, and taste • Bananas transformed into milks, snacks, frozen desserts, flours, and baking mixes EMERGING TRENDS ON THE RADAR ... Eating for beauty with products like collagen-infused foods; moringa as the new superfood; mushrooms (extracts, powdered, or whole) as a functional ingredient in everything from chocolate to lattes. Denise Purcell is the editor of Specialty Food Magazine. 78 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com

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