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Side Dish, Food and Beverage Industry Trends: Center for Culinary Development
SIDE DISH - CCD's Monthly Compilation on Food and Beverage Industry Trends
Beets

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES

May 2009

Kelp: something different from the sea…Ocean Approved, of Portland, Maine, has introduced kelp noodles, long, green strips of seaweed cut to the dimensions of linguine. It serves as both noodle and vegetable with its firmness and mild flavor similar to green beans. The kelp strips are available in two local specialty shops and Portland’s Whole Foods. (Boston Globe, 4/29)

 
  • C-stores in Japan gain market share with tech savvy, fresh food…Japanese convenience stores excel by serving a variety of fresh foods, including some fried foods, by constantly updating inventory with new items and by using technology to track customer sales and profiles to better meet consumer needs. (NRN, 3/2)
  • All Sport and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group introduce the first sports drink naturally sweetened with stevia…All Sport Naturally Zero is the first zero-calorie sports drink sweetened with rebiana, an all-natural sweetener from stevia. The drink also contains electrolytes and B vitamins. Flavors include: Dragonfruit, Strawberry Star Fruit and Mandarin Orange. (PR Newswire, 3/10)
  • Function Drinks launches two new products…Function: Light Weight, Peach Mango and Function: Alternative Energy, Strawberry Guava are the latest drinks in the line of physician-created beverages. These offerings are new flavors in popular platforms. (PR Newswire, 3/18)
  • FreshDirect expands Tabla line of 4-Minute Meals…The online gourmet food purveyor and delivery service added three new entrée choices to its line of 4-Minute Meals descended from Tabla Indian restaurants in New York City. They include: Masala-Spiced Macaroni with Creamy Spinach & Paneer, Vegetable Curry with Pistachio Brown Rice and Chicken Coconut Curry with Basmati Rice. (Reuters, 3/19)
  • Cream of Wheat unveils Healthy Grain Instant Hot Cereal…The two varieties of the new cereal, Original and Maple Brown Sugar, are made from 100% whole grain and are an excellent source of fiber, calcium, vitamin D, iron and folic acid. (Trading Markets.com, 3/23)
  • Food News: Amazing Grain…CCD has been following chia seeds for years (think Chia Pet), waiting for its high omega 3 and protein benefits to catch on. Family Circle mentioned it and featured the Balance PURE Berry Berry Chia Fruit & Nut Energy Bar. We are also fans of Dr. Weil’s Chia Razz Bar made with Nature’s Path Organic. (Family Circle, March 09)
  • New Fisher products make creative cooking and baking a snap…Fisher Nuts has introduced Culinary Touch Cooking and Baking Add-Ins and Toppings, a line of flavorful recipe enhancers to be added to batter, cookie dough, pastries, breads, muffins, pies, salads, pastas, stir-fries, veggie side dishes and more. They include: Pecan-Cranberry-Orange Blend, Frosted Walnuts, Toasted Pine Nuts, Walnut-Apple-Blueberry Blend and Toasted Cashews. (Business Wire, 4/29)
  • Heathrow Natural Food & Beverage, Inc. begins production of superfood gum…Heathrow Natural Super Food Gum, Açai Plus will be a fitness gum with açai, mangosteen and pomegranate in a sugarless mint flavor base. (Marketwire, 4/27)
  • Kashi introduces unique flavor combinations to its current all-natural frozen pizza family…The two new varieties are: Mexicali Black Bean with a whole grain crust topped with spicy black bean and tomato sauce and layered with fire-roasted corn, tomatillos, poblano peppers and red peppers; and Sicilian Veggie, Kashi’s first vegan (cheese-less) variety, with caramelized onions, grilled eggplant, fire-roasted red peppers and kale on a balsamic-infused white bean tomato sauce. (PR Newswire, 4/28)
Morocan Tangine

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY HEADLINES

May 2009

In Italy, a vending machine even makes the pizza…A vending machine that not only cooks but also makes fresh dough and sauce into a pizza is in development, joining a host of other vending machines in Europe that serve cold and hot items 24/7. Italy leads the vending market with primarily espresso machines but now even fresh produce is available. (New York Times, 3/14)


  • Commercialization News: Brought to you by Jan Matsuno, CCD Director of Commercialization: The BPA debate heats up…Despite reassurances from the plastics industry and FDA that BPA (bisphenol-A) in food packaging is safe, consumer concern continues to grow. Suffolk County on Long Island, NY recently approved legislation banning the use of BPA in empty beverage containers for children under the age of three. And U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Representative Edward Markey (D-Mass.), and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) recently introduced what they call the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2009. It seeks a federal ban on BPA in all food and beverage containers. Reflecting this growing consumer uncertainty, Eden Organic prominently promotes its new line of bean products as being in “Bisphenol-free cans.” Are consumers concerned about the safety of your products’ packaging?
  • Organic milk boom in Maine going bust…Too much supply and too little demand in a recession have caught up with the fast-growing organic milk industry, dealing a harsh blow to Maine producers. Eight Maine organic dairy famers have lost their contracts with HP Hood while remaining dairies were asked to cut their production by 15%. (Bangor Daily News, 3/1)
  • Food magazines begin to consider cooks’ budgets…Upscale food magazines are turning to a new topic: cheap home eating. Taking advantage of readers’ growing interest in cooking in lieu of restaurant dining, Bon Appétit, Gourmet and Food & Wine have all covered low-cost foods, wines and entertaining. (New York Times, 3/2)
  • Rising opportunity for fruit and veg “hide and seek”…As we profiled in our Kids Food Culinary Trend Mapping® Report, the practice of “hidden nutrition” or hiding healthful fruits and vegetables into food for kids is a growing trend for food manufacturers, according to Mintel.  Hidden nutrition can be found in new pasta sauces, juices and crackers.  (Food Navigator-USA, 2/9) 
  • Cargill rolls out heart-healthy fiber product…Cargill is rolling out a cholesterol-cutting ingredient made from whole-grain barley that can hide in foods and beverages without adding unpleasant texture, taste or bulk. Barliv barley beta fiber makes its debut in Bolthouse Farms pear-merlot juice blend. Barley is a source of beta-glucan soluble fiber, the same as in oatmeal. (Yahoo Finance, 3/16)
  • Could sugar shake off its bad boy image?...Manufacturers look to appeal to more health-conscious consumers by replacing high fructose corn syrup in several major-brand soft drinks with old-fashioned sugar. Pepsi is rolling out Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback for a limited time and introducing Pepsi Natural, made with natural sugar and in a glass bottle. (Food Navigator-USA.com, 3/16)
  • Sales of cookbooks, magazines heat up as consumers simmer over finances in recession…Consumers swap dining out with cooking lessons, cookbooks and more grocery shopping to battle the recession. Shows like “Top Chef” have also spurred interest in cooking at home but in style. (Yahoo Finance, 3/31)
  • Kraft Foods Global thinks outside the box with bioactive ingredients…Kraft has hired a pharmaceutical company to help it develop functional foods. Medisyn Technologies, Inc. is collaborating to find bioactive ingredients for food use. (Food Processing, March)
  • The color purple: Disease fighter…Hue-trition? alert: A growing array of heirloom and specialty vegetables are now available in a distinctive purple hue – purple potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, beans, corn, asparagus, peppers, baby artichokes and cauliflower. The pigments, anthocyanins, are a phytonutrient hailed for its potential disease-fighting benefits. The pigments, anthocyanins, are phytonutrients hailed for their potential disease-fighting benefits. (Chicago Tribune, 4/1)
  • Restaurateurs step up retail push as at-home dining increases…More restaurant operators are stocking grocery shelves with retail brands, a strategy to encourage ancillary revenue while restaurant traffic is stalling. Newcomers include Tony Roma’s with frozen heat-and-serve Pulled Pork, Rib Bites and more; Starbucks with a new line of ice creams such as Caramel Macchiato; and Jamba Juice, with a second attempt at retail products such as fruit tea, yogurt and parfaits. (NRN, 4/13)
  • Eyeing diners, restaurants take to Twitter…Major food manufacturers and restaurants are turning to Twitter to communicate with consumers. Starbucks, Whole Foods, and L.A. restaurants like Hatfield’s, Tender Greens and Rush Street all have followings. (UK Reuters, 4/19)