06/12/2009
That’s the conclusion of new market research from marketing firm Ipsos. The company reports that far more consumers are interested in fresh ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging than improving the taste of food. (The data say 26% of North American consumers want food companies to concentrate most on “providing fresh ingredients” and 21% want them to focus on “making the packaging more ...
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06/03/2009
Mintel is reporting that the numbers for the once-popular 100-calorie snack packs are tanking along with the economy. That’s not a big shock to someone who still stuffs nibbles into plastic bags for the kids’ lunches or snacktime. (Let’s see: a buck for 50 bags, 10 or 15 servings per $2 bag, vs. 8 servings prepackaged for $4…hmmm.)
I’m not sure how many of the 190 products introduced ...
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05/21/2009
A popular t-shirt slogan claims: “Labels are for cans, not people.” I’m beginning to have my doubts about that can part. It doesn’t look like people are getting this whole food-labeling thing. The current U.S. label scheme has been in effect nearly 20 years—the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA), implemented standards for nutrition labeling for most foods, except meat and poultry, ...
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05/19/2009
The recession is taking a bite out of the foodservice industry with consumers shifting their dollars to eating at home―or at least shifting to cheaper items and skipping the extras. Chef Charlie Baggs of Charlie Baggs Inc. offers some advice on how to build the business back up.
-Lynn A. Kuntz
Casual dining vs. eating at home clash
What will get the consumer ...
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05/14/2009
Hank Cardello, a food industry marketing pro had an epiphany after a serious illness that led him to write a new industry manifesto called "Stuffed: An Insider's Look at Who's (Really) Making America Fat," where he proposes the food industry has the tools to fix the country's poor nutritional habits. He outlines several intriguing solutions and has graciously agreed to share some of his thoughts ...
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04/24/2009
Spam and canned Dinty Moore stew are hot sellers in the sputtering economy according to a recent article in the Washington Post. The Post attributes this to the rise of value shoppers and quotes John Greening, an advertising industry veteran and associate professor at NorthwesternUniversity as saying “People are willing to settle for value-oriented products. It doesn't have to be the best; it ...
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04/21/2009
Food science is a funny thing. On one level, it can be a kind of common sense, practical, user-friendly discipline. After all it’s only food, and everyone that masters elementary cooking practices “kitchen chemistry.” However, the underlying scientific principles can be quite complex.Last week I ran across a past article from Main Line Today spotlighting Bruce Tharp, ice cream expert ...
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