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.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1119718
Munchie Madness Snack manufacturers may have a new marketing angle: Research has found a link between state recreational marijuana legalization and increased consumption of certain high-calorie foods, a.k.a., snacks used to satiate "the munchies." The study showed that legalizing recreational mari- juana led to a 3.1 percent increase in ice cream pur- chases, a 4.1 percent increase in cookie purchases, and a 5.3 percent increase in chip purchases immediately after recreational marijuana sales began in states like Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. UConn economist Michele Baggio began the research interested in the link between marijuana legalization and obesity, and notes, "Existing literature shows that the legalization of medical marijuana had not a significant effect on body weight because while there may be an increase in the consumption of high caloric food, people are also experiencing a reduction of pain and exercise more. The story may be different for recreational marijuana." In the months following legalization, ice cream and chip purchases have reduced slightly but cookie pur- chases remain high. Cracking Up Egg Production Hundreds of U.S. companies have pledged to sell only cage-free eggs by 2025. This herculean task requires creating larger housing, scratch areas, perches, and nests for more than 300 million egg-laying hens. An estimated 17 percent of eggs are now cage-free, including organics, says the Egg Industry Center at Iowa State University. But some states are speeding up the conversion, like California, where Proposition 12 will establish more humane housing requirements for all eggs, pork, and veal sold in the state by 2022—with all eggs coming from cage-free hens. 18 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com trends & happenings