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/165618
food trends MAPLE TREE ADOPTIONS GROW IN VERMONT Tonewood Maple, a Vermont-based artisanal maple purveyor, has created award-winning products, like its Maple Wafers, a 2013 sofiTM Awards Finalist for Outstanding Confection. But the company has created a new program that could change some of the economics of sugaring in Vermont. Tonewood's trademarked maple tree adoption program functions like a gourmet CSA, wherein the adopter receives three packages over the course of a year from the bounty of the adopted tree. The program is a collaboration between Tonewood and artisanal maple producers in Vermont's Mad River Valley. It provides financial support to family-owned Vermont sugarbushes and funding for climate change research efforts at the University of Vermont's Proctor Maple Research Center. Pea Protein Power Alternative protein sources, like pea protein, are pumping up the industry's favorite healthy products, claiming numerous advantages over other protein sources. These characteristics include a nutty favor and high protein count as well as being rich in lysine and amino acids. Manufacturers are picking up on its strength, like Wholesome Cravings, which switched from whey to pea protein in its gluten-free, dairyfree baking mixes. Aside from maintaining a high-protein profle and the texture of a homemade muffn, "favors became more pronounced," says co-owner Monica Marshall. "We didn't need to add stronger spices to cover the protein favor from whey." TRENDS IN BEVERAGE FLAVORS While superfruits continue to dominate beverage flavors, according to Innova Market Insights, herbs, spices, honey and other healthful ingredients are driving sales too. Pomegranate remains dominant, followed by acai and lychee, but up-andcomers to watch for include soursop, cactus pear (or prickly pear) and marula, a stone fruit. Hot and spicy profiles are picking up, too, with items like Botanical Beverages Wild Poppy Juice Co.'s Blood Orange Chili Juice. The Spoon Matters Believe it or not, a spoon can change how yogurt tastes. According to an Oxford University study, the taste is different depending on the spoon used, with lightweight plastic utensils seeming to serve up a creamier and more expensive-tasting yogurt compared with tasting from a heavier plastic spoon. Denise Shoukas is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. 18 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com