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/523050
trends & happenings WHAT'S NEW WITH BBQ Barbecue sauces that are boozy, have a healthy bent, or tout regional influences are top of mind for chefs in 2015. The National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot Culinary Forecast" found 64 percent of chefs say barbecue is their favorite category, followed by Italian and fried chicken. Some manufacturers are ahead of the curve. Fremont Authentic Brands fuses regional styles with its Mississippi Barbecue Sauce, which blends flavors of Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans into one savory recipe. Bone Doctors was awarded the 2014 Scovie for its "clean" Brazen Heat BBQ Sauce. And mixing whiskey and barbecue is a no-brainer, especially with Datassential research finding bourbon appearing on 32 percent more restaurant menus than it did four years ago. On-trend products include Stonewall Kitchen's Boozy Bacon Barbecue Sauce and Gourmet du Village's Apple Bourbon Barbecue Sauce.—D.S. Foam Packaging Finally Degrades New York is officially the largest city to ban poly- styrene foam, known commonly as Styrofoam. As of July 1, foodservice operators are required to phase out the unrecyclable product and replace with sustainable cups, plates, and clam- shell containers. More than 70 cities across the country are already enforcing bans or preparing to, including Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Albany, New York. Green options, like compostable packaging and double-walled cups, are shaping up to be likely replacements. The law allows a six-month grace period before fines will be imposed.—D.S. ORGANIC LABELING STIRS CONSUMER SKEPTICISM Sales of organic products may be on the rise, but actual consumer penetration appears to have plateaued. According to a new report by Mintel, major grocery stores and mass retailers are expanding organic offerings, which should result in an uptick of organic food usage. But it's not. The study found that while both men and women buy organic products because they believe them to be healthier, they also view the organic label as an excuse to charge more. It's an opinion shared across generations. In fact, about 40 percent of shoppers under the age of 49 said they believe "organic" is purely a marketing term with no real value or defnition. To contend with this mistrust, Billy Roberts, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel, said manufacturers should establish a closer rapport with consumers. "Brands and producers could help dispel [these] notions by communicating to consumers the elevated standards they meet and the additional effort that goes into gaining organic certifcation," he explained. "Detailing those efforts to the consuming public could provide a viable reason for organics' typically higher price."—Stephanie Cain This story originally appeared in Specialty Food News. Read the full article at specialtyfood.com/news. PHOTO: BONE DOCTORS 20 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com