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/623506
trends & happenings Denise Shoukas is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine; Eva Meszaros is a regular contributor to Specialty Food News; Deanna Ting is managing editor of Specialty Food Magazine. Top 10 Specialty Food News & Trends of 2015 It's been a rough year for some beloved brands, yet it's also been a year of milestones. Here's a look at 2015's biggest events—the good, the bad, and the ugly—whose effects are sure to resonate well beyond the New Year. 1. Up the Creek: Hampton Creek had a roller coaster of a year, begin- ning with a positive upswing after Unilever dropped its lawsuit against the Just Mayo maker. 2. Jeni's on Ice: In April, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams came to face to face with every foodmaker's nightmare: a listeria contamination. 3. A Wholly Rough Year: From financial struggles to controversial campaigns, Whole Foods Market had its struggles in 2015. 4. In Memoriam: The specialty food world lost some revolutionary industry inspirations—importing pioneers and culinary leaders in spices and tea among them. 5. End of an Era: After years of financial issues, supermarket operator The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, filed for bankruptcy. 6. Bugging Out: The shock and awe of bugs as food have gradually dissipated as Westerners warm up to the idea of the sustainable, alternative protein and open the door for new products. 7. Food-Safety Reform Steps Forward: It's been a long and tenuous journey for the specialty food industry as it awaited final rules and implementation plans of the Food Safety Modernization Act. (Read more on p. 110) 8. Abandoned Tip: Restaurants are rethinking tipping policies and wages. 9. The Golden Years: Two specialty food icons—Murray's Cheese and Bi-Rite —reached a milestone of 75 years in business this year. 10. Acquisitions Aplenty: Specialty foods have become a force to be reckoned with or, in many cases, scooped up. —E.M. This story originally appeared in Specialty Food News. Read the full article at specialtyfood.com/news. THE NEXT BIG HEALTH FOOD TRENDS? Scotland and Africa may possess the crops of the next big health food trends. In Scotland, corn gromwell, also known as feld gromwell, is being grown as a crop because of its high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Fish is the most common source of these nutrients, but corn gromwell has even higher levels in its seeds. In Africa, moringa, leaves from an African plant with seven times the vitamin C as oranges, twice the protein of yogurt, and three times the calcium of milk, are being looked at as a potential new superfood. Founder of startup company Kuli Kuli, Lisa Curtis, discovered the plant while in Africa volunteering for the Peace Corps and realized it might become popu- lar in the U.S.—D.T. What's "Clean Eating?" Innova Market Insights believes that "clean eating" will be the over- arching food trend of 2016, pro- pelling organic growth for clear labeling, with a focus on simpler products with fewer artificial addi- tives. Additionally, it predicts more consumers will demand gluten- free, dairy-free, and whey-free food items, and that there will be an emergence of "flexitarians"—part- time vegetarians who are seeking out meat and protein alternatives as well as more innovative ways to consume vegetables. —D.T. (continued from p. 26) WINTER 2016 117