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.
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Top 10 Specialty Food Predictions for 2016 Specialty foods had an eventful year in 2015, and many of those big events will influence the food trends of this year. Here are the 10 predictions for what's in store next year, from the editors of Specialty Food News. 1. Vegetables Take Root: If 2015 was the year of meat—with jerky's ubiquity and the Paleo Diet gaining a mainstream following— vegetables are about to take over the spotlight. 2. Fresh Florals: Deemed a top trend at the 2015 Summer Fancy Food Show, floral flavors are making their mark by bringing perennial favorites, such as lavender and rose, into unexpected categories. (See Product Roundup, p. 83) 3. Food Waste Face-Off: Food retailers and foodservice establish- ments are ramping up efforts to address food waste through collaboration, outreach, and innovative programs. 4. Local Love: Chefs have already called it: local foods will be the top menu trend of 2016. 5. Fungi Frenzy: At the intersection of several emerging and full-blown trends—vegetables, umami, and foraging—stands the humble mushroom. And there's big money involved. 6. Snack Appeal: No longer synonymous with indulgence, snacks have reached health-food and meal status in recent years thanks to new brands providing healthier fare and more filling offerings. 7. Fat Is Back: After decades of a marketing-driven campaign for non- fat, lowfat, and diet-focused foods that claimed to help people stay trim and healthy, consumers are back on fat. 8. Convenient Shifts: Food retailers big and small, specialty and super, are testing a variety of new strategies, all in the name of gaining market share. 9. Supermarkets for Super Health: Supermarkets are going a step beyond, ramping up healthy offerings by positioning themselves as wellness centers. 10. The Latin Kitchen: Latin American cuisine is building a forceful presence on the global culinary scene. —Eva Meszaros This story originally appeared in Specialty Food News. Read the full article at specialtyfood.com/news. BOLD FLAVORS AND COMBINATIONS EMERGE IN THE NEW YEAR According to McCormick & Company's most recent "Flavor Forecast," favors that pack a lot of heat, tang, and are inspired by Southeast Asia, as well as Latin America, will be huge for 2016. In particular, the report cited Peruvian chil- ies such as rocoto, ají amarillo, and ají panca, as well as Southeast Asian sambal sauce made with chilies, rice vinegar, and garlic. Flavors inspired by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore will also be big. McCormick's predictions align with Technomic's 2015 "Flavor Consumer Trend Report," which cited consumers' heightened interest in new tastes, which is forcing producers and foodservice provid- ers to quickly convert "emerging" tastes to the mainstream. Technomic found that 52 percent of millennials and 40 percent of all consumers say they would like more restaurants to offer foods that feature a combination of favors. Consumer statistics from Mintel reconfrm Technomic's fndings. Nearly half of Americans who visit restaurants consider themselves to be "foodies." Approximately 86 percent of foodies are interested in learning more about interna- tional food, and 49 percent would like to see more international options on menus. Foodies are also three times as likely as non-foodies to be interested in seeing unique items such as kimchi and matcha on menus. As a result, Mintel notes that the appearance of Mexican cuisine on U.S. menus grew 5 percent from 2012 to 2015, led by a 22-percent growth in the addition of tacos. —D.T. (continued on p. 117) 26 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com