Chicken soup, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese… they may be bad for your arteries, but according to an upcoming study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, they’re good for your emotions. The study focuses on “comfort food” and how it makes people feel. “For me personally, food has always played a big role in my family,” says Jordan Troisi, a graduate student at the University of Buffalo, and lead author on the study. The study came out... ...Read more »

The recession has boosted the satisfaction rating of manufacturers that produce comfort foods such as chocolate, the American Consumer Satisfaction Index revealed today (17 November). While ketchup maker Heinz topped the list for the tenth year running with the highest level of consumer satisfaction at 89%, confectioners were among the biggest gainers. Nestle and Hershey both pushed their satisfaction levels up by 2%, rising to 85% and 87% respectively. Meanwhile, Mars gained 1%, also rising to 87%. “The... ...Read more »

In times of uncertainty the common perception is that consumers will gravitate toward familiar food favourites, but new research suggests that this may not be the case. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that stress and upheaval actually lead people to choose less-familiar foods over “comfort foods.” “Most of us can name our favourite ‘comfort foods’ and believe that we are most prone to seek them out during times of stress and upheaval,” writes... ...Read more »

As concerns about the economy grew, Australians went ‘back to the basics’ of home cooking and shopping by rediscovering classic ingredients, according to leading food commentator, Liz Dangar. “In tough economic times, cost-conscious Australian families are looking for ‘in-tertainment’, choosing to stay in and cook at home rather than eat takeaway or go out to restaurants,” Liz Dangar, founder of the Dangar Research Group, explained. “When it comes to the... ...Read more »

Retail Food Group, a leading Australian retail food brand manager and franchisor, has reported that retail trade performance for the first two months of 2009 has seen momentum continue as consumers continue to demand convenient comfort food.Year-to-date performance has seen network sales growth of almost six per cent and similar growth in average weekly sales across their four franchise systems – Donut King, Brumby’s, bb’s Café and Michel’s Patisserie. Over contribution of... ...Read more »

Australian retail food brand manager and franchisor Retail Food Group Limited (RFG) announced earlier this week that retail trade performance of its four franchise systems during December 2008 remained positive, thus consolidating “excellent 1H09 results” and indicating that Australian consumers are still willing to indulge their taste buds with comfort foods. The Donut King, Michel’s Patisserie, Brumby’s Bakeries and bb’s café franchise systems have continued to achieve... ...Read more »