A UK-based independent research organisation, has predicted the food and drink trends set to make an impact in 2012. The top 10 food and drink trends identified by Leatherhead Food Research are: Health and wellness  Leatherhead say that health and wellness is a trend which has had an over-arching influence on the developments of the food and beverage industry in recent years and this influence is set to continue into 2012. Key priorities for companies will include the continued efforts to meet guidelines... ...Read more »

Australian wine is making a comeback in the U.S. market, according to market intelligence released today by the Australian Government statutory authority Wine Australia. Australia is already the second largest country of origin for imported wines into the U.S., behind France. Wine Australia’s market report for September 2011 showed Australian wine sales for the A$15-19.99 segment were up 23 per cent in the US and wine sales in the A$20+ segment were up 4.6 per cent. Wine Australia’s Regional... ...Read more »

Whilst growth in the iced coffee market continues to be dominated by Asia, levels of interest elsewhere in the world appear to be growing according to figures released today by international research body, Innova Database. According to Innova, the demand for iced coffee drinks appears to be growing, not only geographically, but also beyond its original home in the foodservice sector of many countries, particularly the USA. Innova Database’s research found that Asia accounted for nearly three-quarters... ...Read more »

U.S. foodservice research and consulting firm Technomic has published a list of trends it predicts will shape the American restaurant industry in 2012. Based on its own market research, Technomic claimed the following developments will be making news in the U.S. restaurant industry in the coming year: Consumers seek a twist on the familiar: Consumers are in no mood to take risks, but novel flavours still tingle their taste buds, according to Technomic. For example, comfort foods with a twist (gourmet,... ...Read more »

Greek yogurt sales in the USA have increased by a staggering 2500 per cent in the last five years, making it one of the fastest growing products on the market. Figures from Swiss global financial services company UBS, show that Greek yoghurt brands are driving the vast majority of yogurt category growth in the USA, with sales growth exceeding 100% each year. According to UBS, in 2008 overall yoghurt category sales in the USA were dominated by traditional (non-Greek) yogurt, which represented 98%... ...Read more »

A new survey by the Good Food & Wine Show has revealed some interesting truths about Australian eaters: our most influential culinary icon is Margaret Fulton, but we wish we were Nigella or Jamie; we’re nostalgic for dishes like Beef Stroganoff and prawn cocktail; more than half of us eat take-away more than once a week (with Thai food the most popular); we claim not to like KFC or McDonalds when eating out; we eat chocolate and mashed potato for comfort food; and Cab Sav and Sav Blanc... ...Read more »

A new report for just-food by industry expert Julian Mellentin forecasts the ten key trends for food, nutrition and health in 2010. According to the report, digestive health continues to be the biggest trend. Its importance to consumers has been underscored by the impressive growth rates of digestive health brands, with sales of even premium brands increasing by 10%-20% during the recession. And yet digestive health still has huge areas of untapped potential in most countries around the world, especially... ...Read more »

As the New Year begins, talk has turned to trends for the coming year and there are some interesting on-trend food products entering the mainstream in the US that could yet make an impact in Australia. The Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and Packaged Facts, trend trackers in America for the last six years, have made five predictions of specific food product trends that will be a topic of conversation for food professionals in the year ahead. Using their 5-stage Trend Mapping technique –... ...Read more »

Sushi, gourmet burgers and superfruits have been listed among the top food trends of the last decade, according to editorial staff at the American-based Food Channel (foodchannel.com). Below are their opinions on the decade that was 2000-2009, with a perspective on top trends, top flavours and the leading news stories. Top Ten Trends Sushi Bacon Cupcakes Sliders Gourmet Burgers made with Kobe or Angus Beef Superfruits such as Acai, Pomegranate and Blueberry Oils, such as olive oils and truffle... ...Read more »

Spotting trends in food is essential to understanding what food consumers are doing now and more importantly may be doing in the future. And it appears that this year’s trends – like “cocooning” – may stick around a little longer, according to research from ‘thefoodpeople’. 2009 has been a tough year, although food has held up well compared to other sectors. Looking forward to 2010 thefoodpeople expect to see all of the main macro factors including economic,... ...Read more »