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Welcome to the July Edition of Important Trends 2010, “The greatest discovery you’ll ever make is the potential of your own mind.” ~Jose Silva
This issue includes trends in: consumer perception of wellness foods, health benefits of green, leafy vegetables, foods that help lower cholesterol, consumer behavior food expenses, snack trends, and soy sauce variations, as well as a look at ADS’ Recipe of the Month, provided by Chef Virginia Willis. ‘Wellness’ Goes Mainstream According to Adweek, today the term "wellness" is very much a mainstream preoccupation, and one that's viewed more broadly as a marker for quality of life. A recent report released by The Hartman Group, a consultancy/research firm that has made a specialty of analyzing Americans attitudes and behaviors in this area, takes a detailed look at what wellness now means to consumers and how this affects their engagement with products and services, especially foods. In The Hartman Group’s recent polling, when consumers were asked about how they define wellness, 67 percent of respondents included "not being ill." Just as many cited "being able to deal with stress." And even more included "being physically fit" (73 percent) and "feeling good about myself" (74 percent) in their definition of wellness. The article asks if consumers define wellness more broadly and if it makes the concept too vague to be a useful sales point for marketers of wellness-related products and services. And does this make it more difficult for brands that are seriously focused on wellness to distinguish themselves from those that have merely latched onto some of the rhetoric of wellness? "While the notion of quality of life is very broad, consumers still look to markers of quality on a category-by-category basis, as they determine whether or not the product or service is authentic and can play a role in their wellness toolkit," responds Shelley Balanko, The Hartman Group. "Consumers are becoming more attuned to authenticity cues to discern the 'real' from the 'fake.' Authenticity is communicated through compelling product/company narratives with products containing whole, real and clean ingredients created by knowledgeable people who genuinely care." 'Fresh, Real and Clean Food’
The April survey asked respondents to say how they would describe themselves based on a number of statements about shopping for food and beverages.
According to the article, while organic is still a quality cue, other cues have emerged as indicators of high-quality experiences/products. To be ahead of the curve, marketers need to communicate around the trend-leading quality cues, real and clean. Preventing vs. Treating Findings:
The report says "interest in Vitamin D has exploded" this year. According to the article, it's a reflection of what can happen when consumers hear about something "from multiple sources" -- a phenomenon that can transform mild interest into specific action. Vitamin D has been a focus in mainstream media in the past year. People have been hearing about it on Oprah, or at the supermarket checkout, or from a friend or colleague. The survey shows that 60 percent of respondents said they're adding more Vitamin D to their diets. Degrees Of Intensity Green Leafy Vegetables Cut Diabetes Risk: Study In a recent article on Reuters Health, scientists say eating more green leafy vegetables can significantly cut the risk of developing diabetes. According to the article, British researchers who reviewed six earlier studies on links between diabetes and the consumption of fruits and vegetables found that eating an extra serving a day of vegetables like spinach, cabbage, and broccoli reduced adults' risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 14 percent. The article indicates the findings don't prove that the veggies themselves prevent diabetes. People who eat more green leafy vegetables may also have a healthier diet overall, exercise more, or may be better off financially than people who don't load up on greens. Any of those factors could affect how likely they are to get diabetes. Patrice Carter of the diabetes research unit at Leicester University, the study's lead author states the data suggest that green leafy vegetables are key. The review, recently published in the British Medical Journal, looked at six studies, which covered more than 200,000 people between 30 and 74 years old, in the United States, China and Finland. "Fruit and vegetables are all good, but the data significantly show that green leafy vegetables are particularly interesting, so further investigation is warranted," Carter said. “Green leafy vegetables contain antioxidants, magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids -- all of which have been shown to have health benefits.” Each of the studies that Carter and her colleagues analyzed followed a group of adults over periods of 4 ½ to 23 years, recording how many servings of fruits and vegetables each participant ate on a daily basis then examining who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. According to the article, the researchers found no significant difference in diabetes risk with higher intake of vegetables in general, fruits in general, or combinations of vegetables and fruits. Green leafy vegetables stood out, however, with an increase of 1.15 servings a day producing a 14 percent decrease in an individual's risk of developing diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by the body's inability to adequately use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, to regulate levels of glucose produced from food. Uncontrolled, the sugar levels rise and can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and major arteries. The chronic condition is often linked to poor diet and lack of exercise and is reaching epidemic levels as rates of obesity rise. An estimated 180 million people worldwide have diabetes. Although there is no cure for diabetes, people with the condition can minimize their chances of getting sicker by being more active and losing weight. Some people with diabetes need medications to control their blood sugar and insulin levels -- for others, it's enough to keep a close watch on their diet. World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables could have accounted for 2.6 million deaths worldwide in the year 2000. Separate research found that in 2002, 86 percent of adults in Britain ate fewer than the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, with 62 percent consuming fewer than three portions. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found similar patterns among Americans. In 2005, just 33 percent of U.S. adults said they ate at least two servings of fruit a day, and 27 percent reported eating three or more vegetable servings daily. To read more about the study, click here. Americans Still Turning to Generic Brands, Brown-Bagging to Save Money
According to a Progressive Grocer article, almost two-thirds of U.S. adults say they are purchasing more generic brands to save money. This is slightly up from February when 63 percent said they were doing this. Almost half of Americans (48 percent) say they are brown-bagging lunch, also slightly up from February when 45 percent said they were doing this. Two in five U.S. adults each say they have switched to refillable water bottles instead of purchasing bottles of water (39 percent) and are going to the hairdresser less often (38 percent). In February, one-third of Americans (34 percent) had switched to refillable water bottles to save money. Also, one-quarter (24 percent) have cut down on dry cleaning. In addition to brown-bagging it, one in five Americans (22 percent) have stopped purchasing coffee in the morning. To read more about the study, click here. Top 10 Snack Trends Revealed A Convenience Store News article states The Food Channel released its top 10 snack trends report, prepared in conjunction with CultureWaves, Mintel International and the International Food Futurists. New varieties and flavors are giving consumers something different. It's likely to find hummus and falafel chips or pretzel crisps at the next party instead of the traditional chip-and-dip duo. Consumers are eating more substantial snacks packed with protein as meal replacements, and eating them more often. For pick-me-ups, people may grab a slider at Steak 'n Shake, or a Big Mac Wrap at McDonald's. Come dinnertime, they may graze some more, but by today's definition, snacks may be all they need. This trend is all about the "halo of health" around drinks made with fruit or antioxidants. There is a shift in snack beverages away from colas and energy drinks and more toward teas, lemonades, fruity organic waters and carbonated fruit drinks with interesting flavor combinations. Snacking habits are adjusting to the talk about how good nuts are for health, with nuts and granola, nuts and fruits and smoked nuts growing more popular. Unique flavor combinations give consumers the feeling they are eating healthy: for example, cashews with pomegranate and vanilla, or dark chocolate with caramelized black walnuts. The trend here is the mainstreaming of new types of fruit, and the redefinition of locally grown to mean locally sourced. Fresh fruit is now the No. 1 snack among kids aged two to 17. While it's become mainstream that a granola bar is an acceptable emergency meal, bars are now offered in dairy-free, gluten-free, organic, soy-free, cholesterol-free, trans-fat-free and more varieties. There are even versions specifically formulated for women and children. Until recent years, the only way sweet and salty snacks mixed was when people ate something sweet and then craved something salty, or vice-versa. That barrier is now removed, with consumers dipping pretzels in Nutella and eating fruit with a side of popcorn. The new gold standard for yogurt is the increased health value found with probiotics. Acknowledging the trend toward global flavors, there is Greek yogurt, among the healthiest snacks one can eat. Icelandic yogurt is starting to emerge as yet another world player and new self-serve frozen yogurt shops are popping up everywhere too. Although not new, yogurt continues to redefine itself and is definitely trending up. Bold flavors are almost becoming regular, satisfying an urge for something unordinary. One example is Doritos First-, Second- and Third-Degree Burn. Any decent tribute to snacking has to mention the traditional Snack Cake, which includes the Hostess Twinkie, the Ding Dong, the TastyKake and the Little Debbie. Anything that's lasted this long deserves a mention in the snacking hall of fame. To read more, click here. Soy Sauce: Traditional and On-Trend Soy sauce, that staple of Chinese take-out and wok cooking, is known to many as simply a salt in liquid form, something that adds flavor to many dishes. Soy sauce is so much more, however, and not all soy sauces are created equal. Prepared Foods states that originating in China over 2,500 years ago, soy sauce comes in a wide range of colors and flavors, from reddish-brown, which is usually more delicate and floral, to dark brown, with a more pungent, stronger flavor. Its uses range from a dipping sauce to stir-fry cooking to glazes for meat, fish and poultry. Soy sauce is a fermented liquid made from soybeans (the strong, pungent flavor) and wheat, which adds sweetness. Japanese soy sauce tends to be made with more wheat, thus is considered sweeter and lighter in flavor than its Chinese counterpart. Chinese soy sauce has been described as having an “earthier” flavor, probably due to its lower proportion of wheat. The traditional Chinese fermentation process also uses natural sunlight, whereas the Japanese-style is typically fermented indoors. Chinese soy sauce tends to hold more flavor during heating, imparting the end dish with a richer flavor. According to the article, traditional soy sauces are made by mixing soybeans and grains with cultures, such as Aspergillus oryzae and other related microorganisms and/or yeast. The basic taste, and indeed for what soy sauce is best known, is its distinct umami flavor. The free glutamates that occur naturally in soy sauce give it this quality, which goes with so many recipes. Soy sauces are often employed strategically in traditional Chinese cooking, to add both flavor and color to dishes. There are two main varieties of Chinese soy sauce. Light (or fresh) soy sauce is a thin, viscous sauce that is light brown in color. It is the main sauce used for seasoning, since it is saltier, lighter in color and adds a distinct flavor. Light soy sauce is made from the first pressing of the soybeans (tóuchŌu). Like extra virgin olive oil, tóuchŌu is sold at a premium, because the flavor is considered superior. Dark (or old) soy sauce is, as expected, dark in color and thicker than the light version. It is aged longer and usually has added molasses, which contributes to its consistency and appearance. Because of its darker color, it is sometimes used after cooking to impart color to a dish, but its main use is during the cooking process, since its flavor develops during heating. With the current interest in salt reduction, much interest has been focused on umami flavors as excellent salt replacers. To read more, click here.
You too can show off your company’s culinary genius and products! Contact Traci Strom to submit your recipe of the month. |
ADS Recipe of the Month –Grilled Chicken with BBQ Sauce
