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Side Dish, Food and Beverage Industry Trends: Center for Culinary Development
SIDE DISH - CCD's Monthly Compilation on Food and Beverage Industry Trends
Beets

NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES

March 2009

Aging gracefully…Since 2005, La Quercia (“oak” in Italian) has been selling Italian-style prosciutto in the U.S. from its Des Moines factory. The company is owned by an American couple passionate about traditional prosciutto making and decided to try their hand at producing the revered aged ham in Iowa. Now the product line includes other cured meat products like lardo, pancetta, speck, coppa and guanciale and is available at Whole Foods. (New York Times, 2/1)

 
  • 7UP gives consumers a new reason to fall in love – New Cherry 7UP Antioxidant…The pink-hued beverage combines the flavor of 7UP with a hint of cherry and the bonus of antioxidant Vitamin E. (PR Newswire, 2/2)
  • With peak flavor, low price, Smart gets its “grove” on…Two-year old Smart Juice makes high quality, low cost organic juices in unique healthful flavors like Purple Carrot, Pomegranate-Tart Cherry and Fig & Quince. To save costs and produce a high quality juice, the company sources its organic fruit from overseas and avoids cheap filler fruits or concentrates. (Brandweek, 2/2)
  • Flavor and function are a hot match in 2009, in a cool place…Yoplait combines probiotics with the trendy Amazonian açaí flavor in new Yoplait Yo-Pus Blueberry Açaí Yogurt with Live and Active Probiotic Cultures. The yogurt also has three grams of fiber. (PR Newswire, 2/3) 
  • Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss goes nationwide…Select Whole Foods will carry the non-dairy coconut milk ice cream, extending the reach of this frozen dessert alternative. Coconut Bliss is USDA-certified organic and sweetened with low-glycemic agave syrup; flavors include Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge, Mint Galactica, Naked Coconut and Vanilla Island. (TradingMarkets.com, 2/3) 
  • Regeneration USA develops first organic, 100% antioxidant, 100% vegetarian, 100% anti-aging functional whole food bars to hit the consumer market…The Original and Cocoa bars feature nutrients that combat aging with anti-inflammatory Vitamin C-Ester and Omega 3,6, and 9s. The bars also contain all-natural antioxidant nutrients from goji berries, cacao nibs, mulberries, walnuts, blueberries, mangosteen and pomegranate. (Yahoo Finance News, 2/4)
  • Probiotic drink Yakult and Safeway sign new West Coast deal…Yakult, the Japanese probiotic shot selling over 25 million bottles internationally a day, will now be available in 200 Safeway grocery stores in Northern California. Each bottle contains around eight billion live and active probiotics. The drink was originally produced by a Japanese microbiologist in 1935; it debuted in the U.S. in September 2007. (PR Newswire, 2/6)
  • Safeway launches private-label seafood line…Waterfront Bistro is the new frozen seafood line that includes shrimp, tilapia and halibut. The line comes as more retailers are showing interest in private-label frozen seafood. (Supermarket News, 2/10)
Morocan Tangine

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY HEADLINES

March 2009

America’s forgotten fruit…The U.S. native pawpaw fruit may be ready for a come-back thanks to the local food movement. Since it doesn’t ship well, it needs to be consumed near its source, primarily in the Midwest. The fruit’s taste is often described in terms of custard, mango, banana, vanilla and even pineapple. Ohio recently declared the pawpaw its state fruit. (Christian Science Monitor, 2/4)


  • Spinach and peanuts, with a dash of radiation…In light of recent food security scares in peanut butter and spinach, the notion of using irradiation to kill pathogens in foods resurfaces. Spinach and iceberg lettuce have already been approved but a host of cost and consumer issues have so far prevented wide spread use of the process. (New York Times, 2/2)
  • To boost sales, area eateries turning to games…Some Dallas restaurants are fighting lower sales with creative promotions to lure and entertain customers, including game night. Tillman’s Roadhouse and the Belmont Hotel offer traditional board games along with a finger-foods menu. (Dallas News, 2/7)
  • The healing power of coconut water…According to some, drinking coconut water is a superior way to hydrate the body as it has no fat or cholesterol and is packed with potassium and calcium. Many swear by its post-workout powers. (Los Angeles Examiner, 2/8)
  • Rising opportunity for fruit and veg “hide and seek”…As we profiled in our Kids Food Culinary Trend Mapping® Report, the practice of “hidden nutrition” or hiding healthful fruits and vegetables into food for kids is a growing trend for food manufacturers, according to Mintel.  Hidden nutrition can be found in new pasta sauces, juices and crackers.  (Food Navigator-USA, 2/9) 
  • General Mills announced commitment to make Yoplait yogurt products 100% free of milk from cows treated with rBST by August 2009…Consumer preference for milk products without synthetic hormone rBST has caused General Mills to commit to using rBST-free milk for its  yogurt. While the FDA, USDA and NIH consider milk from cows treated with the hormone to be safe, many consumers prefer to avoid it. (Web Wire, 2/10)
  • Kogi Korean BBQ, a taco truck brought to you by Twitter…The latest Southland culinary phenomenon is the taco truck that serves Korean-Mexican food. Young followers find out about the truck’s roving location via Twitter messages; lines can be hours long. (Los Angeles Times, 2/11)
  • Evolving recipes raise calorie counts…It’s not just restaurants that have supersized the American diet, but cookbooks as well. A recent study examining 70 years of Joy of Cooking editions found that “portion distortion” in recipes has increased calories per serving by 40%, or about 77 calories per serving.  (Wall Street Journal, 2/16)
  • Going Green: Chains growing green efforts despite economy… Arby’s, Carl’s Jr., Chipotle Mexican Grill and Subway are moving forward with plans to turn their operations greener despite the economic downturn. Initiatives include LEED certified restaurants, using Energy Star appliances and converting fryer oil into bio-fuel. (NRN, 2/18)
  • Multinationals adding more fiber to their food, says Datamonitor…New data finds that food manufacturers are increasingly adding fiber to their products in a move described as going “back to basics.” The percentage of new food products launched in the U.S. that claim to be high in fiber hit 6.3 percent in 2008, up from 5.2 percent in 2006. Products include: Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts with 16g of whole grains; Quaker Fiber & Omega-3 Chewy Oat Granola Bars; Kraft’s Fiber Fit Cookies and Granola bars in the South Beach Living Brand. (Food Navigator, 2/26)