Food industry research has been binging on sandwiches, a culinary form for which the U.S. market is the world’s center of gravity, not least because of eager adoption and adaptation of favorite sandwich formats and fillings from around the world. 

Corn, Modified & Clean Label Starches

The starch processing industry has transformed into a bioprocessing industry to meet the demands of a multitude of market segments, such as food, industrial, bioplastics and biochemicals-based renewable sources, with highly efficient and sophisticated biochemical and engineering processes that produce a multitude of products from corn, one of the most significant crops in world. 

On Wednesday, March 25, 2015, H.J. Heinz and Kraft Foods Group announced a $36 billion merger between the two major market players aimed at reducing costs, increasing international growth, and developing a more consumer-centric direction. The merger results in the creation of the 5th largest global food company.

Looking ahead to 2015, it’s clear that the changes in consumer preferences will influence new trends in food retailing. The types of trends consumers will be seeking in restaurants will change as well as the way consumers buy their groceries. We viewed two research reports from Packaged Facts, leading food and beverage industry experts, Future of Foodservice: Food and Beverage Menu Trends & Opportunities and Online Food Shopping and Grocery Delivery in the U.S.: Future of Food Retailing, to determine what the biggest trends of the new year will be.

By the close of 2014 in the next couple weeks, sales of coffee in retail and foodservice are expected to hit $48 billion. To capture some of those sales, coffee shops and brands are going to have to be innovative, embrace change, and get creative with their business decisions. One company that has truly grasped these concepts is none other than K-cup creator, Keurig.

With the busy lives of Americans today, as well as the movement towards Thanksgiving being a consumer-driven holiday, it isn’t surprising that the traditional golden-brown, 20-pound turkeys are not the most important aspect of Thanksgiving dinner anymore. Families are branching out and purchasing new alternatives to the beautiful bird.

As popularity of natural and organic food has increased, so has the number of stores that carry natural and organic products. Over the past few years, leading retailer of natural and organic foods, Whole Foods, has experienced declining sales as new competitors continue to enter and claim stake in the market. A specific store that has increased their market share is Trader Joe’s, a quirky, smaller store filled with unique and organic products.

Halloween is just around the corner, and with it comes high retail and candy sales. Since 2008 holiday sales have been down throughout the year, but, for many sectors sales have been creeping up. In 2013, seasonal candy for Halloween reached $217 million, up 12% from 2012. This growth was greater than similar Christmas candy products and close to percentage gains for Valentine’s Day.

The U.S. weight loss market has hit a plateau, experiencing  little growth over the last 6 years. After the downsize of the economy, consumers have decreased their purchases of diet drinks, health club memberships, medical programs, diet books, and exercise videos and moved forward to a more do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. Yet, small niches in the industry are starting to boom.

According to a report by publisher Marketdata Enterprises Inc., the value of the U.S. weight loss market declined by 1.8% in 2013, down to $60.5 billion. The market is expected to increase in 2014 with the increased DIY dieting trends and as organizations sort out the effects of the Affordable Care Act.

With the fast-paced lifestyles of the average U.S. consumer, simplicity of snacks and beverages is a must. Bottled water has been around to fill that need since the late 1700s, but even today bottled water is seeing a bright future. As health awareness continues, consumers are going to continue switching from carbonated soft drinks to water. Marketers from companies around the globe need to embrace new ideas for water to ensure their bottles are picked off the shelves.