Innovate or die: predictions for the food industry in 2017
Tgef
1. Technologically and Genetically Enhanced Foods
As time goes on, we are seeing more and more demand from customers and what they want to
see in the foodservice and grocery store industry. Over the years, needs have changed as far as health,
cook-time, convenience, and even more significant nowadays, technological. In this assignment, we will
discuss more of the needs of the consumer, and what companies are doing to meet their demands.
One of the biggest ongoing trends: health. People are getting more and more concerned about
what they put in their bodies. Everyone is looking for a way to eat what they want without the guilt or
unhealthy added fats and sugars. There is more of a demand for natural and organic ingredients, as well
as added nutrients and other health benefits that they believe should come with buying a product. As a
result of those demands, nowadays, we are seeing more nutrient-enhanced and fortified foods than
ever before. Almost every food on the shelf is a nutraceutical, which is a food containing health-giving
additives. Many of the foods we eat nowadays are fortified with Calcium, Vitamins, and Fiber. Many
foods are starting to use whole grains instead of their previous processed grains. Also, with 53% of
groceries being bought by the Baby Boomer generation, we are starting to see foods tailored for elderly
needs, such as heart and muscle healthy foods, as well as foods for a healthy lifestyle at the later stages
in life. We are also seeing the throwback drinks, which use natural sugar instead of its cheaper cousin,
high-fructose corn syrup. Also popular with consumers is farm to table. People are becoming more
curious about where their food is coming from, and would like to have it without dangerous chemicals,
pesticides, and any unknown toxins that may have come from the workers or shipment process.
Not only are ingredients changing, but the names of the same foods are now different to seem
more appealing to skeptical consumers. High-fructose corn syrup is now being called corn sugar in an
attempt to rid it of its unhealthy stigma. A lot of natural foods are now being called “Pure” instead.
Technically, any company may call their food natural because there are no laws to back up the title,
unlike the laws that you must follow to have an “Organic” label. Also, fast food industries are changing
their titles to “Quick-Service” instead.
Interesting new product: UniStraws. UniStraws contain UniBeads, which are dry probiotics
within the straw that are consumed when liquid is sipped through the straw. This transforms and
beverage into a “healthy” probiotic drink. It is used once, and then recycled.
Another change that we are seeing deals with technology, and the convenience that customers
are expecting to see when it comes to checking labels, comparing health benefits and prices, and
eventually, purchasing their food. It’s almost rare to not have a self-checkout at grocery stores now, and
now technological advances are going to our phones as well. Apps have been developed so that you can
check the nutrition values and a detailed list of what is in the item you want to buy, along with reviews
by other customers and comparisons to other products that they may have preferred compared to that
one. "Users have submitted more than 250,000 products and updates to the Fooducate database, which
is the most comprehensive and current nutrition data source in the U.S. today, " according to
Fooducate. Even more advanced than that, there is talk of possibly putting RFID (radio frequency
2. identification) chips into food. “It will monitor your calorie intake, show from where your food was
sourced, and even let you know when the food in your fridge is about to go bad.” ~ NaturalNews.
Future innovations: Psychologists say that a lot of food purchasing decisions come from sensory
perceptions, mostly sight. One of the new senses that is being explored: hearing. Now, food scientists
and psychologists are collaborating to “design, create and influence the sounds of our foods to convey
freshness, taste and even health attributes.”
In our first case study “The Future of Food: Five Frontiers” the article goes on to talk about
everything from nanotechnology in food to lab-grown meat. Genetically enhanced crops have been
around since the 90’s but these genetically modified commercial crops have only been tweaked to
tolerate herbicides and to be resistant to plant diseases caused by viruses. Most genetically modified
crops are used for animal feed or processed ingredients like corn and soybeans. Usually crops and other
foods aren’t manipulated to be more nutritious for human consumers but that is soon to change.
A very new project that is talked about in this article is on emerging Nanotechnologies within
the food industry. This is very controversial issue within just about any industry that provides a food
service because it is still unknown if these nanoparticles could pose a danger to human health. Even
without adequate safety testing there are already a few products on the market within the United
States. Canola Active Oil has begun to use Nano-particles to inhibit “the transformation of cholesterol
from the digestive system into the bloodstream.” There are a few products that are going for an
enhanced flavor without adding calories or sugars just Nano-particles. This could end up being a major
advancement in food technologies if it can be safe as well as beneficial.
When people think of where there food all derives from in the beginning they usually think of
farms with wide sprawling fields. One thing we found interesting within this article is the idea of
“Lettuce Skyscrapers” or vertical farms. The idea of the vertical farms is defined as a building with at
least two stories with crops growing inside. This idea is very new and popular within highly populated
areas because of the convenience of not taking up any more land space than an office building. The best
thing about the vertical farms is the control the farmer has on his produce. When cultivating food
indoors you do not have all the variables of when growing outside such as drought, pests, diseases, or
floods. Farmers are in control every aspect of the plant and are able grow their produce to its full
potential.
Another topic discussed within this article which is far from growing our food most efficiently
but ways of actually growing other types of food like meat. This part of the article talks about how, Mark
Post, a stem cell scientist is actually growing cow muscle tissue. This is very interesting in many ways
because it is controversial in a number of different areas and groups of people. Although this kind of
technology is nowhere near being in the back of a McDonald’s, it would be interesting to see where this
technology is in the next 20 years.
Each of these new advances in food technology are fairly new and not seen much of within the
hospitality industry yet but they are still are making influences on the market. Many businesses within
the hospitality industry are and will be affected by some or if not all of these technologically enhanced
3. foods. Businesses within the hospitality industry that serve food will eventually have to choose a side in
the matter of genetically enhanced foods. Many businesses have gone with the organic trend as of lately
but what happens when the newest trend is the genetically modified food because it is more nutritious
and better for you. There will always be consumers on one side or the other of the situation so it will be
much like today when you decide where to go out to eat or where you want to bring your business. This
will affect the hospitality industry by what sort of market segment do you want to attract to your
business. In retrospect this will also affect businesses that are providing food such as a company like
Cargill or Sysco foods. These companies will be impacted by what businesses are deciding to buy and
whether or not they are buying from them at all anymore.
In our second case study “Uneasy Allies in the Grocery Aisle” it talks about the Proposition 37
ballot in California. If you do not know what this ballot is, it is fighting for requiring the labeling of
genetically modified foods.
Many big corporations which are behind some of the most popular organic brands have joined
the anti-labeling effort and dumping millions into fighting it. These big corporations are spending this
money because many of their consumers aren’t aware that their favorite organic brands are in fact
owned by big multinationals. This upsets people to find out that their money spent on products is now
going against a cause that they firmly believe in. Proposition 37 is important to consumers because
these days more and more are becoming aware of the role their food plays in their health and well-
being.
If Proposition 37 is passed it will greatly affect businesses that provide organic food that contain
genetically modified organisms. Many big businesses that own smaller organic branches will be affected
the most because they have the highest percentages of G.M.O’s in the organic industry. One industry
that will come out on top if Proposition 37 goes through will be businesses such as farmers markets and
ma and pa organic grocery stores. This is because most of the consumers of these organic produce are
firm in their beliefs and want it to be all natural and not have the added G.M.O’s. When it comes to the
hospitality industry this new law would be beneficial because most if not all organic restaurants do not
serve food that has come from a big business where G.M.O’s have been added. These G.M.O’s are
usually found in products that are prepackaged and come from big businesses. Many organic
restaurants within the California area would probably see an increase in sales because they would be
able to deliver real organic food instead of food from a big corporation which is filled with genetically
modified organisms.
Where someone’s food derives from has always been important to the consumer, and now
more than ever people are concerned what exactly is in the product they are consuming. This is very
important today with all the technological advances in food production to know exactly what you are
ingesting and if it is healthy or not for you.In summation, as time goes on, demands and trends change.
People will continue to discover technological advances that will affect the way we see, smell, hear, and
eat our food.
