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Food Trends: September 2011

This month we look at new shellfish, celebrity chefs launching restaurants at sea, a boom in children’s food spending and more.

by Denise Shoukas

Sailing with Celebrity Chefs

High-end cruise lines are partnering with celebrity chefs like Charlie Trotter and Nobu Matsuhisa to offer dining experiences comparable to the best shore-side restaurants. Oceania Cruises’ new Marina, a 1,250-guest ship, offers 10 dining venues, six of which are no-charge, gourmet restaurants, including Jacques, created by Jacques Pepin. The menu is inspired by the food of Parisian brasseries and Lyon, Pepin’s hometown, with such entrées as Escalope de Foie Gras en Pot au Feu.

The competition is growing. Charlie Palmer is working with Seabourn; Crystal has Nobu Matsuhisa; Cunard has Todd English; and Holland America has Charlie Trotter and Marcus Samuelsson.

New Shellfish Wash Ashore

Three new sea creatures are joining the ranks of better-known shellfish and are appearing on menus and fish counters across the country. Goose Barnacles, also known as percebes, have a sweet-salty flavor, and are harvested commercially on the northern coast of Spain, mainly in Galicia, and imported from Morocco and Canada. You’ll find them in restaurants abroad but may also catch some in the restaurants of Chef José Andrés, James Beard Award–winning chef and owner of ThinkFoodGroup.

For a sweet, juicy mollusk, look for Honey Mussels, which are farmed only in the waters of British Columbia and marketed exclusively by the Honey Mussel Group. Available from June to March, their honey-colored shell makes them a distinctive sea treat. Look for them at notable restaurants, including Daniel and Spiaggia.

The third type, Blood Clams, sounds—and looks—a little scary, due to their blood-red color. But with a mild taste and plump, chewy meat, this Chinese delicacy is getting more attention in the U.S. Blood clams from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico are approved for sale and are currently sold at premium locations such as Eataly in New York City. Those harvested in China or Southeast Asia are banned in the U.S. because of the risk that they may carry harmful bacteria and viruses such as hepatitis.

Good News in Children’s Foods

The U.S. kids’ food market is set to explode in the next five years with a 40 percent growth in sales of products targeting 2- to 12-year-olds. This growth is spurred on, in part, by food manufacturers working to present themselves as the solution for—rather than the cause of—the nation’s growing childhood obesity epidemic, according to a new report from Packaged Facts. The market research firm notes that 40 percent of the foods in the packaged retail product segment will feature healthier elements.

Better-for-you specialty food products that target this age group include: Honest Teas’ Honest Kids Drink Pouches, a new line of organic, low-sugar, fruit-flavored beverages; Clif Kid Z Bars, each with 95 percent organic ingredients, 8–11 grams of whole grains and 12 essential vitamins and minerals; Late July Organic Mini Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Crackers, which are organic and free of high-fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oil; California Caviar’s Caviar Kids lunch packs, packed with 43 essential vitamins and minerals and sold in a reusable, 100 percent recyclable cooler; and Chobani Champions, Greek yogurt just for kids that’s loaded with protein and vitamin D.

Grease-Free Paper

Confectioners will cheer for a new grease-resistant paper grade that promises to cut packaging costs. Mondi’s Advantage MG White Cote GR grease-resistant paper grade for confectionery and biscuit products is lighter and cheaper than alternatives on the market, according to the manufacturer. Benefits include less material, in addition to transport savings for the manufacturer. Only bleached virgin kraft paper from PEFC-certified suppliers is used to produce the grade, which also offers a good printability level, enabling manufacturers to print their message directly on the paper. Mondi says a special functional chemical treatment of the fibers enabled the high grease resistance level needed for demanding applications, such as in the confectionery industry.

Food Trust

Food Trust The most important ingredient among functional foods is trust, especially when it comes to products that assist in cognitive function. While the U.S. brain-food category grew faster than many other functional-food categories, such as joint health and digestive and immunity health, it had the smallest retail value at less than $2 billion in 2009, according to Datamonitor. The main reason? Consumers didn’t know which products were backed by sound science. Yet, interest in the category is expected to remain strong with Datamonitor predicting that cognitive health foods will have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 11.8 percent between 2009 and 2014, rising from $1.198 billion to $2.095 billion. This offers an opportunity for quality-oriented manufacturers as consumers of all ages are increasingly concerned about losing their mental edge or memory.

Who’s Buying Green, Really?

You might think that younger consumers are more apt to buy environmentally friendly products. Truth is, shoppers ages 18 to 34 are more reluctant to pay more for eco-friendly products than those in age groups 35 to 44 and 55 to 64, according to “The Checkout” study from Omnicom, the Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research. The study also determined there is a “higher eco-consciousness” among people 55+ versus younger people. The report suggests green marketers consider a non-financial-based rewards program, focusing on the emotional benefits of buying green. Nearly 25 percent of shoppers will pay more for something if it makes them feel like they are contributing to saving the environment.

Techno Retailing

ipad Agrowing number of retailers are experimenting with mobile and social initiatives to reach their always-wired consumers. According to “The State of Retailing Online 2011: Marketing, Social, and Mobile” report, 91 percent of retailers currently have a mobile strategy in place or in development, up from 74 percent a year ago. Seventy-two percent of retailers plan to increase their spending on social networks this year over last year.

That said, the overall amount of mobile traffic and revenue has not increased dramatically. While social networks ranked fourth on the list of successful customer-acquisition sources, up significantly from last year, return on investment (ROI) is ambiguous. Sixty-two percent of retailers say the returns on social-marketing strategies are unclear, and nearly the same percentage says the primary ROI from social marketing is gaining a better understanding of customers. For success, analysts suggest retailers integrate computerized features and functionality into the physical store experience, touching on basic store information, transparent pricing and easy checkout capabilities.

It is also helpful to think beyond mobile phones and consider how customers might interact with you from other mobile devices such as the iPad. Retailers report that 21 percent of all mobile traffic is coming from tablets.

Denise Shoukas is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine.

This article was featured in the September 2011 issue of Specialty Food Magazine. See other articles in this issue at: September 2011 Specialty Food Magazine.