Top 10 food trends mirror Americans' variety

Newswise — Today’s food trends—and Americans’ demands for increased variety in their diets—are as diverse as the U.S. population, according to the latest Top 10 Food Trends published in Food Technology magazine, the monthly professional magazine by the non-for-profit, international scientific society Institute of Food Technologists.

Health and indulgence alike are both having great impact on restaurant selections, even as fewer people are eating on-the-go and eating in their car.

According to Food Technology, the Top 10 Food Trends in 2007 are:

1. Dining In – Economic pressures are among the factors causing Americans to eat and cook more dishes at home.

2. Food Talk – Word-of-mouth has become a key factor in the success of new food products. Celebrity chefs are encouraging more adventuresome cooking.

3. Form & Function – Reducing the number of steps in food preparation is a surefire way to increase product sales.

4. Sense Appeal – There’s a new trend toward texture, crispness, and crunch.

5. Kidding Around – The number of young children is growing; baby foods are even taking on gourmet cache’.

6. Doing Without – Avoidance behavior is accelerating, and products without undesirable ingredients are viewed favorably.

7. Local Motions – Fresh is the most desired attribute, but foods marketed as local, seasonal, hand-made, natural, and similar, are increasing.

8. Seriously Healthy – Shoppers’ desire to reduce the risk of developing health conditions has a lot of influence on food purchasing decisions.

9. Next-Generation Beverages – Drinks set the pace in U.S. sales and innovation.
10. Snacking & Sharing – Light meals, after-school socializing, and other influences make snacks and mini-meals a hot opportunity for restaurants.

Food Technology provides news and analysis of the development, use, quality, safety, and regulation of food sources, products, and processes—accessible at http://www.ift.org/foodtechnology.

Founded in 1939, and with world headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the Institute of Food Technologists is a not-for-profit international scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions in academia, government and industry. As the society for food science and technology, IFT brings sound science to the public discussion of food issues. For more on IFT, see http://www.ift.org.