Top five food trends to watch

Edibles are drawing a new generation to gardening and have become increasingly important over the past few years. So what food trends are we seeing for 2015? To come up with our top trends list, we reviewed and compiled predictions from some of the top forecasters, including Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, working with ConAgra Foods; Sterling-Rice Group (SRG), a brand-development company; Technomic, a food research and consulting firm; Mintel, a market-research firm; and sister publication Quality Assurance & Food Safety’s recent Trend Impact presentations. From that research, we’ve come up with five top trends to watch:  
 

1. Global adventuring, with a focus on Asia.

 Consumers are inundated with new and adventurous foods from food and cooking TV shows to Internet blogs and recipes — many of which include exotic ingredients that can only be sourced from outside the U.S. Cuisines from less-prevalent countries are now becoming popular, such as those of Korean, Northern Vietnamese (Issan), Thai and Filipino foods.

This rise of Asian foods, many of which are grilled, has also brought an increased interest in smoked and charcoaled foods. One of these, based on an ancient style of cooking, is the use of Thai or Japanese charcoals.These woods burn odorless and smokeless at very high heats, enabling the food to cook quickly while retaining natural flavors. At the other end of the grilling spectrum are the smoked foods that use the smoke and odor to impart flavors to foods that you may never have thought to smoke, such as butter and cocktails, along with the standards of meats and vegetables.
 

2. Local and micro-local. 

Some large and national companies have taken a regional approach to certain foods, purchasing local ingredients, creating their own “craft” products, or simply highlighting the production of regional manufacturing facilities. Also, the “know your farmer” trend has turned many consumers toward farmers’ markets and similar local purchasing options — though the limited growing season of many regions of the U.S. obviously create some difficulty for purely local production.
 

3. Kosher. 

Both the food industry and the Jewish consumer are driving an increase in kosher foods. With consumers seeking these foods as a sustainable, culture-conscious option, the industry has stepped up with more variety and higher quality to fulfill the niche. The wave is bringing about new products and small businesses, such as artisan Jewish delis and handcrafted bagel shops, as their seeming purity appeals to the health-conscious consumer — Jewish or not. 
 

4. Social responsibility. 

Consumers are looking beyond food products to the way a company conducts business and impacts its environment, society, and the world as a whole. No longer can companies use child labor in other countries without dealing with backlash from concerned consumers; Fair Trade has become big business; and the demand for transparency in ingredients and production is only going to increase. 
 

5. Cannabis cuisine. 

Recreational use of marijuana may be legal only in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Washington, D.C., but it is unlikely to stop there, particularly with nearly half the states allowing medicinal use. And once it became legal, it started getting infused in everything from beverages to chocolates to body lotion. Keep an eye on this budding trend as it works its way through the challenges and potholes of a new, growing industry.

Lisa is editor of Quality Assurance & Food Safety magazine, a sister publication. She can be reached at  llupo@gie.net.