Chef Roger Mooking loves giving traditional dishes an exotic twist on his Food Network Canada TV show “Everyday Exotic.” Consumers’ desire for exotic flavors also has helped push tropical fruits into mainstream beverage formulations. Yet, ingredient suppliers note that the growing demand for exotic fruits also taps into broader, mainstream trends.
Whether it’s social media platforms, mobile pay apps or an increasing acceptance of RFID chips in humans, technology has transformed everyday life for consumers.
After three days and more than 46,000 steps logged on my pedometer, it’s safe to say that I saw my fair share of natural and organic products at Natural Products Expo West (page 14), which took place last month.
As physicist Albert Einstein once said: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” As today’s American consumers look to keep moving, they are turning to various forms of energy-inducing foods and beverages. However, in the spirit of Einstein’s quote, consumers also are in search of more balanced energy resources.
Although ginger is a perennial that produces narrow green leaves and yellow flowers, the plant has gained more recognition for its root. The ingredient found favor as a spice, however, its association with medicinal characteristics has helped proliferate its usage, according to experts.
Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) have long been the top seller in the U.S. beverage market based on volume. Last month, however, New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) announced that U.S. volume sales of bottled water eclipsed CSDs in 2016, making it the No. 1 consumed packaged beverage. This shift followed more than a decade’s worth of single-digit volume declines for soft drinks.
In case you hadn’t heard (I’m sure you have), bottled water overtook carbonated soft drinks as the No. 1 beverage sold in the United States based on volume in 2016. With consumers showing their love for bottled water, it is no wonder that brand owners are introducing new products into this category.
At a time when the divisive nature of the United States is receiving much attention, it seems as though we have found a topic that both sides can agree upon: craft beer. In late January, the Craft Beer Modernization and Tax Reform Act was introduced in both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support.