Healthy and Sustainable Food Trends in 2013
The trends associated with the change in the future of production, marketing and consumption of food change on an annual basis based on several points including transparency, food waste, wellness and health, and consumption of protein. Industry experts consider the terrible drought witnessed in the year 2012 to have a direct impact on the increase of the price of foods as well as on the consumers who are expected to make use of technology in order to decrease waste and take better decisions in terms of smarter purchasing.
Prevention of Wastage of Food for Sustainability
According to the estimates of the National Resource Defense Council, almost 40% of food in each month goes to waste without being eaten in the US. It comes as no big surprise then that as per the Eco Pulse Survey reports, about 39% Americans feel extreme โgreen guiltโ for having wasted food. The number is almost double the amount of people who feel guilty for not recycling. Hard facts reveal that food is lost in each step of the supply chain while the major food entrepreneurs and companies develop technological solutions to increase the efficiency and reduce the waste at the same time.
Two of the most innovative projects intended to reduce waste in 2012 were Halfsies and Sianโs Plan. While the latter was a new tool related to meal planning, the former happens to be a social initiative which provides diners in restaurants with the ability to eat some part of their meal and donate a portion of the cost of the plate to some charity. Taking into account the increasing prices of food together with the considerable cost saving potential outlines for consumers, manufacturers and restaurants, the trend is to pay more attention to the development of technology to decrease food waste in 2013.
Food: Impact on Health and Diseases
Studies exhibit that healthy eating habits and nutrition are the main meal-planning priorities for baby boomers. The latter group will most probably focus on their intake of antioxidants while they continue to look for the fountain of youth. The boomers are poised to take control of over half the dollars spent by consumers on grocery foods by the year 2015, search for more foods which are suitable for the heart and are rich in anti-oxidants like oily fish including salmon, along with green tea, dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, berries, popcorn and whole grains to command the shelves of supermarkets.
This petition is great for you since more than two-thirds of adults along with one-third of the children in the US are obese and overweight. The Institute of Medicine has submitted reports that treatments for illnesses related to obesity cost almost $190.2 billion on an annual basis while the industry faces losses amounting to $4.3 billion due to absenteeism associated with obesity. All of you are on the lookout for food options which are healthier. Several startups have been launched to tackle this increasing demand for healthier choices of food. Some of the most important companies which made headlines in the current year were the Eatery, Nutritionix and Maya Food Oasis.
Impact of New Proteins on the Economy
Trends for 2013 indicate that a major shift is going to occur in the protein food supply of the nation, away from meat-based proteins to meatless ones such as nut butters, eggs, beans, tofu. This change in protein intake habits should increase the awareness as well as the consumption of vegan and vegetarian meals. Dialogues involving the consumption of new proteins should flourish in the next year. Technology will serve as a critical component in the reduction of the consumption of meat.
