Food in 2008

Some pundits and prognosticators identified "social responsibility" as the big trend in food retailing for 2007, I would say that trend was only warm to the touch, not white hot. The softening economy has perhaps taken some of the edge off "social" issues for consumers with subprime mortgages and workaday worries. Given the inexact nature of predictions - setting aside the Old Testament's prophets, of course -- what are the fearless forecasts for food trends in 2008?

Well, the Associated Press already has the answer. Here is a link to a story by the AP's J.M. Hirsch (passed along by KSU Food Safety Network) that spells out what we can expect. From the article, a few excerpts:

From the overview:

....two forces - the proliferation of foodie culture and its obsessive desire for provenance, and growing worries over food safety - have combined to create a whirlwind of information about food and drink.


TK: Hirsch amusingly writes that organics have "jumped the shark" (see this wikipedia reference for that term ) and states that local is now the golden child of foodies. But when Wal-Mart goes local, how long can this trend last? He writes:

Savvy food marketers today are latching onto the latest child of the natural foods movement - local - and are trying to take it mainstream. As eco-sensitivity has grown, consumers have questioned whether eating organic grapes from Chile is a particularly "green" choice. Now people want to know how far their food traveled, and the closer the better.
Hence, the growth in farmers markets, community supported agriculture, restaurant menus bragging about local sourcing, and the naming of "locavore" as word of the year by The New Oxford American Dictionary. Even mainstream grocers are jumping on, offering and advertising a growing number of locally produced goods. The question is whether "local" will lose cachet once big box retailers co-opt it as they did organic.


TK: Other trends that Hirsch spots include a growing consumer desire for more information on varieties. On food safety, Hirsch writes that "repeated recalls of meat and produce have drawn attention to the sluggish and outdated American food safety system." While changing the FDA won't happen overnight, Hirsch said marketers are reacting quickly. "Expect food companies to be as nimble, touting new and increased safety measures." Will 2008 be a celebration of fat? Well, Hirsch said bad foods and fatty foods are fighting back with consumer messaging touting "realness" over fake food. Finally, he said grocery stores are trying to become sexier, trading in the traditional aisle looks of superstores for a more glamorous, open market feel. While he didn't mention Tesco, we can probably credit Tesco for supermarket chains taking a closer look at their prepared food offerings. This article was a good read, but I feel it over-generalizes about local foods.
What I conclude from the article is that the fresh produce industry should ideally have a well-funded generic promotion arm that could create and sustain consumer messaging reinforcing the desirability of fresh fruits and vegetables.