anadians have a good ap- and eco-packaging. Canadians have an petite for tasty and interna- appetite for they can feel good tionally inspired , but about that will help the whole planet. Ctrends also show a desire for According to the Canadian Organic FFOOOODD sustainable, responsible, feel-good Growers, organic foods were the high- food choices. Health and wellness est growing trend in the Canadian TRENDS trends show there is an appetite for health and wellness market in 2010 at TRENDS healthier options especially as our a 5.4 per cent growth rate with pro- Sustainable, responsible, population ages and faces a growing duce growing at an average rate of 20 number of health concerns. There is a per cent per year as consumers believe feel-good foods on the rise continued shift to more snacking, less they taste better and are healthier. structured meals and more requests Globally, the organic food and bever- for customized choices. Technology age industry is expected to reach com- By Andrea Holwegner has changed everything about food bined sales of $36.1 billion. and nutrition knowledge, cooking and Not only will organic food continue eating out. Consumers will continue to to be popular, but so will farmers’ mar- demand more insight about their food, kets, community gardens and grow- while those supplying it will be called your-own food initiatives. Menus that upon for greater transparency about have a focused farm-to-fork emphasis the food they offer. and locally inspired, back-to-basics themes will be fashionable. Think about SUSTAINABILITY CHARGES ON offerings such as organic salad greens, The trend for sustainable agri- local greenhouse heirloom tomatoes culture, farming and eating and farm-fresh bread with ancient is here to stay. According grains and free-range local eggs. to Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada there are GREEN GUILT ABOUT FOOD WASTE five broad categories of As the sustainability of agriculture, sustainable food and farming and eating continues to be of beverages: organic, lo- concern for Canadians, you may also cally sourced, fair- hear more discussion around being trade, carbon footprint conscious about food waste. The 2012 Eco Pulse Survey by the Shelton Group found that of any sustainability effort, the highest “green guilt” came from wasting food (which was twice as high as not recycling or forgetting to bring recyclable bags to a grocery store.) One-third of food produced for hu- mans (1.3 billion tonnes) is wasted somewhere along the food chain each year (The Food and Agriculture Organ- ization of the United Nations, 2011). In Canada, an estimated $27 billion per year of Canadian food ends up in the landfill and composting. Where does food waste come from? Fifty-one per cent of Canadian waste comes directly from food thrown

6 C A N A D I A N S O C I E T Y O F N U T R I T I O N M A N A G E M E N T N E W S – S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 away in Canadian homes followed by small but growing group of 41 million shopper. Also notable is that more 18 per cent packaging/processing, 11 individuals who focus on a range of dads than moms (52 per cent versus per cent retail stores, nine per cent health, fitness, environment, personal 46 pre cent) are likely to plan meals field, eight per cent food service and development, sustainable living and for the week ahead of time. hotel/restaurant/institutional food social justice. The second consumer outlets and three per cent trans- group is women who are generally BETTER-FOR-YOU (BFY) FOODS portation/distribution. concerned with body image and health A better-for-you (BFY) food is one that Since food waste creates higher car- and who often make purchasing deci- has been reformulated to reduce or re- bon and methane, there are economic sions for their children and house- move a substance (fats, sugars, salt and and environmental benefits to wasting holds. Finally, the ageing population carbohydrate). In 2010, the global BFY less food. The UK website, www.love- is keenly interested in maintaining a sales totalled $160.3 billion US with foodhatewaste.com, provides some in- healthier lifestyle. They are educated, demand largely driven by consumer sight about waste throughout the food spend money on healthy products and fear of obesity. Consumers are more ed- chain. represent a growing population (baby ucated about food products and health boomers aged 65 years are estimated risks and are interested in lower-calo- KEY CONSUMER GROUPS to grow to 6.5 million by 2020). rie, reduced-carbohydrate, whole-grain According to the 2011 Agriculture and Also of interest is the emerging role and portion-controlled products as well Agri-Food Canada’s document Health of men in the supermarket and as foods with less sodium, sugar and and Wellness Trends for Canada and the kitchen. ESPN reports that 31 per cent fat. They are also interested in fortified World, there are three key consumer of grocery shoppers are men, which is or functional foods with more antioxi- groups that are keenly interested in more than twice the 1985 amount. In dants, fibre, calcium, probiotics and health and wellness products. First, a 2012 survey by Cone Communica- omega-3 fats. The biggest challenge is the LOHAS (lifestyles of health and tions, 52 per cent of fathers identified delivering on taste while supplying the sustainability) which are a relatively themselves as the primary grocery health benefit.

C A N A D I A N S O C I E T Y O F N U T R I T I O N M A N A G E M E N T N E W S – S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 7 Food producers, grocery stores and restaurants are going to be asked more and more to become transparent about for what they stand

NATURALLY HEALTHY FOODS SPECIALTY FOODS They are concerned about health and You can expect Canadians to continue to Consumers are demanding specialty nutrition and struggling with obesity, look for naturally healthy foods that are products such as gluten-free, lactose- diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood minimally processed and often contain free and nut-free products. Gluten- pressure and more. They need solu- vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. free products are a growing trend and tions that speak to their needs. Stud- Unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, essential for those with celiac disease, ies by NPD Group in Canada and the fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, natural which according to the Canadian U.S. show that Boomers are more con- mineral water and spring water are all Celiac Association affects approxi- cerned about nutrition when planning popular. Global sales of naturally mately one in 133 people. Those with a meal than any other age group, with healthy beverages are expected to grow non-celiac gluten sensitivity (two to 72 per cent of Canadians over 65 re- to $184.5 billion by 2015. six percent), must also eliminate garding nutrition as important as Sales of tea products continue to gluten from their diet although it is taste. Phil Lempert, “The Supermarket grow with consumer awareness of the not an autoimmune disease and the Guru” and CEO of the Lempert Report, health benefits of tea. Fermented tea digestive system is not damaged so it suggests Boomers are seeking out oily beverages such as iced green tea, kom- is not known if a gluten-free diet fish, green tea, dark green leafy bucha tea are also gaining popularity. needs to be followed as strictly or for greens, sweet potatoes, carrots, toma- Whole grains and foods with natu- life. Regardless, consumers are buying toes, dark chocolate, seeds, oils, rally more fibre such as high-fibre gluten-free products for medically berries, apples and whole grains. They pasta and rice are appealing to con- necessary purposes or as recom- are also looking for antioxidant and sumers since approximately 81 per mended popular by fad diets recom- potassium-rich reformulations and cent of consumers look for products mended reducing grains, wheat or sodium-reduced items. with higher fibre content. Hemp gluten. seeds, chia seeds, flax, quinoa and There has also been a rise in spe- SNACK ATTACKS other whole foods are also trendy. cialty products such as Halal food Overall snacking, particularly healthy Gourmet condiments, seasonings, eaten by followers of Islam and Kosher snacking, has increased internation- dressings and dips that are 100 per food eaten by followers of the Jewish ally according to Agriculture and cent natural and free of preservatives faith. Globally, the Halal food indus- Agri-Food Canada’s 2011 Report on and colourings are appealing. Dozens try has grown to more than $632 bil- Health and Wellness Trends for Canada of apps such as Chemical Cuisine, lion U.S. and represents about 17 per and the World. Snacking rather than Foodditive, Label Lookup and more cent of the whole global food indus- structured meals has become a nor- speak to this trend. try. The demand for Halal meats may mal way of life for many people. You will also find a growing num- surpass organic meat markets in pop- is eaten for supper and ber of consumers looking for animals ularity due to the quality, freshness, lunch can move into dinner. In an in- that are grass-fed, grain-fed or free- safety and treatment of the animals. terview for USA Today, Kelloggs men- range as well as meats which are According to OU Kosher, approxi- tioned that once they realized women freshly cut, minimally processed and mately 80 per cent of Kosher products were eating their cereal as an evening free of fillers, gluten and lactose. As sold globally are purchased outside of meal and not just for breakfast, they the cost of meat and poultry rises and the traditional Jewish market. created advertisements that reflected vegetarian diets become more popu- that message. lar, there may be more focus on meat- MEDICAL ISSUES In the 2011 Technomic Consumer less meals and inclusion of nut The Boomer population will be con- Trends Report, only five percent of butters, chick peas, Asian and Indian trolling a large percentage of dollars consumers eat three square meals. cuisine and tofu-based burgers. spent on food in the years to come. They also report two-thirds of con-

8 C A N A D I A N S O C I E T Y O F N U T R I T I O N M A N A G E M E N T N E W S – S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 sumers over 25 replace lunch with a TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSPARENCY to network with kitchen appliances to snack at least once per week and The world of technology and smart tell us how much milk we have in the this number doubles for Millenials phones has changed how we shop, fridge or to remotely turn on the oven. (age 18 to 25) who tend to snack cook and eat. Mobile devices are being Perhaps the biggest way that tech- most frequently. used to prepare shopping lists, com- nology is changing the food industry Restaurants and food producers pare prices, find recipes, check sales, is by creating transparency. Food pro- should create snacks choices that are share meal photos and rate restau- ducers, grocery stores and restaurants appealing to eaters at all times of the rants. Consumers can search a food’s are going to be asked more and more day. Consumers might want breakfast ingredient and track all the details of to become transparent about for what choices all day, a hot meal at midnight their food and nutrition. they stand. Consumers are craving or dessert in the early morning. There are more people blogging, connection and more of an under- Consumers also want choice. Fifty- writing and using social media for standing about who is making their eight percent of consumers like to food and recipe discussions. This year food and why. IIII customize their restaurant choice marked the first ever Canadian Food when eating out (Mintel, 2011). They Blogging Conference hosted by Food are interested in customizing their Bloggers of Canada which speaks to Andrea Holwegner, the “Chocoholic NutritionistTM,” meals and may want several options the increase in this topic area. has led a team of dietitians for portion sizes (such as a down- Lempert suggests new apps are at Health Stand Nutrition sized or snack-sized option) or the being developed that have sensors that Consulting Inc. since 2000. She has counseled Olympic opportunity to create a family size will attach to smart phones and test athletes, is a media expert value option. Consider offering share allergens, ingredients, our blood sugar for the Dietitians of Canada, plates, mini taster options as well as or blood pressure. Others will deter- professional speaker and national consultant and spokesperson for the food industry. bundled price points for two or three mine if produce is ripe or test for food- sides. borne bacteria. Other apps may be able • www.healthstandnutrition.com

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