If you want to share your insights on the topics below with the editorial team, or if you are interested in advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please get in touch using the contact details at the end of this article.
Here is an example of what a special edition looks like: Healthy Beverage Trends, Jan 2015
February 26: What's for breakfast? Re-inventing the first meal of the day
On paper, breakfast cereal ticks all the right boxes. It’s quick, great value for money, and nutritious - the perfect recession-proof food. Yet US consumption has dropped steadily as consumers have sought out more convenient - and often more expensive - alternatives, and ‘breakfast’ has switched from being one of three square meals a day to just another snacking occasion. So is the future in Greek yogurt, drinkable grains, frozen handheld products and nutrition bars, or can innovation pull the cereal category out of its funk?
MARCH 18 - ONLINE FORUM: Snacking trends Register HERE!
What’s hot in snacks? Insects? Posh jerky? Pea protein? Chickpeas? Brogurt? What’s the difference between a meal and a snack, or are the lines becoming increasingly blurred? What’s a suitable portion-size? And will healthy vending become the norm? To find out, FoodNavigator-USA has gathered together a panel of entrepreneurs and trend-watchers to discuss the hottest new trends in the market, who they admire, and where they see the growth opportunities in the next 3-5 years. Registration open now! Watch this sneak preview!!
March 26: Fiber… Are you getting enough?
If fiber lacks sex appeal, it has no shortage of other redeeming features. Its benefits vary, but fiber is variously claimed to decrease intestinal transit times, increase stool bulk, reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol, stimulate the growth of ‘good’ gut bacteria, keep blood glucose under control and keep you feeling fuller for longer – and that’s before you even consider its myriad technical properties. But do consumers care that they are not getting enough, and how can manufacturers incorporate more fiber into products without compromising taste or texture?
April 30: Organic & Non-GMO trends
Sales of products with the Non-GMO Project verified stamp continuing to surge, while sales of organic foods and beverages also continue to grow strongly. In this FoodNavigator-USA special edition, we explore how challenging it is to source non-GMO ingredients, where the non-GMO market is going, and where organics fit in.
MAY 20: ONLINE FORUM: Going non-GMO
With uncertainty over GMO labeling creating anxiety throughout the food supply chain, more and more manufacturers are exploring how to avoid GMOs - whether they have a problem with them or not. In this FoodNavigator-USA online forum, we gather together experts to help our readers/listeners understand market trends in organic and non-GMO, stay up to date with what is happening from a regulatory perspective, and navigate the minefield of the non-GMO verification process.
May 28: Culinary trend-spotting: Where retail & foodservice collide/Ethnic foods battle: India, Peru, Malaysia, Brazil?
The lines between food retail and food service are becoming increasingly blurred, with packaged food manufacturers employing chefs to tap into the latest culinary trends and food service brands moving into the retail space. So what culinary trends are hot this year, from Peruvian to Indian, and how can food and beverage manufacturers cash in?
June 25: Dairy innovation in action
High-protein ice cream? Yogurt for men? Cereal milk? Savory yogurt? Can the Greek yogurt market sustain its meteoric growth, and what’s the next Greek yogurt? What consumer trends are the most successful firms tapping into?
July 6: IFT show preview
Want to stay up to speed with what's happening at the cutting edge of food science, technology and product development? This FoodNavigator-USA preview of what to look out for at the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo will help you make the most of your trip.
JULY 29: ONLINE FORUM: Dairy innovation
What’s hot in dairy? How easy is it to create a great-tasting and stable product with all-natural ingredients? Are stevia and monk fruit all they are cracked up to be? Will carrot- and beet-flavored yogurt appeal to mainstream consumers? Is ‘bro-gurt’ (yogurt for men) a fad? To find out, FoodNavigator-USA has gathered together CEOs from some of the most innovative dairy companies in the US.
August 5: IFT show post event roundup
The FoodNavigator team was out in force at the IFT show in Chicago. Here's our round up of highlights from the biggest food science show in the world.
August 27: Flavor trends 2020
What's hot and what's not in the world of flavor? And how do the top flavor houses predict what the future might taste like - as well as what's trending right now? Find out what's happening at the cutting edge in this FoodNavigator-USA special edition exploring the latest flavor trends and the latest science around flavor perception.
September 24: Protein: From algae to pea, rice, soy, whey, insects and beyond
Protein has undergone something of a renaissance in the past two years, and manufacturers are now competing to impress shoppers with how much they can pack into bars, beverages and yogurts. In this FoodNavigator-USA special edition we'll look at consumer attitudes to protein, the latest market research, and how protein can fit into new product concepts in health and wellness, weight management, sports nutrition and more mass market products targeting women, boomers, and other groups. We'll also look at what protein options are available for formulators, from new insect and algal-based proteins to pea, soy, canola, rice and dairy-based proteins.
October 22: Bakery & snack trends, from gluten-free to ancient grains
While traditional packaged bread sales have suffered as consumers' eating habits have changed, there are new opportunities in gluten-free, ethnic breads and gourmet bakery items, while snack makers are tapping into consumer demand for ancient grains and seeds, plant-based proteins, and bean, pea and lentil-based ingredients. We look at the latest consumer trends and explore new growth opportunities for manufacturers as data suggests that Americans are increasingly abandoning three square meals a day for serial snacking.
Food Vision USA - October 27-29: CHICAGO
Chicago will host the first ever Food Vision USA event in October 2015, bringing together senior figures in business strategy, R&D and marketing from established players and rising stars in the US food and nutrition industries. Check back shortly for more details.
Nov 4 - ONLINE FORUM: Protein!
Protein is a hot trend in food formulation right now. But is this a sustainable trend or a passing fad? How much protein is enough, and do the next generation of proteins, from rice and pea to algae and insects, deliver in the same way that soy and whey do? And how should you position your protein-packed products? To find out, we've gather together food manufacturers, trend watchers and formulation experts to explore how food and beverage manufacturers can respond to this growing trend.
November 16: Good, bad & ugly fats: But which are which?
Fats are often classed into good, bad and ugly categories. But do consumers know which are which, and how can manufacturers help increase consumption of the healthier variety (MUFAs and PUFAs) and reduce trans- and saturated fats (and that's assuming that saturated fats really are the bogeyman many dietitians have made them out to be)? And finally, what should we make of the advice on fats in the new 2015 dietary guidelines?
December 17: Food for kids!
While there is some evidence that the tide may now be turning on childhood obesity, one third of American children is now overweight or obese, and many are lacking in essential nutrients from potassium, dietary fiber and calcium, to vitamin D. So how can the food industry respond to these concerns and develop more nutritious, but appealing snacks, meals and beverages for kids?
2016 special editions and online events
January 28: Health & Wellness 2020
What will health & wellness mean in 2020? No added sugar? More snacking? Less snacking? Supplements or food? We take a look into the future and ask what consumers will expect of the food industry in 2020, and which innovative firms are best placed to meet their evolving needs.
February 18: ONLINE EVENT: Beverage Innovation 2016
In our unique free-to-attend online Beverage Innovation event, we will bring together market researchers, retailers, and the founders of some of the most successful beverage brands in the business to talk about what categories are growing, what consumer trends they are tapping into, what distinguishes the winners from the losers, how to build distribution, and how to finance and grow a beverage business.
February 25: Weight management
With one in three Americans obese, weight management is still a huge market opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers. However, messaging is moving away from diet-based concepts to more positive messages about food quality, satiety, and overall health & wellness. In this FoodNavigator-USA special edition we'll look at the latest product launches on a weight management platform plus the latest consumer research and market data, and explore which approaches companies can adopt from portion control to fat, sugar and calorie reduction; fiber and protein satiety-boosting formulations and new functional ingredients.
MARCH 16: ONLINE FORUM: Weight management 2020
Obesity is associated with rising rates of heart disease, diabetes, and a swath of other chronic diseases. But shoppers are increasingly turned off by marketing focused on 'dieting', and regulatory efforts to tackle sugar, portion sizes and marketing to kids have not made much headway. So how can the food industry tackle the problem and protect its bottom line? We've gathered together market researchers, food manufacturers and consumer advocacy experts to find out.
March 31: Food preservation 2020
Consumers and retailers are becoming increasingly unwilling to accept products with a shelf life maintained by use of the synthetic preservatives - even if they are safe and legal. But what natural solutions are available to manufacturers, and are they up to the job? Meanwhile, will novel processing techniques ultimately render all preservatives, artificial or otherwise, redundant in certain products?
GET IN CONTACT!
If you want to get involved with the editorial content of any of these specials, please contact Elaine Watson (elaine.watson@wrbm.com)
...or Elizabeth Crawford (elizabeth.crawford@wrbm.com).
If you are interested in advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Elodie Delannoy: elodie.delannoy@wrbm.com