Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. This show had it all: insights, trends, connections, and a seemingly endless supply of deliciously free samples. Here’s a bit of what I took away:
Gluten Free Goodness
Be on the lookout for a greater availability of chef quality gluten free products. With more and more consumers being diagnosed with celiac disease, there is a greater demand for high quality, great tasting, gluten free products – of which there was no shortage at the show.
Not Your Mother’s Flavor Profile
Our palates are constantly evolving, and in an effort to keep up, companies are creating unique, wild, and unexpected flavor combinations to appease the foodie masses. Such combinations include: Chipotle Pumpkin Salsa, Meyer Lemon Picholine Olive Champagne Vinegar, and Chocolate Covered Potato Chips to name a few. Change is good.
Know Your Food
Every ingredient has a story – some are just better than others. With growing consumer concerns over what they are eating, ingredient traceability is more important than ever. Companies are proud to say that all of their coffee beans are grown on a single family farm in El Salvador, for example, and such background stories make the end user feel warm and fuzzy in return. Modern technology has made it possible to track our food from farm to fork, and consumers are beginning to expect it.
