Trends Excerpt:
Have you ever tried to find a decent coyota in Tennessee? How about a sugary churro in Arkansas?
As the Hispanic population explodes in the South, so does demand for the traditional Mexican pastries. For now, many new Southerners must live with only the craving. But a unique partnership of business groups in Southern Arizona and northern Mexico is working to change that. The Tucson-Southern Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce, the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a "microbusiness" program in Sonora, Mexico are developing a "nostalgic market" to serve the Hispanic market in the South…
Small merchants are excited about providing food and goods to their countrymen in the South, said Jorge Valenzuela, director of Save the Children, an organization that provides small loans to women in Mexico whose husbands have left the family to work in the United States. The funding comes from Tucson-based Portable Practical Education Preparation Inc. through its microloan program. Valenzuela said the notion of creating the "nostalgic market" piqued the women's interest because their thoughts turned to their husbands and how the men must miss home cooking. "Providing well-made tortillas, chorizo and food with the flavor of Mexico was exciting to them," Valenzuela said in Spanish.
Source: http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/26004
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Excerpt: In December the FDA approved the use of Stevia, a naturally derived, zero-calorie alternative to artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, providing a new option for people who are concerned about both calories and side effects from the non-sugar sweeteners on the market. Pepsi and Coke already had plans in the works to market drinks made with the sweetener -- Sprite Green and Odwalla juices for Coke, and Sobe LifeWater and orange-flavored Trop50 for Pepsi. But a UCLA study concluded that testing on the sweetener isn't yet accurate, leading the Center For Science In The Public Interest to voice its disapproval of the FDA's decision.
Agave nectar is another sweetener expected to show up in an increasing number of products in 2009 -- DataMonitor showed that 176 new products with agave were launched in 2007, compared with 56 in 2003. Agave is getting attention because of its low glycemic index -- that is, it doesn't cause blood sugar to spike, and therefore crash, as easily as refined sugars can. The vegan sweetener has a more neutral taste than honey and dissolves more easily in cold drinks. But whatever its benefits, it's important to remember that agave is still sugar -- it still has calories and will be still stored as fat if you don't burn it…
In May 2008, New York City required chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menu boards, in an effort to curb obesity and its related diseases by giving people more information about what they're eating - significant in a country where about a third of meals are eaten outside the home. There is now a similar requirement in Philadelphia. In Los Angeles, the city council banned the construction of new fast food restaurants in certain city neighborhoods for a year. Now the state of New York is proposing a 15-percent sales tax on non-diet soft drinks that could kick in this year. With legal challenges failing to prevent these fat-fighting municipal and state measures from going through, look for them to spread in 2009.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService4/idUSTRE5074UA20090108
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Excerpt: More than one-third of consumers (35 percent) said they are eating or buying dinners out less frequently than one year ago, reports foodservice consultants Technomic. Money issues dominated the reasons for decreased patronage; 77 percent of those cutting back are doing so to save money, while 59 percent said they have less money to spend, and 46 percent cited the price of restaurant meals. "It's vital for operators to provide consumers with added value incentives to maintain and grow their business," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic. "Consumers want to feel that their dinner experience is a good value regardless of the price point. Special offers, promotions, family-pack and combo meals promote that perception.
Beyond increasing the value proposition for consumers, bundling items in a combo meal helps operators to build add-on sales."…
•Ethnically-inspired dishes and bolder flavor profiles that consumers cannot easily create at home are an important part of the dinner experience. Mexican is the leading ethnic dinner option among both full- and limited-service restaurants. Asian flavors are also especially popular, and Asian preparation techniques and ingredients are growing in dinner offerings.
•Convenience is an important factor in dinner trends, including ordering, parking, and location. Many consumers (27 percent) said they often view menus online when choosing a dinner venue, while 38 percent said free and easily accessible parking was important for choosing takeout. Convenience was also the top reason for choosing a retail meal.
Source: http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=7120
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