What's For Dinner 2011: Trends in Center of Plate Proteins : Packaged Facts

What's For Dinner 2011: Trends in Center of Plate Proteins : Packaged Facts

5 Hygiene Products Every Man Should Have

It's a common misconception that men don't care about hygiene products. While you may not want to smell like a rose, no one wants bad breath or body odor. In fact, the market for men's skin care and hygiene products -- which was valued at approximately $20 billion worldwide in 2009 -- is rapidly growing, and predicted to reach $28 billion by 2014.

by Maria Colenso

Competition on Aisle Five

Competition on Aisle Five

A new study finds consumers are flocking to grocery-store prepared meals for two reasons. And restaurants should be worried. By Daniel P. Smith

 

Quick-service restaurants feeling more intense competition for the consumer’s dollar might not only look at their dining rivals across the street, but their supermarket down the block.

A growing array of prepared and ready-to-eat foods at retail outlets such as Walmart and Kroger are attracting consumers and threatening to put a dent in quick-service business, says a new report from Packaged Facts titled “Prepared Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods at Retail: The New Competition to Foodservice.”

Gluten-free food market growing by 30 percent a year | jacksonville.com

Submitted by Mark Basch on March 8, 2011 - 1:40pm

The Gluten-free Glutton

Here's good news for everyone who's restricted to a gluten-free diet: a new report by market research firm Packaged Facts says that the U.S. market for gluten-free foods and beverages has grown by 30 percent a year since 2006 to $2.6 billion in 2010. And while the firm expects growth to slow, it still projects gluten-free sales to exceed $5 billion by 2015.

That's good news because more retailers are recognizing that there is a strong market for gluten-free foods, and we can expect to see more products on supermarket shelves.

"I've heard more and more about it in the last five years," Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. CEO Peter Lynch told me recently.

Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie says that 85 percent of its stores carry a selection of gluten-free products, which include chips and pretzels, cookies and crackers, cereal, baking mixes, bread, pasta, pizza crusts, pancake mixes and frozen selections. The company says it "absolutely" expects to focus more on gluten-free products in the future.

Packaged Facts says that more mass market retailers are selling gluten-free products, with the gluten-free market share for health and natural food stores falling from 30 percent to 16 percent in the last two years. The firm said just under half of gluten-free shoppers buy from Walmart, and 44 percent buy from supermarket chains.

The firm said one marketer it interviewed refers to gluten-free products as "just a regular grocery item."


Full Article

Gluten-free category steams ahead

Gluten-free category steams ahead
Sorghum joins list of ingredient alternatives
FoodBusinessNews.net, March 8, 2011
by Jeff Gelski

The U.S. market for gluten-free foods and beverages experienced a compound annual growth rate of 30% from 2006 to 2010 and was a $2.6 billion market in 2010, according to the analysis “Gluten-free Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 3rd edition” released Feb. 2 by Packaged Facts.Growth rates will slow, according to Packaged Facts, but U.S. sales of gluten-free foods and beverages will exceed $5 billion by 2015.

Many people are gluten-free out of necessity because they suffer from celiac disease or a food allergy,” the analysis said. “But a growing number are gluten-free by choice, as evidence emerges that this diet may treat medical conditions ranging from autism in children to rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Others find that living gluten-free makes them feel better.

Read Full Article at Food Business News

Report: Gluten-Free Momentum Accelerating

Photo Source: MediaPost Publications

by Karlene Lukovitz, Friday, March 4, 2011, 5:41 PM
 
Sales of gluten-free foods and beverages, once considered specialty items, had a compound annual growth rate of 30% in the U.S. between 2006 and 2010, according to the latest report on this category from research publisher Packaged Facts.

Packaged Facts, which previously projected that sales of gluten-free foods and beverages would reach $2.3 billion by 2011, has revised those estimates, putting the market at $2.64 billion in 2010.

Moreover, despite factors such as expected falling product prices due to a greater presence of these items in mass outlets and more private-label choices, the researcher expects gluten-free products to show average annual compound growth of 14% between 2011 and 2015, to reach sales of to $5.6 billion by 2015.

The dynamics behind this growth start with growing consumer awareness of celiac disease -- a chronic autoimmune intestinal disorder in genetically susceptible individuals that causes a toxic reaction to ingesting wheat gluten and similar proteins. A Mayo Clinic study found that the rate of celiac disease has more than quadrupled in the past 50 years -- this despite the fact that it is still "staggeringly under-diagnosed," according to Packaged Facts. Recent estimates are that 1% of Americans, or about 3 million people, may be affected. Food allergies affect about 4% of U.S. adults and 5% of children, and the incidence among children, in particular, has been rising rapidly.

Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet -- which is why, these days, "everyone knows someone" who is living gluten-free, one marketer noted to the report's researchers. In addition, there is evidence that gluten-free diets may relieve autism in children and adult rheumatoid arthritis.
Furthermore, from a broader perspective, a growing number of consumers perceive gluten-free products as being of higher quality and having a healthy "aura" -- a dynamic similar to the one that's driven sales growth of kosher foods in recent years, points out the report. "There is a demand for [gluten-free] foods and beverages that mainstream food manufacturers and retailers are increasingly happy to satisfy," observes Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts.

Recognition by major brands and mass retailers of the sustainable -- non-fad -- growth of gluten-free products, and their resulting push to market/carry such products, has resulted in health food stores' share of these products' sales dropping by half in just two years, estimates Packaged Facts. The surge in the sales and number of products specifically marketed as gluten-free in supermarkets and mass merchandisers tracked by Symphony IRI has reached the point that, according to one brand marketer quoted in the report, gluten-free products are becoming "just a regular grocery item."

Dominant gluten-free product categories in food/drug/mass retailers include food/nutrition bars -- which, largely due to General Mills' acquisition of the Lärabar brand in 2008, represent about 16% of total gluten-free product sales in these outlets and showed the largest year-over-year sales growth between 2009 and 2010, according to the report. Sales of gluten-free ready-to-eat cereals declined slightly between 2009 and 2010, but that category remains in second place.

Indeed, General Mills' "transformation" of its popular Rice Chex cereal into a gluten-free product without changing its taste "stands as a milestone indicator of the breadth of impact of gluten-free products having mainstream consciousness," point out Packaged Facts' analysts. As of November 2010, General Mills reported offering 250 gluten-free products, including five varieties of Chex and numerous products under the Betty Crocker and Bisquick brands.

Meanwhile, while product categories such as hot cereal, soups and frozen pizza are still very small segments of the overall gluten-free food/beverage market, they are showing significant, double-digit gains.
Consumers on gluten-free diets are willing to pay the higher prices generally associated with gluten-free products, the report notes.

More Food Service Operators to Use Social Media

February 24 2011 | Kathy Crosett

Using a landline phone to make restaurant reservations is so 20^th Century. These days, consumers expect to engage with restaurants online and through mobile devices. Restaurant operators who don’t build up their online presence and brand loyalty are missing an opportunity to generate higher sales. Even outlets that have not traditionally advertised are finding new business coming from social media efforts.

The new Social Media and Technology in the U.S. Foodservice Industry: Trends and Opportunities for an Emerging Market report by Packaged Facts explains that everything has changed in the food service industry. Don Monturori, publisher of Packaged Facts says, “We believe the restaurant industry is in the midst of being shaped by the convergence of the mobile, yet always connected, consumer; location-based and context-aware technological innovation, and mobile payments, which already demonstrate the potential to redefine how to cultivate restaurant guest loyalty, incentivize dining occasions, and better tailor marketing messages.” As proof of this new trend, consider these facts:

• Almost 1/3^rd (31%) of consumers who frequent restaurants for eat-in or take-out meals use their computers to place orders.
• About 1/5^th (21%) of consumers use mobile phones or other devices to place restaurant orders.

Facebook and Twitter are the leading social media outlets for restaurant operators to conquer. Packaged Facts analysts point out that food service operators should focus on location-based promotions this year as active Facebook users are ‘frequently on the go’. In addition, Twitter can be used to reach “a younger, more urban, multi–cultural audience.” Studies show that Twitter has significant appeal for emerging demographics – Hispanics, African Americans and Asians. And these social media tools aren’t just being used by traditional restaurants. One of this year’s most interesting trends is the growing number of food trucks that serve unique and ethnic fare in urban environments. These lower-cost outlets are turning to Twitter to promote themselves.
As the restaurant industry battles to regain the losses suffered during the recession, most operators will be turning to lower-cost forms of promotions. For many, social media seems to fit the bill.

[Source: Facebook, Twitter and Smartphones Lead Social Media-Fueled Innovation within U.S. Foodservice. PackagedFacts.com. 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2011]


More Food Service Operators to Use Social Media - marketingforecast.com

Varied Interests Drive Growing Popularity of Local Foods - Amber Waves, December 2010, Feature

Varied Interests Drive Growing Popularity of Local Foods

As demand for local foods grows, so do questions about what constitutes “local” foods, what characterizes local food markets, and how local food markets affect farmers, consumers, and communities.

Steve W. Martinez

Social Media and Technology in the U.S. Foodservice Industry: Trends and Opportunities for an Emerging Market : Packaged Facts

The convergence of social media, mobile devices and consumer lifestyles is ushering in a new era of restaurant-consumer interaction, opening new doors for restaurant operators to build customer relationships and sales opportunities, according to Packaged Facts’ Social Media and Technology in the U.S. Foodservice Industry: Trends and Opportunities for an Emerging Market.
Tethered by the Internet, restaurant operators are increasingly interacting with restaurant consumers in real-time—at work, at home or in mid stride. This provides significant opportunity to shape consumer food choices not only as they are being made, but also in proximity to a restaurant seeking that consumer’s business.

This Packaged Facts report provides the insight and analysis foodservice market participants need to understand and leverage social media and technology platforms to enhance their bottom lines. The analysis includes the following:

* Social Networking Platforms
* Consumer Review Platforms
* Food Blogs And Food Photography
* Technologic Dining In Action
* Smartphones And Applications
* Online Ordering Platforms
* Anatomy Of The Mobile Restaurant Ordering User
* Anatomy Of The Urban Diner
* Using Social Media To Effect: Restaurant Case Studies

More>

LA Times: Small pet stores see healthy growth of organic food sales

Sales of premium-priced organic and natural pet food are expected to grow three times as fast as pet food sales overall through 2015.

Lance Castro, left, and Guy Miracle, owners of the Modern Dog in Venice, sell several brands of freeze-dried raw food and premium kibble. “It’s done wonders for our business,” Castro says. (Ricardo DeAratanha, Los Angeles Times)

By Cyndia Zwahlen

February 7, 2011

Organic, raw and even gluten-free food choices aren't just for people anymore.

These options are showing up at local pet shops that are looking to distinguish themselves from big-box competitors. After a slowdown in sales of premium-priced food during the recession, independent pet shops said the sector was recovering.

At the Modern Dog, a boutique in a Venice bungalow, co-owner Lance Castro was looking to add two new brands of freeze-dried raw food and premium kibble to the seven he already sells.
"It's done wonders for our business," said Castro, who opened the Abbot Kinney Boulevard store with Guy Miracle five years ago.

The store's popular Sojos dehydrated dog food mix of sweet potatoes, turkey, apples and flax meal, among other ingredients, costs $21.99 for a 2-pound bag, to which water is added to make 10 pounds of food.

Castro said he was looking at sites for a second location where he plans to have a refrigeration unit for fresh and frozen raw-food brands.

Nationwide, annual retail sales of organic and natural pet food are expected to grow three times as fast as pet food sales overall through 2015, according to an industry report to be released this week by the Packaged Facts market research company.

Industry analyst David Lummis, who wrote the report, estimated that natural and organics would grow 12% a year on average, hitting $2.8 billion in 2015. By comparison, he expects an average 4% annual growth rate for the entire pet food market over the same period. Overall pet food sales will reach $22.1 billion in 2015, Lummis said.

"People are treating their dog food like some people are treating their baby food," said Todd Martin, vice president of marketing for Castor & Pollux Pet Works, a Clackamas, Ore., company that makes organic pet food and treats. "They want to know it's safe, and they want to know it's quality."

Still, organic pet food — which costs as much as 30% more than non-organic — remains a tiny part of the overall market.

Many independent shops, which are in the vanguard of the organic food sector, got a boost in business in 2007 when pets died from eating food that contained imported wheat gluten and rice protein contaminated with melamine. The poisonous contaminant even showed up in some brands sold as being natural.

As with food for people, there are no regulations governing the word "natural" on pet food labels. But pet foods marketed as organic must meet the same U.S. Department of Agriculture standards as human food in the category, according to USDA spokesperson Soo Kim.

Annual sales of organic pet food increased tenfold from 2002 to 2009, when sales hit $84 million, according to the Organic Trade Assn.

Now that organics are becoming more popular, some large pet store chains are also carrying them, said Joan Storms, an analyst at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles.

But the more exotic raw and organic pet food is still mostly the province of independent shops.

Neal Massa is co-owner of My Pet Naturally in West Los Angeles, where customers can find raw elk meat for $7.49 a pound and raw chicken and lamb for Fido for about $4 a pound.

"My clientele are probably mostly single, more single women than not, and what I am finding is that these are their kids," Massa said, referring to his customers' pets. "So you are going to spend a little bit more money for pet food."

Full Article: Pet food: Independent pet stores see growing sales of organic and natural pet food - latimes.com