SugarCreek: Brandworthy Food Solutions

In the past, traditional pizza marketing has often favored the adolescent and young adult niches. Advertisements in this industry typically focus on indulgence, with stuffed crusts and an over-abundance of cheese taking center stage. However, food industry research indicates that consumers are growing tired of this approach as food industry trends continue to shift away from extravagance. To keep your pizza chain competitive, consider incorporating flatbread into your menu.

In October, Subway made headlines by announcing that they would stop selling meat from animals given antibiotics. The plan involves switching to antibiotic-free chicken and turkey next year and eliminating all other meat raised with antibiotics within the next nine years. The move comes in the face of pressure from consumers and activist groups like the US Public Interest Research Group. But many producers, including a number of those in the wholesale bacon industry, have expressed misgivings about the move. Is going 100% antibiotic free necessary or safe?

Consumers are no strangers to foodborne illness and product recalls. In 2015, outbreaks were reported in everything from organic spinach to Blue Bell ice cream. A listeria or E. coli outbreak can spell disaster for companies, especially fast food chains that fail to get out in front of the outbreak. A foodborne illness can cost operations millions of dollars in lost sales, lawsuits and legal fees and negative media exposure, not to mention the cost of identifying and removing infected ingredients from the supply chain. Consumers often avoid the affected chain long after the outbreak ends. That’s not the case for Chipotle, however. Despite being in the midst of a major E. coli outbreak, the chain continues to enjoy strong public support.

What is Chipotle doing right, and what does their successful approach mean for other quick service restaurants and their copacking partners?

Bacon is big business. Americans mow down pounds of the crispy pork product each year as strips, bits, and every other product imaginable. But as consumers become increasing concerned with the healthfulness and ethicality of the foods they eat, some food brands and co-packers worry that the American appetite for bacon may be on the wane. The good news for these companies is that eating bacon actually has quite a number of associated benefits.

Food fads like local eating and farm-to-table may seem like niche interests that only apply to a small group of young adult consumers or foodies. But, brands like Chipotle and Panera have seen skyrocketing popularity—enough, in fact to help Chipotle, at least, weather a major food safety incident—after embracing this and other all-natural trends. It has become clear: If you’re in the food industry, you need to be paying attention.

There's a lot of evidence that the greater interest in where the food we eat comes from has passed from fad to become a fixture in consumers' buying habits.

One of the food service success stories of recent years is bacon. This food, once priced so low it was nearly unsellable, continues to see its popularity grow quarter after quarter. And so, every bacon co-packer continues to see orders for all versions of this pork product—from bits and pieces to specialty bacons. But, there are reasons to believe that the trend could cool with at least a certain portion of consumers.

It’s long been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it turns out this adage couldn’t be more right. New research has suggested that people who skip breakfast are nearly 5% more likely to overeat at lunch, and the foods they choose are more likely to be unhealthy. It won’t be long until health-conscious consumers take these findings to heart, and we begin to see new breakfasting habits emerge.

While Americans still love their bacon—chowing down about 18 pounds of it every year—consumers are showing more interest in the nutritional impact of their food purchases. Healthier alternatives to traditional breakfast foods, like turkey bacon, are rising in popularity. Now, even health-conscious grocery shoppers can have their bacon and eat it, too. Healthier and gourmet breakfast options have been steadily gaining ground over the last decade, and brands that offer upscale updates on traditional flavors can build market share by capitalizing on consumer demand for healthier twists on their traditional favorites.

When it comes to food industry trends, bacon is one that will not die. The "bacon on everything!" phenomenon may be cooling down recently, but this smoky, umami-rich treat remains an essential part of many consumers' eating habits. And, this is a good thing for brands. Bacon sales soared to $4 billion last year. To use the power of bacon to bolster your brand's profits, it's important to pick the right bacon for your specific needs.

While grocery shoppers may still pick up a frozen pizza now and again, the heat-and-eat meals have fallen out of favor with consumers of late. Many shoppers are eschewing these frozen dinners in favor of other options they perceive as healthier or higher quality alternatives like protein bites and gourmet foods. But pizza itself is a timeless treat. By adapting to current food trends popular with consumers, food manufacturers can win back business and give their customers the food tastes that they love.