SugarCreek: Brandworthy Food Solutions

One of the big challenges food brands face is getting consumers to accept new things. Often, there are misconceptions about foods that need to be overcome. In the case of sous vide, there are a few home cooks who see the new technique as the same as boil-in-a-bag. They couldn't be farther from the truth. Sous vide offers a mouthfeel that boil-in-a-bag products can't touch.

Every so often, a food fad will take hold of grocery shoppers. Whether it's low-fat, low-carb, paleo, gluten-free or some other idea, people will suddenly decide that it's necessary for health or weight loss, and many brands will eagerly pursue this new market, churning out niche products to fill these new demands. While no one can doubt the short-term success of catering to fads, it’s less certain that it can be sustainable as a long-term strategy.

If you’ve ever watched Bravo's Top Chef, you’ve likely seen the sous vide method of cooking in action. There’s a reason why professional chefs all over the world rely on this European method when the aim is precision cooking: sous vide ensures that food is prepared to optimal “doneness” with no sacrifice of flavor, juiciness or nutrition. And while sous vide may have once been the exclusive domain of trained master chefs, it is now making its way to fast food, industrial and home kitchens, where enterprising chefs are making the most of this precision technique. Let’s take a closer look at the sous vide trend and what it means for you.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods have, traditionally, been a category dominated by sodium- and preservative-laden packaged meals. But with the clean labeling trend overtaking the food industry, brands are rightly concerned over how they can market their RTE meals as “clean label” products. Could the sous vide process make clean labeling easier for food manufacturers while still satisfying grocery shoppers’ demands for wholesome products that are free from artificial ingredients or allergens?

Families’ and individuals' households are changing, and their needs are changing with them. During the recession, a lot of consumers put low-cost at the top of their list of food priorities. But, as we ease back into a financial upswing, more people are working more hours. These consumers are more likely to add convenience to their list of needs, and they are willing to pay more for it. When you offer customers sous vide recipes, you give them the chance to get foods that are quick and easy while still offering taste and healthful nutrition profiles.

American appetites today are driven by two desires that are frequently at odds with one another: we want food that is more healthful and nutritious. But, we also want meals that are delicious and indulgent. Upwards of 40 percent of American consumers say that they are more likely to eat at a restaurant that features healthy alternatives on the menu, even if they don't wind up eating a healthy meal once they get there.

Big brands are learning that they can't continue to thrive by doing the same old things that they've always done. Grocery shoppers are changing their preferences and their habits. To keep their place in consumers' cupboards, companies must adapt to the new habits and desires that inform shoppers' behavior when they enter the store. The following four points are a few of the most important changes for brands to track.

As consumer habits change, brands do not have the same level of trust and loyalty as they did in the past. According to a recent study, brand trust is down across the board. Reasons for dips in trust range from recent recalls and scandals to worries about the quality of ingredients used. But, responsive and attentive brands can woo customers back. One great way is through attending to new consumer interests, such as sous vide recipes.

The pork that both home and commercial chefs prepare today is a lot different than what was available a century ago. In the past, pigs carried a lot more fat than the lean animals raised today to appeal to the modern diner’s concern about dietary fat and animal fat, in particular. To meet the growing consumer trend, and also to get more meat per animal, pork farmers have sought out and developed breeds that are far leaner and more muscular than their historical counterparts.

Grocery shoppers' habits continue to change and evolve. While it's expected that the sales of frozen and shelf stable foods will be flat over the next decade, sales of fresh made-in-store foods are expected to increase by 7.5% a year. So, how can makers of long shelf life foods win more market share in a stale category? By continuing to adapt and change to fulfill buyers' needs.