Trends in food consumption

Citation

(2001), "Trends in food consumption", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 31 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2001.01731fab.003

Trends in food consumption

Trends in food consumption

The Institute of Food Technologists in America has found that age, economics, ethnicity and convenience are just some of the factors influencing American food choices. Pre-made meals and take-aways are very popular with pizza and hamburger chains dominating but Asian and Mexican foods are becoming increasingly popular. Gone are the days of all-out avoidance of red meat, fat-free meals and fibre rich meals. Few consumers are being trained how to cook and fewer still want to clean up afterwards, hence the demand for one dish meals that go straight from the oven to the dinner table. With nearly 40 million children between the ages of five to 14 and another 14 million in high school, the youth market is determining what food is bought for the family to eat. With more frequent snacking, sandwiches top the list of in-home dinner items. More carbonated drinks are also being served while coffee, desserts and bread consumption are declining. On the other hand, Americans are taking more responsibility for their health and are sending fortified, functional and performance enhancing food sales soaring. One third of shoppers say they purchase organic foods and one in four seek out specific health benefits of food while shopping.