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16 GENERAL NEWS GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2013 www.gourmetnews.com Gourmet Bar Mixers Gain Trendspotters Identify Top Market Momentum with More Five Food Trends at 2013 Crafting Cocktails at Home Summer Fancy Food Show Tracking the growth trend in spirits and the rise of cocktail culture, mixers used in the preparation of cocktails and mixed drinks in restaurants and bars is on a solid growth trajectory. This is according to The OnPremise Bar Mixer Marketplace report recently released by market research firm Technomic. Technomic defines the mixer category as non-alcoholic beverage ingredients used in spirits-based mixed drinks and cocktails. This includes prepared mixes, juices, carbonated soft drinks, syrups and flavorings, purees, tonic waters and energy drinks. Mixers reached 130 million finished gallons in 2012, a 2.5 percent increase compared with 2011. The category is expected to continue on a steady growth trend in 2013 and 2014. "Several factors are supporting the growth of mixers in the on-premise channel," said Donna Hood Crecca, Senior Director at Technomic. "The continued growth of spirits and cocktails in bars and restaurants, combined with flavor and product innovation on the part of mixer suppliers is creating momentum in the category. And consumers are increasingly interested in the mixers used in their drinks." One-third of consumers say they pay more attention to mixers when ordering drinks at bars and restaurants now than they did two years ago, according to the study. Young adult consumers are the group most in tune with the trend. Forty-five percent of millennials report paying more attention to the mixers used in drinks today. In addition, the majority of bartenders sur- veyed (85 percent) report their guests are more interested in the mixer component of their drinks. Flavor is the mixer attribute of most interest to consumers, and it is an important area of product innovation among leading mixer suppliers. Strawberry, lime, exotic fruits, sweet-spicy and other blends are trending flavors. Brand is also important to consumers, particularly for drinks involving spirits and carbonated soft drinks, such as rum and cola. Three-quarters of consumers specify the preferred brand of carbonated soft drink when ordering these mixed drinks. "Following a 5.6 percent increase in sales in the onpremise channel in 2012, spirits are projected to continue growing in dollars and volume in restaurants, bars, lounges, nightclubs and other onpremise locations," said Crecca. "The cocktail culture is now well-established, and millennials are very much engaged in it, driving trends in new drinks and flavors. As a result, the vibrant and diverse mixer market is expected to enjoy ongoing expansion." The On-Premise Bar Mixer Marketplace report provides in-depth national volume information on mixer categories, including leading brands, as well as bartender, on-premise operator and consumer insights, all presented with expert analysis and forecasting. To purchase or learn more about On-Premise Bar Mixer Marketplace, as well as other industry reports and services for adult beverage suppliers, visit Technomic online at www.technomic.com. GN Move over bacon. Make way for kale pops, chia pods and simmer sauces from around the globe. These are examples of the top five food trends for the coming year as chosen by a panel of trendspotters at the 59th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. The 2013 Summer Fancy Food show was held June 30-July 2 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The annual event is the largest marketplace in North America for specialty foods and beverages, with 180,000 products from more than 2,400 food manufacturers, importers and entrepreneurs on display, including the latest artisanal cheeses, chocolates, vinegars, grilling sauces and natural and organic products. The first food trend chosen by the show's trendspotters is the reinvention of frozen treats. Several exhibitors stand out as emblematic of this phenomenon, including Life Ice, maker of Freeze & Eat Bite-Sized Ices, and DeeBee's Organics, whose Tea Pops introduce the refreshing flavors of tea to a frozen treat. The second trend is the clever introduction of grains and seeds to new product categories. Seattle Chocolate Co., for example, is using both grains and seeds in their jcoco Agave Quinoa Sesame Milk Chocolate Bar. And La Pasta, Inc., an innovative pasta and sauce company, has found a new way to use quinoa in their Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Kale Ravioli. Global meal starters represent a third important trend identified by the experts at the show. Saffron Road, for example, offers unique international meal starters like Harissa, Korean Stir Fry and Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauces. Meanwhile, another show exhibitor, Kitchens of Africa, offers Maffé Peanut and Yassa Onion Simmer Sauces. The fourth trend consumers can expect to see at their local specialty food shop this year is the movement to redesign and perfect retro dishes. Companies already reimagining classics include City Bakery, which is tackling hot chocolate, and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, which has completely re-envisioned the ice cream sandwich. Finally, the trendspotters identified one predominant trend when it comes to beverages: at-home mixology. A number of exhibitors at this year's show, including Sociale, Hella Bitter, Luke's Heirloom Tomato Juice and Emily Rose Syrups, presented their delicious, gourmet cocktail mixers. The expert trendspotters who chose this list included Rachel Hofstetter, Author of "Cooking Up a Business," Sara Moulton of Sara's Weeknight Meals, Kara Nielsen of CCD Innovation, Charles Passy of The Wall Street Journal Digital Network, Denise Purcell of Specialty Food Media, Lauren Purcell and Dana Bowen of Everyday with Rachel Ray, Regina Ragone of Family Circle Magazine, Beverly Stephen of Food Arts and Susie Timm of Girl Meets Fork. Additional trends identified by this panel of experts include single-serve snacks with calorie counts, Vietnamese flavors, chickpea and seaweed snacks, maple products, sweet and savory cookies, coconut, salted caramel and innovations in gluten-free foods. GN Survey Reveals Drivers behind Parents' Purchases for their Children A recent survey conducted by Cargill, an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services, reveals the key drivers behind parents' food and beverage purchases for their children. According to the survey, Parents are more likely to seek foods and beverages that appeal to the whole family rather than products and meals that are just for kids. The survey also shows that parents are generally unsatisfied with the healthfulness of current options across key categories of foods and beverages that are popular with kids. As such, parents tend to seek positive attributes such as whole grains and fiber rather than specifically avoiding the things they perceive to be unhealthy, such as fat, sugar and sodium. "We know it's important to meet the nutrition and budget expectations of parents, while also satisfying kids on the taste di- mension," said DeeAnn Roullier, Marketing Research Manager for Cargill. "Our research provides a more specific understanding of gatekeeper purchase drivers in categories heavily consumed by kids. This helps us collaborate with customers to develop healthier foods that really resonate." According to the survey, only onethird of parents said they "often prepare separate adult and kid meals," and 81 percent of parents said it is important for the foods they purchase to appeal to the entire family. When looking to determine whether it was the kids or the parents who compromise on the kinds of foods they eat, it was most often the kids. Most parents, 89 percent in fact, said they ask their kids to broaden their tastes, and 69 percent said they ask their kids to try more adult food. Importantly, millennial parents are more likely to say that family appeal is im- portant compared to older parents. This suggests young consumers moving into parenthood are likely to adopt a family approach. The Cargill study looked across nine food and beverage categories that are popular with children to determine the key attributes that resonate most with parents. Compared to the general population, parents show a low level of satisfaction with the healthfulness of most of these categories. This low satisfaction drives high purchase intent for healthier products. Cargill's results indicate a high level of intent to purchase healthier products in eight of nine categories and highlight opportunity gaps for each category. In addition, the Cargill survey revealed that parents are more likely to seek positive attributes in food and beverage products, as opposed to working to avoid what they perceive to be unhealthy. More than three- quarters of those surveyed say they check the nutrition information on unfamiliar products, with 65 percent saying that they regularly check nutrition highlights on the front of the package. "Pressures on food and beverage companies to formulate more nutritious products for kids are coming from all angles—consumers, NGOs and government as well as many customers' own internal nutrition targets," Roullier said. "Those pressures are typically focused on limiting nutrients that are perceived to be less healthy, especially fat, sodium and sugar. Our research suggests that consumers are largely interested in positive nutrition." This research was conducted as part of Cargill's childhood nutrition initiative which aims to help food and beverage manufacturers and foodservice operators formulate products that improve the nutrition profile of products targeted to children. GN

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