Food Processing - July 2008 - (Page 13) the trends Center of the Plate at nrA name of the game for restaurant menus this year: more choices. d espite the challenges of a slumping overall economy, restaurant industry sales are projected to increase 4.4 percent this year, reaching a record $558.3 billion, according to the Washington-based National Restaurant Assn. (NRA). For a quick perspective, sales were just $42.8 billion in 1970. There are 945,000 restaurants and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 12.8 million for the largest employer in the U.S. The restaurant industry’s share of the food dollar is 48 percent. Now in its 89th year, NRA held its annual Restaurant-Hotel-Motel Show in May in Chicago. It’s the largest gathering of restaurant and hospitality industry professionals in the U.S., pulling more than 70,000 visitors and 2,200 exhibitors from all 50 states and 115 countries. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain – curiously accompanied by Joe Lieberman, Democratic senator from Connecticut – delivered a campaign speech to attendees, who have a lot of clout and dollars. “Considering both of my opponents call Chicago their home, I got a great welcome,” he joked. There were some signs of cutbacks by food processors and foodservice companies, who normally spare no expense at this show. Perdue Farms cancelled its annual party for customers, and Tyson Foods did not serve chicken at its booth because of spiraling costs. McCain Foods didn’t exhibit at all. But Coca-Cola Foodservice had a brimming portfolio of new beverage and beverage dispensing products, including Juan Valdez caféReale, a shelf-stable liquid coffee extract in Bag-in-Box form which eliminates mess, waste and filters. Coke’s proprietary Bevariety Drop-In Dispenser is a versatile, eight-valve fountain dispenser that expands to 12 brands with flavor shot capability. That means a Coca-Cola Classic can be turned into a flavored Coke by adding a vanilla or cherry shot, or a Minute Maid Lemonade can be turned into a cherry-lemonade. Sara Lee Foodservice had Chef Pierre Pre-Sliced Pies, the foodservice industry’s first pre-portioned pies. Available in seven varieties, slices can be thawed as needed. The name of the game for restaurant menus in 2008 is more choices – more portion-sizes, more healthy options,and more tastes, flavors and innovations. Trends mirror those in the processing industry. Three of four adults (and about the same percentage of teens) are trying to eat more healthfully. Bite-size desserts and small plates/tapas/mezze are hot, as are sourcing ingredients (local produce, organics, sustainable seafood, grass-fed and freerange) for menus. So is serving specialty alcohol products (craft beer, signature cocktails, organic wine). sara Lee Foodservice introduced Chef Pierre Pre-sliced Pies. “Gelato is a perfect example of trends driving business in foodservice,” says Greg Kirrish, NRA’s vice president sales and marketing. “Consumers are looking for satisfaction in small packages.” There were many examples of gelato and sorbet. David Zablocki, founder and sorbet sommelier at Greenpoint, N.Y.based Wine Cellar Sorbets, makes natural, fat-free sorbets from port wine and sake. On the health front, sweet potatoes were everywhere regular fries used to be. And one of the more curious findings was Texturas kits from Solex Partners LLC. They were created by Spain’s foremost molecular gastronomist, Chef Ferran Adrià, to allow chefs to experiment and make the foods served at Adrià’s el bulli, Alinea and moto restaurants. some 1,200 members of the American culinary federation voted on what’s hot and what’s not in the trendy restaurant world. see their picks at www.FoodProcessing. com/nrAhot. July 2008 food processing • 13 more on the web foodprocessing.com http://www.FoodProcessing.com/NRAhot http://www.FoodProcessing.com/NRAhot http://foodprocessing.com
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