U-Vend, Inc. a consumer products and technology company that develops, distributes and markets next-generation self-serve electronic kiosks in a variety of retail environments across North America announced today that as Del Monte® Foods' exclusive U.S. provider of its healthy fruit snack and squeezer self-serve kiosks and merchandisers, the Company has begun the roll-out of its kiosks in the Chicago territory.

Consumers will seek more from their food in 2015, whether stronger flavors, alternative sweeteners, or snacks made with everything from plant-based meat to even marijuana.

Today, Hispanics account for one-sixth of the U.S. population, totaling 53 million people. These shoppers have increased their spending more than 200 percent since 2000, with purchasing power projected to surpass $1.7 trillion by 2017.

"From Clean to Clear Label," "Good Fats, Good Carbs," and "More in Store for Protein" are three food trends* examined in the latest "T for Trends" webinar presented by Cargill's cocoa and chocolate business. Together with Innova Market Insights, the company has translated the trends into applications for the cocoa and chocolate industry.

It seems these days, grocery shelves are exploding with gluten-free choices, due in large part to greater awareness of a gluten-free diet as a result of increasing diagnoses of celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities, and the diet’s perceived health benefits.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz recently claimed that mobile payments at the popular coffee chain are growing almost 50% annually, and that 90% of all mobile payments in 2013 were made at Starbucks.

But this money didn’t disappear. Instead, $70 million of it was diverted to increase the sales of one of the biggest disruptive innovations in the breakfast category, Belvita breakfast biscuits. The rest went to a host of high-growth challenger brands.

The growth of online grocery shopping and a preference toward craft foods, fermented foods (think aged, cured or pickled foods like sauerkraut) and smoked flavors rank among the top food trends for 2015, according to Supermarket Guru®, Phil Lempert.

Global consumers spent $374 billion1 on snack foods annually between 2013 and 2014, a year-over-year increase of 2%, according to a new global report released by Nielsen.