Sugar reduction—applying the term as a generic for full-calorie sweeteners—remains one of the top concerns among consumers, yet the lack of willingness to sacrifice flavor and function remains a challenge to product developers.

Food scientists—at least a small handful of them—now have the both the skills and the ingredient toolbox to manipulate and combine fibers, gums, and proteins into plant-based analogs of hen eggs that look, feel, cook up, and taste like the real thing.

While sports nutrition is often targeted on athletic performance, health, and human performance, it is important for all throughout the lifespan.

The events of the past few years have sealed cultured dairy in the minds of most consumers as the primary method for attaining a healthy gut microbiome.

Protein is a key and vital nutrient, necessary not only for maintaining muscles and other tissues but for production of key components of the body’s operating systems—virtually every metabolic function relies on the protein structures known as enzymes. 

According to a 2021 survey by the CDC, more than two-thirds (67.3%) of adults aged 20 and above eat fruit “on a given day,” with fruit consumption about 10% higher among women—70.5%—than among men (63.8%).

David Feder, Executive Editor-Technical for Prepared Foods, interviews Tucker Garrison, co-founder of Imlak’esh Organics, Inc. and its Chi Foods company, makers of plant-based ground pork and pork chorizo analogs.

The number of chili peppers and pepper sauces continues to multiply and proliferate, with some becoming mainstream. The past decade has seen sriracha become nearly as ubiquitous as ketchup, and superhot peppers, specifically ghost peppers, Carolina Reapers, and scorpion peppers have become mainstream. 

It’s always good to start a dairy report with a tall glass of milk. While it’s safe to say reports of dairy milk’s demise in the face of the plant-based boom are premature, unit sales slipped again in 2022 by 3.3%. Luckily for the industry, dollar sales increased by more than twice that percentage (7%) due to price-per-unit increases of 11 cents.

Recipe innovation is at the forefront of product development, and to win new customers, traditional combinations (featuring such standbys as pepperoni, sausage, or mushrooms) are giving up space to new meat combinations, as well as novel vegetable crusts, sauces, plant-based toppings, other natural ingredients and spices sourced from the world’s cuisines.