Prepared Foods gets the inside scoop on new product development from Stacey Kinkaid, US Foods vice president of product development & innovation.

Quemada (ke-mada) translates literally to “burnt” in Spanish, but in English refers to the deeply charred ingredients used in the salsas. Charring the ingredients adds depth and complexity to foods, especially salsas

The Future Menus North America Trends 2024 report identifies top menu trends predicted to influence the restaurant industry in the coming years.

Generation Z, known for their substantial spending on dining out and for regularly making dining choices based on social media content2, are influencing dining experiences around the world. The report highlights a demand from this generation for 'flavor Shock', characterized by unexpected flavor combinations and twists on classic dishes such as incorporating Mexican sauces to create modern pastas.

Smashburger, the better-burger fast casual restaurant with 235 corporate and franchise locations, partnered with jack and annie's to launch a new plant-based burger made from jackfruit in all locations across the US.

Food and beverage intelligence company Datassential enhanced its limited-time offer (LTO) and item launches solution, allowing users to seamlessly track new menu items and LTOs at nearly 300 top chains through an easy-to-use user interface (UI), enhanced analytics, and ability to overlay consumer ratings.

Next year promises to bring challenges, with high prices and sagging consumer confidence impacting consumer behavior. Foodservice stakeholders once again need to tap into their reserves of creativity to thrive.

The line between restaurant menus and home cooking is blurring, thanks to social media like TikTok where restaurant dishes become viral sensations and in the right culinary hands popular social "food fads" are translating to menus and limited time offers. 

Hormel Foods once again took the National Restaurant Association show by storm with its one-of-a-kind 5,000sq-ft exhibit, which was built around a professional kitchen run by the Hormel Foods Culinary Collective.

More than 50% of global consumers choose spicy options when dining out and 60% of consumers reported they are eating spicier foods today compared to a year ago.