Thanksgiving retail is expected to see a more judicious consumer who expects to pay more this year and will seek more deals while retailers can expand food service departments with semi and fully-prepared meals to complement the majority of consumers who cook at home, according to holiday data from both FMI – The Food Industry Association and Circana.
The functional and perceived health benefits of tea and coffee paired with their familiarity and diverse usage occasions across dayparts make them ideal platforms for beverage manufacturers to meet consumers’ evolving preferences for indulgence, health and everything in between, according to natural beverage ingredient supplier Finlays.
Research showing consumer preferences for sweetness intensity may not be as easy to reduce as their preferences for sodium suggests a “stealth health” approach of slowly lowering added sugar across the food supply may not be an effective strategy for reducing sugar consumption.
The report recommends that USDA update the sugar program's trade rules, providing the USDA more flexibility to bring more sugar into the market when needed by manufacturers and small businesses. Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy agrees it’s “time to rebalance the program.”