Who Would’a Thunk It?

Trends in food and beverage continue to accelerate, and what was a novelty soon becomes everyday. For example:

Bottled Water– It was the stuff you bought when you traveled to countries where the water wasn’t fit to drink. And what you bought in France because Coca-Cola was so expensive. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, a research and consulting firm, U.S. bottled water sales were at $9.2 billion in 2004 and grew about 10 percent in 2005, as reported by Forbes. Carbonated soft drink sales in 2005 were flat. The motivation to purchase appears to be for the health attributes especially from the enhanced water category, which promises more benefits than plain tap water.

Pedigreed Foods– We didn’t pay a lot of attention to where our food came from and how it was raised. Now we care. Niman Ranch made a success of branding butchered meat, long considered a commodity item. Some restaurants are growing their own animals and produce to ensure that what they serve meets their exacting specifications. With food safety and food quality big issues, provenance offers reassurance. [more…]