Culinary Compass – April 2025

Welcome to the Culinary Tides’ monthly Culinary Compass, where we chart the course of the food industry’s latest trends, data, and developments. Each month, we’ll be sharing our top research picks, breaking news, and favorite industry insights, alongside all the latest from Culinary Tides, Inc.—including trend insight research, upcoming speaking events, and expert navigation advice. We are excited to bring you these curated highlights and exclusive content, designed to keep you ahead of the curve in our ever-evolving industry.

Let us help you jumpstart your strategy plan for 2025! Consider partnering with Culinary Tides, Inc. as your personal Think Tank, or for White space identification & navigation, Trend origin, longevity & trajectory reports, Concept development & refinement, or Ideation, Concept review & Strategy workshops.

Anchored Insight: Research

Cargill: 61% of Americans increasing protein intake in 2024, up from 48% in 2019, 75% regularly include animal proteins in evening meals, 74% consider meat a key part of diet, 43% shifted to more affordable cuts 

Genesys: 64% believe that artificial intelligence will improve the quality and speed of customer service within the next two to three years, 53% would abandon a favorite brand after two negative interactions, 30% reported ending a business relationship after a bad experience in the past year

Regulatory Ripples: Government Updates

USA: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposes ending the FDA’s Substances Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) program, which allows companies to self-certify ingredients as safe using their own data

USA: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a meeting with major food industry leaders, where he criticized the food and nutrition sectors for negatively impacting Americans’ health, also accused restaurants of “unknowingly poisoning” consumers by using seed oils

The Best of Future Bites: Conference Insights

What were the most interesting and exciting trend topics from recent conferences? Take a quick educational break from your day and enjoy this 5-minute look at a trend that impacts the food industry.

Click Below to Watch ~ From Munchies to Meals: Snacks Step Up as Meal Replacement

Best of News Comments

Every weekday we post news items and cutting edge research which impact the food and beverage industry. If you missed them, check out a few of our favorites from the past month:

1) Tea Talks Back: Claiming Its Place Beside Wine 🍷🍵

Honored to have my article Redefining Worth: Elevating Tea to Wine’s Level published in World Tea News! 🙌 What happens when tea and wine sit down for a chat? They discover they share more than you’d think—heritage, terroir, rituals, and reverence. The days of tea being viewed as “less than” are behind us. It’s time we raise our cups to tea’s true value. ☕🍇

2) Kennedy’s Remarks that the FDA are Sock Puppets: A Misguided Attack on the Food Industry

Blaming the food industry for FDA shortcomings oversimplifies a complex system. Kennedy’s remarks risk vilifying an industry that works hard to meet evolving safety standards. Instead of fueling distrust, we should focus on strengthening collaboration between regulators and industry, not tearing it down. Progress comes from partnership, not finger-pointing.

Anchored Insight: Tech Launches

Culinary Tides in the News

• Economic stressors altering 2025 food trends– foodbusinessnews.net
• Caution advised when making GLP-1 labeling claims – foodbusinessnews.net
• Asian Cuisine and Flavors Dominate Global Foods – todaysdietitian.com
• What’s Currently Trending in Tea? – worldteanews.com
• Forecasting flavors: The taste of 2025 – fastcasual.com
• Flavor Trends: What to Expect in ’25 – supermarketperimeter.com
• Look Beyond Your Industry: The Key to Anticipating and Navigating Trends – preparedfoods.com
• Charting the Future: Mastering Trend Trajectories to Drive Bold Business Decisions – preparedfoods.com

Culinary Tides’ Next Conference Appearance

• April 2025: Craft Brewers Conference – Indianapolis, IN
• April 2025: SCIP – New Orleans, LA
• May 2025: IDDBA Webinar
• May 2025: NRA – Chicago, IL
• May 2025: CFX – Denver, CO
• June 2025: IDDBA – New Orleans, LA
• June 2025: SCIP Workshop Webinar
• August 2025: IDDBA Webinar
• September 2025: IBIE x2 – Las Vegas
• October 2025: Fast Casual Executive Summit – Austin, TX
• December 2025: IDDBA Webinar

Culinary Snapshot

Tide’s Table

Each month, Culinary Tides is taking you on a flavorful journey with our recipe feature! Inspired by the tides of trends, these recipes are crafted to bring a touch of charm to your table. From bright beverages and delicious desserts to hearty dishes and sides, there’s something fresh and exciting waiting for you in every edition. Dive in and make waves in your kitchen!

This month we celebrate Tea! Have you tried this?

Free Downloads!

6 MUST Ask Questions to Make Your Next Workshop A Success

🚨 Coming March 10th!

🚨 Big News for Food & Beverage Innovators! 🚨

The 2025/26 Shifting Sands Yearly Trends Report from Culinary Tides Inc. & Menu Matters is almost here — and it’s more than just a trend list.

✅ 241 trusted sources analyzed
✅ Searchable database across food, beverage, health, tech & consumer trends
✅ Trends tailored for every innovation personality — from bold Trendsetters to cautious Followers
✅ Bonus: 5 hours of expert support to help you apply the insights with confidence 

Want to see it in action?

We’ll walk you through how to use the report to uncover hidden opportunities and stay ahead of shifting trends in 2025/26.

Don’t chase trends — get ahead of them!!

We recognize that you’re inundated with data and information, without the time or resources to sort through it all. Your main objective is to craft impactful solutions that resonate and succeed. Culinary Tides, Inc. streamlines this process by combining deep expertise, focused research, a fresh way of thinking, and a strong commitment to every client relationship, enabling your organization to move from overloaded to equipped.

Culinary Tides, Inc. is booking meetings now for those curious about our services: