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 2026! 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
BuzzBallz: examines Gen Z alcohol consumption and brand engagement, showing participation rising from 66% to 73% globally, with US at 70%, UK 76%, Australia 83%
Acosta Group: This study shows 66% of consumers seek balanced eating, 35% health aware, 58% label readers (87% health-focused), 50% ingredient concern, 62% want regulation, 42% clean beauty, 39% results-driven, with rising transparency demand.
Regulatory Ripples: Government Updates
USA: The FDA initiated a post-market review of the food preservative BHA and requested industry and public input as part of its systematic evaluation of chemicals used in the U.S. food supply.
UK: The MHRA updated GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP medicine labeling to include warnings about acute pancreatitis risk and guidance for monitoring symptoms in treated patients.
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.
The Ozempic Revolution: How Obesity Drugs are Redefining Consumer Food Behaviors
Anchored Insight: Tech Launches
Just Baked, Evolvending: Automated Slider Kiosk prepares and dispenses cooked burgers on demand in airport terminals, enabling automated quick-service food retail and reducing wait times in travel foodservice environments.
US Foods: MOXē AI ordering converts photos, PDFs, and handwritten notes into digital foodservice purchase orders, automating procurement workflows for restaurant operators using distributor e-commerce platforms.
Culinary Tides in the News
- Don’t bet the house on GLP-1: Why ‘Everyday Health’ is the better menu strategy – fastcasual.com
- How c-stores are buying into this year’s top flavor trends – cstoredive.com
- Retailers, restaurants roll out Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl seafood promotions – seafoodsource.com
- Fast Casual Nation reveals top 2026 restaurant trends – fastcasual.com
- Middle Eastern cuisine trending for 2026 – bakemag.com
- Industry experts say 2026 food trends will be comfortable, balanced – supermarketperimeter.com
- Flavors to move beyond taste in 2026 – foodbusinessnews.net
- Top tips for instore bakery department design – supermarketperimeter.com
Most forecasters track the past, instead of the forces shaping the future. We know how frustrating it is to piece together data that misses the full picture.
Culinary Tides distills noise into foresight, helping you make smarter moves – sooner. You’ll stop reacting to change and start anticipating it. With foresight, you’ll confidently navigate trends, outpace competitors, and lighten your workload.
💡When you schedule a Capabilities meeting, you’ll receive a free 1-hour foresight consult —focused entirely on your category and challenges.
Culinary Tides, Inc. is booking meetings now for those curious about our services:
Announcing the 2026/27 Shifting Sands Yearly Trends Report
Launching April 10, 2026
The 2026/27 Shifting Sands Yearly Trends Report will be released on April 10, and organizations that purchase before the release date will receive 25% off pre-launch pricing. After April 10, the report returns to full price.
This year, 2,880 individual predictions from 208 trusted sources were cross-analyzed and narrowed into the final trend set—so your team can focus on what truly matters instead of sorting through noise.
There is no other trends report covering this breadth of intelligence in one place.
Shifting Sands connects insights across Food, Beverage, Consumer, Health, and Technology, helping organizations understand how trends intersect—not just appear in isolation.
Inside the 2026/27 report, you’ll find:
- A validated final trend set, distilled from thousands of signals
- Clear explanations of what’s driving each trend and where it’s headed
- A searchable trend database for fast access to relevant insights
- 5 hours of post-purchase support to help your team apply the findings
Organizations that prepare early gain the most value—not just in savings, but in readiness.
Purchase before April 10 to secure 25% off pre-launch pricing.
If you have questions about the report or how teams are using it to guide strategy, I’m happy to help.
Don’t just chase trends — get ahead of them.
👉 Explore the Report