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.
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Anchored Insight: Research
Tufts University: Each 10-percentage-point increase in daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods associated with 9% higher risk of all-cause mortality
NPD: Grocery food service holds a competitive edge over restaurants, particularly QSRs, due to diverse offerings of healthy options, light meals, affordability, and convenience of one-stop shopping, these have driven a 29% increase in visits for retail prepared foods at lunch, restaurant lunch visits have dropped 1% since 2008
Regulatory Ripples: Government Updates
NRF: Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could lead to price increases, these tariffs are estimated to cost U.S. households between $362 and $624 annually, including $13.9 billion to $24 billion for apparel, $6.4 billion to $10.9 billion for household appliances, $2.2 billion to $3.9 billion for travel goods, 3% higher grocery costs -$200 / yr increase per family
CA: California became the first state to ban six artificial food dyes from meals served in public schools, following a 2021 report by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
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 from the National Restaurant Association conference that impacts both CPG and foodservice.
Click Below to Watch ~ Why Ghost Kitchens Are Dead
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:
AI Can’t Predict Flavor Futures: Understanding Consumer Drivers is Key
AI may seem like a crystal ball for flavor trends, but it’s important to remember that AI is trained on a closed set of data—it’s not a search engine. 🤖 At best, it can inspire, but at worst, it creates ideas rooted in the past. If you want to truly innovate, you need to get ahead of consumers by understanding the drivers behind their behavior. 🚀🍴
Rebuilding Trust: Boar’s Head vs. McDonald’s Recall Responses
Food safety recalls are a defining moment for any brand. Boar’s Head chose transparency, launching a new Food Safety and Quality section on their website to rebuild trust. In contrast, McDonald’s pivoted to a new value platform with lower prices but provided no reassurance on preventing future incidents. As an industry, we need to ask: Which strategy truly wins back consumers—transparency or distraction? The choice you make could shape your brand’s reputation for years to come. Which approach would you take?
Anchored Insight: Tech Launches
Cornish Sea Salt: Launched TekSalt, a solution designed to help food manufacturers lower sodium levels without sacrificing flavor
SWAP Food: Amai Proteins: Developed Sweelin, a calorie-free sweetener designed to reduce sugar consumption, approximately 3,000 times sweeter than sugar—allows it to replace sugar in minimal amounts, reducing sugar in products by 40–70%
Culinary Tides in the News
- Charting the Future: Mastering Trend Trajectories to Drive Bold Business Decisions– preparedfoods.com
- Flight of Flavors: Tea Through the Millennial and Gen Z Lens– worldteanews.com
- Flavor Forward– nacsmagazine.com
- R&D Strategy: Seeing the Complete Picture– preparedfoods.com
- Apple spice knocking out pumpkin spice for fall’s favorite flavor?– fastcasual.com
Culinary Tides’ Next Conference Appearance
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January 2025: SCIP Webinar
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January 2025: IDDBA Webinar
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February 2025: Corporate Ideation Workshop
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March 2025: RCA – St. Louis, MO
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March 2025: Tea Summit – Las Vegas, NV
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March 2025: Airport Experience AXC – Washington DC
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April 2025: Private Client Strategy Summit
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April 2025: Craft Brewers Conference CBC – Indianapolis, IN
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May 2025: IDDBA Webinar
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May 2025: NRA – Chicago
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May 2025: IDDBA – New Orleans, LA
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August 2025: IDDBA Webinar
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December 4: 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 Filipino food! Have you tried this dish?
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