Consumer Trends

Social technology and mobile living shape top food trends for 2013

Shift towards new foods, new packaging

December 21, 2012

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Food industry public relations firm MSLGROUP released a list of ten predictions for the food industry in 2013, focusing on the ways that food trends will adapt to mobile lifestyles and social media. The rise of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook will play a large part in driving food trends, according to Joy Blakeslee, who directs MSLGROUP’s North America Culinary and Nutrition Center. “We see social media as a food trend accelerator, permitting new foods and food ideas or issues to be quickly popularized,” says Blakeslee. The report is bullish on categories including coffee, boxed wine, pickled and cured foods, coconut products and salt alternatives. Read the full list of predictions here.

Shane O’Halloran joined Food Engineering in November of 2012 as Digital/Online Editor. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2010, and worked as a copy editor and contributor to BleacherReport.com and ShesGameSports.com. He has also written feature articles on a freelance basis for publications in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. His areas of expertise include social media campaigns and website management. Shane produces daily news updates for www.foodengineeringmag.com and Food Engineering’s social media sites. In addition, Shane writes news articles for FE’s TechFlash e-newsletter and Food Engineering’s People and Industry section.