Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Join Today
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Cross-Functional Food Innovation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Innovation & Manufacturing
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • Newsletters
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • JOIN
Manufacturing News

TECH FLASH

Top food trends to watch for in 2014

New innovations in packaging and flavors have consumers keeping an eye out for these trends in the new year.

By Shane O'Halloran
January 24, 2014

With 2013 in the record books, consumers are hungry for new innovation in new and existing product categories.

Deconstructed dinners offer the convenience of a preplanned menu with the fun and creativity of gourmet home cooking. Companies such as Plated, BlueApron and HelloFresh offer meal kits including all the necessary ingredients for a dish costing  $10-$15 per meal. HelloFresh has raised $7.5 million to expand from Europe and Australia to the US.

Forget that food dye in 2014, according to market analyst JWT, as consumers add the coloring to their list of things to avoid. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has already worked to ban or require warning labels for a number of dyes in the UK and Europe, and a 2013 Change.org petition played a role in pressuring Kraft to remove food dye from its Macaroni & Cheese.

The next frontier in sustainability may just be edible packaging. From edible burger and ice cream sandwich wrapping to WikiPearl, an edible packaging company created by Harvard bioengineer David Edwards that draws inspiration from grape skin, consumers are embracing zero-waste packages.

Thought the buzz over Greek yogurt might be subsiding? Well, say hello to savory yogurt. Frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry now offers fresh Greek yogurt mixed with flavors like chopped cucumber, sunflower seeds and chili powder. Chobani’s retail outlet in New York City offers creations that include smoked salmon, lemon juice, dill and more.

Some chain restaurants are working to improve the nutritional value of offerings, without tipping off diners, in so-called “stealth health” tweaks. Chick-Fil-A’s recent elimination of high-fructose corn syrup in buns and artificial dyes in sauces are prime examples. “We call it stealth health,” a Chick-Fil-A dietician told JWT. “We didn’t necessarily want the customer to know we’ve tweaked their favorite product.”

Finally, watch out for a rise in the popularity of ugly produce. Instead of the cosmetically perfect, “pretty” produce seen at grocery stores, JWT says consumers are opting for gnarled carrots or lumpy heirloom tomatoes.

KEYWORDS: consumer trends

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Bread going through conveyor belt in manufacturing plant.

    The State of Food Manufacturing in 2026

    Food and beverage manufacturers encounter significant...
    State of Food Manufacturing
    By: Alyse Thompson-Richards
  • FE Top100 Food & Beverage Companies hero, gold lettering with black background.

    FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2026 Top 100 Food and Beverage Companies

    See where the world’s leading food and beverage companies...
    Manufacturing News
    By: Alyse Thompson-Richards
  • CJ Schwan’s Salina facility.

    Recipe for Growth: How CJ Schwan’s Powers Pizza Production with People and Automation

    Blending advanced automation with purposeful design, this...
    Plant of the Year
    By: Alyse Thompson-Richards
Manage My Account
  • Join Food Engineering
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Food Engineering audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Food Engineering or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Illustration of businessman standing in the middle of a large scale, balancing between two green dollar signs at each end, one larger than the other. Blue background with very small white clouds.
    Sponsored by3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc.

    6 Questions: Before You Buy Food Processing Equipment

  • Construction crews use aerial lifts to install insulated wall panels inside an industrial facility.
    Sponsored byBurns & McDonnell

    Food Manufacturing’s Growth Calls for Integrated Project Delivery

  • Close-up of a group of freshly baked stuffed empanadas being transferred onto a conveyor belt.
    Sponsored byDorner

    Smarter Line Design Improves Food Manufacturing Efficiency and Throughput

Popular Stories

Bread going through conveyor belt in manufacturing plant.

The State of Food Manufacturing in 2026

Niagara Bottling Facility

Niagara Bottling Opens $141M Facility in Kentucky

An event host is presenting to a group of PACK EXPO event attendees.

Product Preview: PACK EXPO International Returns to Chicago

An image of baked bread on a conveyor belt with text promoting the 2026 State of Food Manufacturing report.

Events

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Food Process Engineering and Technology, 3E

Food Process Engineering and Technology, 3E

Combining scientific depth with practical usefulness, this book serves as a tool for graduate students as well as practicing food engineers, technologists and researchers looking for the latest information on transformation and preservation processes as well as process control and plant hygiene topics.

See More Products
Promo for the 2027 Plant of the Year Award


CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative Protein Automation Cleaning/Sanitation Fabulous Food Plants

Food Safety Maintenance Strategies OEE

Packaging Sustainability

Related Articles

  • Mintel

    Mintel: Top 5 food trends to watch in 2018

    See More
  • Someone talking with their hands in a boardroom meeting.

    Gen-Z's Impact on the Food and Beverage Industry: 3 Trends to Watch

    See More
  • ‘Guru’ predicts top food trends of 2015

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • food proces.jpg

    Food Process Engineering Emerging Trends in Research and Their Applications

  • GlobalData_logo_blue_header.png

    Trends and Opportunities in the US Packaging Industry...

  • download.jpg

    Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • September 23, 2026

    An In-Depth Look at 2026's Top 100 Food and Beverage Companies

    On Demand Join Lynn Dornblaser, Client Advisor at Mintel, and Alyse Thompson-Richards, Editor-in-Chief of FOOD ENGINEERING, as they break down the 2026 Top 100 Food and Beverage Companies and discuss the factors affecting this year’s rankings.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
  • JOIN TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing