On Tuesday, October 17, Corbion hosted journalists and food industry organization personnel at its headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas, for a day of research and development (R&D) exploration, discussion, and learning about trends and economic conditions. Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery Senior Editor Liz Parker was able to attend the media day.

Anne-Marie Roerink, 210 Analytics, presented the opening session, a "State of the Food Industry," and how economic conditions have impacted consumers, with special attention paid to the meat and bakery segments. 

Although inflation is moderating in Q3 of this year, shoppers now pay 27% more than they did three years ago, she said. "Cherry-picking" consumers focus on buying what they need in order to waste less; for example, people are buying fewer units per shopping trip, although still splurging on items for special occasions, such as birthdays, and holidays. 

Other trends to note:

• 48% are cooking more vs. dining out
• However, 57% try to recreate restaurant meals at home 
• There is a "continued blurring" between in- and out-of-home spending
  • For example: McDonald's has said that only 10% of consumers' orders are consumed on premises
• 74% of consumers are buying at least some groceries in different stores than they normally shop at because of inflation
• Stores are offering different portions for variety and affordability (i.e.: still offering a whole pie in bakery section, but also offering slices of pie to-go)
• 86% of consumers would like more info on how, where, and by whom their food is produced
• 77% of consumers are interested in "shoppable" recipes: i.e., the grocery store providing all the ingredients in one place

After Roerink's session, attendees got to visit meat, bakery, and dairy R&D labs. In the bakery lab, Corbion's Tortilla Suave solution was demonstrated; "suave" means "smooth" in Spanish, and with this solution, tortillas do not stick together in their packaging. The solution can be added on top of existing tortilla formulas to improve softness, reduce stickiness, and increase rollability, the company said. 

In the dairy lab, attendees were able to sample a crema dip which contained a stabilizer for texture and viscosity, and in the meat, pet, and savory lab, they experienced a demonstration of Corbion's functional ingredients on product texture/sliceability. Samples included mini beef hot dogs, beef and pork snack stick bites, grilled chicken skewers with chimichurri, and Philly cheesesteak. 

After a lunch of some of Kansas City's famous barbeque, attendees listened to a roundtable discussion moderated by Mark Hotze, VP SFS North America, Corbion. The panel included Diana Visser, VP of sustainability, Corbion; Gina Reo, president, Quality Assurance Strategies; and Sarah Little, VP of communications, North American Meat Institute (NAMI). 

One hot topic of discussion was on transparency, and how its important for manufacturers to get pertinent information from its suppliers. 

The media day concluded with a session on "the Post Pandemic Pantry," given by Jennifer Halliburton, senior manager, global insights - bakery, Corbion, and Megan Passman, global insights manager, Corbion. 

The session noted that in the wake of the pandemic, we have witnessed a global shift in consumer sentiment for regaining control and building trust, with food as a central piece of the journey. The presentation talked about the dynamics between consumers, foods, and brands in developed and developing countries, and explored different concerns and priorities. 

"We are living in a new reality shaped by unknowns and insecurities," the presenters said. 

Key themes in the presentation included:

• Loss of control
  • Consumer trends: Self-management (health, time, information)
  • Manufacturer opportunities: healthy is foundational; quality convenience; clear paths to education.
• Loss of trust
  • Consumer trends: transparency; clearer labels; partners to trust
  • Manufacturer opportunities: remove unknowns; more transparency; all-natural / less processed / clean label = "clear label"
• Aspirations for a "more sure" tomorrow
  • Consumer trends: reprioritizing; family, loved ones; sustainability = nature; "it will take all of us"
  • Manufacturer opportunities: know your consumer; food brings family together; sustainability is table stakes; activate a consumer partnership that enables sustainability action

"Food is a powerful tool to address uncertainty across individual, interpersonal, and societal levels," the presentation concluded.