Something old and something new – trends for 2014

The end of one year and the start of another inevitably has us reviewing and predicting. I came across an interesting review and set of prediction by The Daily Meal that is worth having a look at.

Although the review of food in 2013 and the predictions for this new year are based on the American scene, there are certainly some trends that are potentially of interest here as well.

Review

Eggs are now being used in all sorts of foods as whole or part eggs, this is a concern when you consider that this food is still the main source of food poisoning in Australia.

The other two foods or issues that were big in the US last year were the use of bee from urban sources. There are restaurants in the US that now have hives in their cities and are using the honey from them. The issue that jumps out as a potential problem for restaurant goers is the charging for the nibbly bread prior to the meal.

Predictions

The following foods are expected to increase in availability and use;

• Upscale Mexican
• Upscale and regional Italian
• Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)
• Small plate desserts – so people can have more than one and not feel guilty
• Use of non beef meats in Tartare dishes, including pork – this is a concern from a food safety point of view
• Spicy foods – really hot

There is also expected to be a much stronger interest in whiskies and rums. This is most likely going to produce a lot of micro-distilleries with a focus on flavoured whisky and rum.

There are two trends that are directly related to sustainability and will most likely only increase year on year. The first is the use of invasive species in restaurants, so fish and weed species that are environmental issues will be used in restaurants to encourage people to harvest them and therefore reduce their environmental impact. The other sustainable trend is the use of produce directly from Chef owned farms. This reduces a lot of costs associated with produce from farms and sets very clear quality standards. However, the Chefs need to remember that they are not farmers and should have professionals doing that job to ensure that all legal requirements are met.

One trend is indeed a food safety worry and that is the increase in the food preparation method of Sous Vide in homes. This method involves the placing of meats etc into special bags and cooking them in water. There is the potential for the product to not be fully cooked and when combined with the low oxygen environment, food safety can be a concern if not done properly.

It will be interesting to see which if any of these expected trends come to fruition.

This article has been written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach.