A tremendous increase in the consumption of fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, is one of the most noticeable consumer trends. This rise is due to the well-known benefits of a high-fiber diet and beta carotene in avoiding colon cancer. The number of meals consumed away from home has substantially increased. Changing lifestyles, such as two-parent households, are likely at the basis of the rising popularity of dining outside the home. Even if the most popular foods consumed now (pizza and hamburgers) are basically the same as they were twenty years ago, the number of home-delivered meals, the ultimate in convenience, has increased. This suggests that the sorts of meals consumed have not changed fast, but the manner in which they are consumed has. Last but not least, the average age of the population is increasing. Although aging is not a consumer trend, it has a significant impact on food safety considerations. The older the population, the more susceptible it is.
New food processing and preservation technologies and expanded applications of existing technologies have had little effect on the majority of processed foods. New technologies will likely continue to be adopted slowly. Consistently, consumers purchase meals based on value and flavor, not processing technology. Value-added technologies will be the first to achieve customer approval. Most likely, demand for convenience foods will increase. As time demands increase, we have less time to devote to food preparation, and more meals will be consumed away from home, in part due to convenience, but also due to a drive toward new flavors and dietary variety. Lastly, the trend toward foods that claim to increase performance, which is founded in the demand for better health among an aging population with longer life expectancies, will continue. With growing demand, the food sector will face greater pressure to improve processing and preservation techniques, which may result in safer food.
