It goes without saying, food is on everyone’s mind. Whether it be “what food am I go to eat for lunch today?” or “gee I’m getting hungry” or in my case on a Saturday night, “oh my gosh I have eaten wayyyy too much food”, most of us are regularly thinking about food, if not eating it.
Never-the-less, food is not just an act of survival, but a way of bringing people together. People connect when they eat, discuss their thoughts and ideas, some people open up and express their emotions over food. It’s a way for people to embrace and appreciate the diversity of cultures, not only in Melbourne, but around the world.
CHR Hansen is ‘a global bioscience company that develops natural solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries’ (for me to explain what they do and put that into my own words was too much of a mouthful…scuse the pun). CHR Hansen held a business networking breakfast at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Garden Restaurant.
Dr Kelli Hayes Director of Corporate Strategy, shared insights into the world of food and health over the next 10 years. It was interesting to hear that as consumers, there are five driving factors when it comes to making decisions about food. Different factors affect different people, depending on where you live, how you socialise, your culture, your financial situation and possibly how much you prioritise eating.
When it comes to food, people make decisions based on:
How it tastes and how much we enjoy eating it?
Despite my mother’s attempt to make me eat brussle sprouts, I hate the taste and choose not to eat them.
How healthy is what I’m putting in my mouth?
We are all becoming way more conscious of our choices when it comes to food and how they will impact our health, not only short-term but importantly long-term.
How convenient it is to get?
I’m sure we can all relate to times when we have wanted to eat a home-cooked meal, but can be bothered to cook, so we’ve headed to our local, just because it’s convenient!
How authentic is it?
There has been a massive shift in recent times, where consumers are stepping away from processed foods and opting for fresh, natural produce.
How safe is it?
Although we are generally opting for more authentic and healthy food, fresh foods tend to present a safety risk, as they have a shorter ‘shelf-life’.
Clearly there is a huge shift in the food industry and brands are not dictating the food market to consumers either. It seems as though consumers are in full control of what they want. More than ever brands are having to be innovative and ‘quick on their feet’ to keep up with consumer demands.
Exciting things are happening when it comes to food and the most exciting part is, as consumers, we seem to be in a position where we can dictate positive changes, for the future of food.
Harry
Thanks a tonne for sharing this Pia! Dr. Hayes’ insights on “why” people choose a certain food service / brand were great. Definitely, something I’ll be incorporating into our marketing efforts.