Newest Food Trend Affects Food Texture

Increasing consumer demand for natural and unprocessed food products is creating a new challenge for food product developers. Until now, food scientists have always been able to put texture development on the back burner, turning to it only after flavor has been fully optimized, but not anymore. This is because the range of “acceptable” ingredients typically used to manipulate and design texture is shrinking. Products that are gluten free, or have fiber added, are especially creating challenges for scientists.

With so much of our perception of taste coming from the texture of foods that we’re eating, it will be a challenge to create natural foods that still have a satisfying taste and texture. While many of us really want healthier products, I’m curious to see at what cost. How will consumers respond to the taste and texture differences in some of their favorite products? Will our demand for all-natural tortilla chips wane after we discover that they may never be as thin and light as a typical restaurant style tortilla chip? I think in order for all-natural foods to go completely mainstream, product developers may have to find a way to alter our palates’ not so much the texture of our foods.

McD’s Raises the Stakes, Starbucks Antes Up

Recently, on Monday’s I’ve been stopping by my local McD’s to support the Free Mocha Monday’s effort. Okay, I doubt it needs much “support” from little old me…I mean, how hard can it be to give away free mochas, right? Apparently, McD’s execs are not taking any chances assigning the McCafe line a $100 million marketing budget. Now, that is what I would call some serious cash dedicated to what seems like an effort to blatantly steal customers away from coffee giant Starbucks. So I have to wonder, does this effort have newbie Starbucks shaking in their boots? Apparently, not a chance.

Remarkably, Starbucks has chosen to differentiate themselves as well by creating a new menu that is filled with natural, healthy fare with the nutrition panel. Starbucks has cut out artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, dyes, and high-fructose corn syrup in all its menu items. They’ve also started using more high quality, fresh drink ingredients like Washington apples, Oregon blueberries, and Michigan cherries. Many menu choices are under, if not considerably under, 500 calories.

I, like many of you, tend to patron each of these chains for different reasons. But now with the McCafe option, would I go out of my way to get my coffee at Starbucks if there were a McDonald’s closer? Probably not. On the other hand, would I go out of my way to get my lunch at Starbucks if there were a McDonald’s closer? Probably yes. Starbucks did a great thing by reinventing their menu. They gave me a reason to keep going back.
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