New Data Show the Changing Definitions of Food

NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Changes in how we produce and consume our food are happening so fast that the very definitions of such key food terms as meat, sweet, green, convenient and fast, are shifting. So are concepts like what it means to be a vending machine, or have a family dinner. The question is: "Are we, as humans, ready for the Future of Food?" The surprising answer seems to be, "yes!" Meat grown from cells, for instance is years from hitting the shelves but most are interested in trying it, including 74% of U.S. millennials.  

A new report by Ipsos focuses on these changes and the implications for a wide range of business sectors. We asked executives from the Coca-Cola Company, McDonald's Corp. and Farmer's Fridge as well as leading scientists and policy makers about the big questions they are facing. Ipsos then surveyed more than 25,000 people in 30 countries to start diving into the answers. The U.S. and Canada mirror global trends that show people are more likely to think that their access to healthy and quality food will increase in the future, but that it will come at a cost. Those surveyed are more than twice as likely to say that the costs of food will get worse in the future. Here are some of the shifting definitions that will drive that future:

• Convenience: Ipsos found some breaking points for consumers in terms of how far in advance they must order. 77% would be open to ordering food delivered from a generic kitchen rather than a branded restaurant.

• Vending machines: They can be as good as food from restaurants, according to Ipsos research, if they tackle the hot food challenges.

• Family dinner: In households with at least two people, large majorities in the U.S. and Canada (84%/85%) eat with family at least three times a week.

• Alternative meats: The definitions of meat are changing. Millennials, according to the Ipsos study, will lead the way.

• Sweet: Ipsos finds that sugary beverages are just one of many categories that we might need to rethink and reformulate.

All of the data from the U.S., Canada and 28 other nations as well as exclusive additional research and analysis can be found online here: https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/new-data-show-changing-definitions-food

SOURCE Ipsos

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