Top Five Food Trends Spotted at Summer Fancy Food Show

NEW YORK, July 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Move over bacon. Make way for kale pops, chia pods, and simmer sauces from around the globe. They are examples of the top five food trends for the year ahead picked by a panel of trendspotters at the 59^th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130708/NY43801LOGO )

The show was held last week at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. It is the largest marketplace in North America for specialty foods and beverages, with 180,000 products from more than 2,400 food manufacturers, importers and entrepreneurs on display, including the latest artisanal cheeses, chocolates, vinegars, grilling sauces and natural and organic products.

The trends are:

Reinvented Frozen Treats
Green Wave Smoothies – Kalelicious Smoothie Pops
Life Ice – Freeze & Eat Bite-Sized Ices
DeeBee's Organics - Tea Pops
Bar Gelato by Naia - Blue Bottle Coffee Bar

Grains and Seeds in New Places
The Chia Co. - Chia Pods
La Pasta, Inc. – Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Kale Ravioli
Flamous Brands – Sprouted Multigrain Zatar Chips
Seattle Chocolate Co. - jcoco Agave Quinoa Sesame Milk Chocolate Bar

Global Meal Starters
Saffron Road – Harissa, Korean Stir Fry and Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauces
Kaldes Bros. Trading Co. – Greek Cooking Sauces
Kitchens of Africa – Maffe Peanut and Yassa Onion Simmer Sauces
Terrapin Ridge Farms – Pot Roast Meal Starter

Retro Mania Done New
Callie's Charleston Biscuits – Callie's Cheese Crisps
City Bakery – Hot Chocolate
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams – Orchid Vanilla Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwich
Southern Culture – Short Stacks Banana Pudding Pancake Mix

Be Your Own Mixologist
Sociale – Lavender Martini Mocktails
Hella Bitter – Cocktail Bitters
Luke's Heirloom Tomato Juice – Bloody Delicious Mary Mix
Owl's Brew – Tea Crafted for Cocktails

Photo Gallery of Top Five Trends: Click Here

Other trends identified are single-serve snacks with calorie counts, Vietnamese flavors, chickpea and seaweed snacks, maple products, and sweet and savory cookies. Trends with staying power identified at prior Fancy Food Shows include coconut, salted caramel and innovations in gluten-free foods.

The trendspotters are: Rachel Hofstetter, Author, "Cooking Up a Business;" Sara Moulton, Sara's Weeknight Meals; Kara Nielsen, CCD Innovation; Charles Passy, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network; Denise Purcell, Specialty Food Media; Lauren Purcell and Dana Bowen, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Regina Ragone, Family Circle Magazine; Beverly Stephen, Food Arts and Susie Timm, Girl Meets Fork.

Fancy Food Show News: specialtyfood.com/summernews

About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade) is a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs established in 1952 in New York to foster commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. Today there are more than 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad. The Association operates the Summer and Winter Fancy Food Shows and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com.

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SOURCE Specialty Food Association