As the experts in what consumers want and why, Mintel is best suited to accurately predict the future of consumer behavior and what that means for companies and brands.

This year, we’re taking a bold approach with our predictions about the future of global consumer markets by incorporating seven key factors that drive consumer spending decisions: wellbeing, surroundings, technology, rights, identity, value, and experiences.

With insight and analysis on shifting consumer trends over the next one, five and 10 years, discover how the seven consumer drivers will evolve markets like never before.

Access the report here.

Exciting, tasty, and fun- consumers want it all, and maybe they just can have it. We’re researching where we see “fun” in flavor, and how it can serve as a path to creating attention-grabbing products and menu items. More than 1,121 product introductions in the last five years featured “fun” positioning. From products and experiences that bring consumers back to the good old days to new innovations and trends that bring a breath of fresh air, let’s find the fun in flavor, and see where it can help meet your product development needs. Access the report here!

Check out this Food Dive Brief:

Health is now on the menu for most consumers today. In fact, most find natural ingredients and clean labels more important than brand recognition and product descriptions when making decisions about purchasing food products... Read more here

It is estimated that over 80,000 Chicagoans are homeless and struggle to survive the brutal cold every winter. It is a tragic problem, but one we can all solve. To help those in need, we gather one night a year to spread our warmth through our beautiful city of Chicago - sharing tea, conversation, and kindness with those who feel Chicago’s cold shoulder the most.

Spread the Warmth is an event held by the Tiesta Tea Foundation every January to provide warmth and everyday necessities to our fellow Chicagoans in need. Each year, volunteers from across our community gather together to pass out hot tea and Warmth Kits filled with food and warm clothing items to those in shelters, soup kitchens and on city streets.

Sign up to volunteer here: tiestatea.com/pages/spread-the-warmth

KeHE Distributors, a national leader in the distribution of natural and specialty foods, has been recognized for the sixth time by the Trade Show News Network as the Top 25 Fastest Growing trade shows in net square footage. KeHE’s 2019 Summer Show in Nashville, TN welcomed over 4,000 industry professionals and nearly 750 exhibitors from all product categories. This accolade is just one of many ways KeHE is showing their commitment to industry innovation. The upcoming KeHE Summer Show in February in New Orleans will feature the second Next Generation Innovation Showcase which offers emerging brands across the country a chance to present items to KeHE leaders. Applications are now closed but more opportunities to come!

You can also connect with KeHE at the Chicagoland’s Food and Beverage Network Panel Event on December 5th. Director of Growth Solutions at KeHE Distributors, Daena Rexho will speak on KeHE’s perspective regarding future innovation and industry trend. She is one of many industry insiders that is scheduled to discuss the future of Chicagoland’s food industry. To learn more about the event, click the link here.

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) recently announced a $1 million donation to Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering in the world's poorest countries. The donation will fund the creation and implementation of the Lifesaving Education and Assistance to Farmers (LEAF) Project, which will provide immediate and longer-term responses to chronic malnutrition and hunger for people living in extreme poverty in Kenya and Ethiopia. The project is predicted to directly benefit nearly 50,000 individuals.

“At ADM, we fundamentally believe that providing access to nutrition has the power to solve many of the world’s challenges,” said Juan Luciano, ADM Chairman and CEO. “In partnership with Concern Worldwide, we are unlocking the power of nature to save lives today, and to enrich them tomorrow. We’re hopeful that by leveraging our collective knowledge, expertise and perspectives, we can help make a difference in the dire nutrition situation for thousands of residents in Ethiopia and Kenya, while being good stewards of the environment.” Learn more here.

Here in ASCM’s hometown of Chicago, about 55 million pounds of food is wasted each month, despite the fact that one in six Chicagoans suffers from food insecurity. Alan Reed, executive director of nonprofit Chicagoland Food & Beverage, says this regrettable fact is what compels his organization to work with both industry and food banks “in order to find new and innovative ways to address these issues.” Read more here.

A term often thrown around in the culinary and beef world is“aging”. The waiter at a steakhouse may tell you, "This cut of beef has been dry-aged for flavor and tenderness." Others will tell you their steaks have been wet-aged for, again, flavor and tenderness. Both aging methods will result in a delicious steak. One is not superior to the other, it just depends on how the beef will be used in the end. Both can be served by candlelight accompanied by a glass of red and a view. The difference will be price, taste, and whether you are at a restaurant or your own kitchen table. Read more here.

The interconnected nature of our food system proved the overarching theme in the third quarter as the global issues of international trade and climate change guided conversations. The balance of business and environmental priorities trickled down into other topics, bringing stewardship and sustainability messages to the forefront. Access this report here.

GlobalTranz was honored with the coveted award given its consistent, unparalleled commitment to providing strategic transportation and logistics solutions, exceptional service, and for acting as an extension of the Niagara team. GlobalTranz will move 70,000 truckloads totaling more than 110 million cases of bottled water for Niagara in 2019, and currently has a 99 percent load tender acceptance. Read more about their recognition here.