Six Tips for Holiday Hosting with Food Allergies

A few years ago, I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner, which turned into a wild scramble in my tiny apartment kitchen while I cooked a meal for seven. On top of all that, my sister-in-law was coming, and her wheat allergy made things a little trickier. Hosting a big meal for guests with food allergies can be challenging, especially when everyone is depending on you to make a safe, delicious, mistake-free meal. While I was fortunate to know which allergies to look out for in my cooking, sometimes guests show up without notice. My list of tips below can help keep your holiday dinners running smoothly, even if there’s an unexpected guest at your table. In fact, sometimes surprises give you an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen! 1. Offer allergy-free alternatives Instead of scrapping a dish altogether, offer an allergen-free alternative dish to ensure everyone can enjoy a little of everything. For my family, stuffing is the big hit, but I knew we would need a wheat-free alternative for my sister-in-law. My solution: cornbread stuffing in addition to classic wheat bread stuffing. Here are some other ideas for adjusting popular side dishes: swap out cow’s milk for coconut milk in mashed potatoes; leave the walnuts on the side for the sweet potato casserole; and make a crust-less apple crisp instead of apple pie. It’s also important to keep in mind that just because a dish is free of one allergen, it may still contain others. For example, while cornbread stuffing is free of wheat, it may still contain dairy products. 2. Keep allergen-containing foods separate In an ideal world, we would have the space of a commercial kitchen to cook our holiday meals. My tiny city apartment was far from ideal. This meant being extra vigilant about separating food ingredients. […]

article

Top 5 Takeaways On Sodium: Insights, Impacts, & Innovations For Public Health

Top 5 Takeaways On Sodium: Insights, Impacts, & Innovations For Public Health The antidote to dietary doldrums, salt, that unassuming crystalline ingredient that makes many foods taste better, is found widely in the food supply. In the form of sodium chloride, simple table salt is the culinary component that, when added in the right amount, elevates an eating experience beyond the mere simplistic. While a little salt certainly can go a long way, the American consumer is more accustomed to ingesting a lot: sodium is overconsumed by all age groups, according to the 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. With this in mind, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned consumer research on sodium and further examined the topic through an educational webinar, “Sodium Shift: Insights, Impacts, & Innovations For Public Health.” The most salient takeaways from the webinar include: Salty is one of the basic tastes, and salt acts as a potent flavor enhancer. Doing much more than imparting only a salty taste, salt can “…improve the perception of product thickness, enhance sweetness, mask metallic or chemical off-notes, and round out overall flavor while improving flavor intensity.” High-salt usage emerged between 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, and its shortage can engender food that tastes bad. Playing a role in food fermentation and preservation, salt shows up in a range of cultural foodways, including spice blends and condiments, such as fish sauce, soy sauce, and pepper sauce; sardines and anchovies; and cured meats. Besides the broad culinary contributions, salt has a storied past at the center of political and economic disputes. For starters, sodium is an essential nutrient in human nutrition. The body cannot store large amounts of sodium, which is critical for muscle function, including the heart, and keeping the nervous system working properly. Furthermore, sodium helps control […]

insights

Food Trends to Watch in 2020

Intuitive Eating and the “Un-Diet”; Sustainability (Finally!) Takes Shape; New Food Tech Gathers Momentum (Washington, D.C.)—As a new year and new decade offer opportunities to take stock of where we’ve come and to anticipate the changes ahead, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation is forecasting five broad trends for food and nutrition in 2020.  “Each year, our team of registered dietitians, nutrition experts and consumer researchers takes a look at what we can expect in the coming year,” said Joseph Clayton, president and CEO. “In 2020, we predict that topics surrounding sustainability, alternative foods and healthy diets will move in some unexpected directions.”  Sustainability: From Buzzword to Specifics   Interest in sustainability has grown for the past few years, and while in 2020 the topic will mature and evolve, confusion still surrounds the exact definition of sustainability.  For several years, the IFIC Foundation’s annual Food and Health Survey asked whether sustainability was a factor in consumers’ food and beverage purchasing decisions. Between 2012 and 2018, that number ranged between 35% and 41% of consumers.  However, when the 2019 Survey asked whether “environmental sustainability” was a factor in purchase choices, that number dropped to 27%, indicating that consumers’ notions of sustainability extend beyond just the environment. When it comes to environmental sustainability, consumers are eager to know and do more. According to the 2019 Food and Health Survey, 63% said it is hard to know whether the food choices they make are environmentally sustainable. Among that group, nearly two-thirds (63%) say environmental sustainability would have a greater influence on their choices if it were easier to know.  Consumers also consider factors such as the labeling of various product ingredients and attributes, along with production methods and food packaging, to be under the sustainability umbrella. We can also expect concepts like soil health and regenerative agriculture—“giving back to the land” rather than just conserving resources—to gain traction in 2020.  A New Climate for What We Eat   On an almost daily basis, […]

Media

2022 Food & Health Survey: Diets, Food Prices, Stress and the Power of Gen Z

(Washington, D.C.) — Major changes in Americans’ food attitudes and behaviors are emerging in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2022 Food & Health Survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC).  The 17th annual survey of U.S. consumers has revealed a substantial impact of stress on the way we eat, significant increases in the adoption of specific diets and eating patterns, concerns over food and beverage prices, and the food priorities and buying power of Gen Z.  “Even more so than in past years, the 2022 Food & Health Survey is showing sharp changes, over a relatively short period, in many of our beliefs and behaviors when it comes to the foods we purchase and consume,” said IFIC CEO Joseph Clayton. “Some of these changes are clearly attributable to the lasting scars of the pandemic, while others bear all the hallmarks of significant generational shifts,” he added.  The 2022 Survey involved 1,005 adults ages 18–80, and for the first time it also included an oversample of adult Gen Z consumers, ages 18-24.   The Emerging Influence of Gen Z  Gen Z might be the youngest cohort of adults, but they are beginning to flex their consumer muscle in ways that previously haven’t been seen, driving attitude changes on sustainability and the environment across the broader population. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Gen Z believe that their generation is more concerned about the environmental impact of food choices than other generations, followed closely by Millennials (71%), with whom they share many perspectives and common purchasing behaviors. Compared with Baby Boomers, Gen Z is more likely to purchase products labeled as “Small carbon footprint/carbon neutral” and “Plant-based.”   And yet, some of Gen Z’s viewpoints may come as a surprise: compared with Millennials, they are less likely to believe that […]

Media

Food Additives and Ingredients: Resources You Can Use

Can you imagine your favorite savory snack without a dash of salt or a smoothie that isn’t smooth? I’m sure it’s difficult for you, just as it is for me.  We buy our favorite foods because of the way they taste, look, feel and cost.  Food additives and ingredients are responsible for some of the attributes of food that we’ve grown to love over the years.  Food additive and ingredients in the U.S. are deemed safe by the U.S. FDA and other global authoritative bodies such as EFSA.  These resources have been collected to help everyone understand the role and function of food additives and ingredients and what they do in our food. Food Ingredients and Colors Brochure For centuries, ingredients have served useful functions in a variety of foods. Our ancestors used salt to preserve meats and fish, added herbs and spices to improve the flavor of foods, preserved fruit with sugar, and pickled cucumbers in a vinegar solution. Today, consumers demand and enjoy a food supply that is flavorful, nutritious, safe, convenient, colorful and affordable. Food additives and advances in technology help make that possible.  This brochure in partnership with the U.S. FDA is your guide to understand the role of ingredients, colors and flavors in food. Color Me Red:  New Studies on Food Coloring Safety Did you know food coloring can be made using natural and artificial ingredients? Both of which are safe and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These colorings are used in a variety of foods, not just baked goods, but they are also safely used in ice cream, yogurt, soft drinks, cereals, sausage casings, cheeses and the list goes on.  Three recent publications supported by the International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM) explored and reaffirmed the safety of food colors that have been at the […]

article

Coconut Milk, Our Tropical Treat

For the last installment in our milk series, we thought it would be a good idea to dive into coconut milk. Plus, you might want to get an early start on celebrating World Coconut Day (Sept. 2). Even if you don’t celebrate, you may have noticed that this tropical beverage has grown quite a bit in popularity in the past few years, which may be rooted in the fact that it offers another alternative to cow’s milk. Similar to almond and soy milk, coconut milk sales are expected to continue to increase in coming years. A recent report has projected the market for coconut milk will grow 7.5 percent annually by the year 2023. It looks like coconuts are useful for way more than just coconut cream pies and piña coladas, but how is coconut milk made? Where the Milk Begins The coconut is a tropical tree species grown and harvested mainly by small-scale farmers. Its success depends largely on ample water availability, but they are also able to grow in a wide variety of soils. Coconuts are farmed in more than 90 countries, with the top four producers being Indonesia, Philippines, India and Brazil. While coconuts grow in many countries, their natural habitats are on coastal areas and the fringes of deserts, where rainfall and humidity are likely to be high. Coconuts are not really nuts at all; they are fruits in the drupe or “stone fruit” family, which also includes apricots, cherries and peaches. The coconut kernel (also called the “copra”) and water are two edible parts that form the foundational ingredients for a variety of coconut products, including coconut water, oil, cream and, of course, coconut milk. Crack the “Nut,” Get the Milk Specifically for coconut milk and cream production, coconuts must mature to between 10 and […]

article

A Simple Guide to Plant-Based Eating

There’s no doubt that following a special eating pattern has become increasingly en-vogue in recent years—and the rising popularity of specific diets continues to be backed up by data from IFIC’s annual Food and Health Survey. Among the top growing dietary trends is plant-based eating, and it gets a lot of hype for good reason—scientific research shows that plant-based diets can have many benefits. But here’s the rub: What individuals perceive as “plant-based eating” is highly variable, and the term is not well-defined. Case in point? Some people assume the term “plant-based” is another way to describe vegetarian or vegan eating. In reality, a broad spectrum of plant-based eating exists, and there’s no one way to do it. If you’re looking for tips increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat—and maybe even foray into your own version of plant-based eating—use the below guide to understand what plant-based can mean, what its benefits are, and how you can implement this eating style. Defining “Plant-Based” Plant-based diets have existed since ancient times, but the term “plant-based” is just around 20 years old, according to a 2022 review that defines plant-based foods as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs, spices, and whole grains. Unlike vegan eating, a plant-based or, alternatively, plant-focused, diet does not have to exclude animal foods like red meat, fish, chicken, eggs, and dairy. Rather, a plant-based eater may still enjoy animal foods while deliberately building an overall eating pattern that is rich in or primarily made of plants, but not consisting only of plants. The Benefits of a Plant-based Diet There’s no doubt that many plant-based foods are full of nutrition and health benefits. Just the act of making healthy, plant-based choices can confer better nutrition in the way of more vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. But plant-based […]

article

Choice and Safety Perceptions of Bioengineered Foods

Over the years, we all have seen new foods come into our lives from grocery stores, food trucks, restaurants, or other food service venues. New foods can be fun and exciting to try, and it can be intriguing to learn about how and where they are produced. Many foodies and conscientious consumers alike often find knowing more about their food creates familiarity, comfort and reliability; but there are some instances when information about food doesn’t immediately incite positive feelings. This can be the case with bioengineered foods, which include genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While GMO foods have been part of our food system for more than two decades and the safety of GMOs has been consistently affirmed by national and international food safety authorities. Many people are surprised to know there are only a small subset of GMO crops available in the U.S.; these include soybeans, field and sweet corn, canola, cotton used in cottonseed oil production, alfalfa, sugar beets, summer squash, papaya, apples and potatoes. These foods are identical to their conventionally grown counterparts in terms of safety and nutrition; often the biggest difference is on the farmer’s end. These crops often grow more effectively under harsh conditions and need less inputs such as pesticides, water and energy. These facts are known in some circles, but the background of bioengineered foods is news that still needs to be shared and talked about regularly. Let’s look at some recent research that’s been done to see how folks perceive bioengineered foods today. What We are Familiar With Our 2021 Food and Health Survey asked a series of questions about food choices and perceptions about bioengineered food; there were some direct lines that can be drawn between familiarity and the decision to seek or avoid bioengineered foods. When survey takers were asked […]

article